NITI Aayog Releases Position Paper– Senior Care Reforms in India: Reimagining the Senior Care Paradigm
NITI Aayog released a position paper titled “Senior Care Reforms in India: Reimagining the Senior Care Paradigm” on 16th February 2024. The report was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery in the presence of Member (Health) Dr. Vinod K. Paul, CEO B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, and Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) Secretary Saurabh Garg.
Ms. L. S. Changsan, AS&MD, MoHFW, Shri Rajib Sen, Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog, Ms. Monali P. Dhakate, Joint Secretary, DoSJE and Ms. Kavita Garg, Joint Secretary, M/o Ayush, were also present at the launch.
Speaking on the occasion, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery said, “The release of this report is one of the stepping stones toward India’s commitment to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat @2047. It is important to extensively prioritize the application of technology and Artificial Intelligence for senior care. It is time to start thinking about the special dimensions of senior care in addition to the medical and social dimensions.”.
“This is the time when serious discussions should emerge on making ageing dignity driven, safe, and productive. We need to ensure the social security of the elderly and add more emphasis to wellbeing and care,” mentioned Member (Health) NITI Aayog Dr. V.K. Paul in his address.
“Role of family and family values is crucial in developing an ecosystem for healthy ageing. The report has brought forth appropriate policy directives for healthy ageing in India,” stated CEO, NITI Aayog B.V.R. Subrahmanyam.
Secretary DoSJE Saurabh Garg said, “The report is a call for action on what needs to be done to bring a greater focus on senior care.”. He added that the broad focus of DoSJE is on ageing with dignity, ageing at home, and productive ageing, which will encompass social, economic, and health aspects.”.
The recommendations in this position paper categorize the specific interventions needed in terms of empowerment, service delivery, and their inclusions under four core areas: Health, Social, Economic/ Financial, and Digital. It strives to push the frontiers of senior care by recognizing the evolving medical and non-medical needs of seniors, thus envisioning a multi-pronged strategy for designing an effective and synergized senior care policy.