With increased life expectancy, we have a rising aged population. Yet, while the elderly are living longer, there is no evidence to prove that they are able to spend these extra years in good health. It is not just physical good health that we are talking about; a good health includes mental and spiritual well-being too, and these are very much compromised (often more than physical disease or disability) in the golden years.

Health (physical, mental and spiritual) is central to our experience of old age and poor health brings in misery for the elderly. Inadequate infrastructure, minimal emphasis on geriatric care, changing family structure, lack of social support and social inequalities make the experiences of the aged more complex; hence, these areas need our attention and retrospection.

Managing homecare for the elderly now – a- days is a challenging task. With the increase in the number of nuclear families, the pressure on the working children of aged parents have mounted; they find it difficult to take the responsibility of their parents’ well-being single-handedly. Moreover, the multiple service providers presently operating are small, unorganized players extending sub-optimal care and cannot cope up with the ever-increasing problem.

Add to that, a definite marginalization of this group whose social contribution at this age is almost nil and it is no wonder that the plight of the elderlies is worsening from day to day. Hence our lack of understanding the geriatric population, the morbidity of ageing and the ever-increasing gap in our care delivery system make their lives progressively miserable.