Disability among the elder population of India: A public health concern

Type Journal Article - Journal of Medical Society
Title Disability among the elder population of India: A public health concern
Author(s)
Volume 30
Issue 1
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2016
Page numbers 15-19
URL http://www.jmedsoc.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4958;year=2016;volume=30;issue=1;spage=15;epage=19;aula​st=Agrawal
Abstract
The Government of India adopted the National Policy on Older Persons in 1999, which defines a "'senior citizen' or 'elderly' as a person who is of age 60 years or above." In India the elderly population accounted for 8.2% of the total population in 2011 and the number is expected to increase over the next decades. The link between aging and disability is a biological fact, and disability in the elderly is an important health indicator pointing to jeopardized quality of life. But at the same time, aging should not be treated as synonymous with disability as a large proportion of older people live with good health status. There are many studies from India that have addressed disability in the elderly population; however, they lack uniformity in defining disability and largely address mostly one aspect, that is, the medical model of disability. It is well recognized that "disability and elderly" encompasses a much larger spectrum of the conditions with unique requirements and needs to be studied as a much broader concept.

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