'Senior citizens feel economic issues major concern for India'

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SME Times News Bureau | 18 Jan, 2021
Majority of the senior citizens of the country believe that current state of the economy is among the biggest issues that India needs to address immediately.

The other top concern is unemployment, showed a survey by Antara, a Max Group entity.

Further, fear of coronavirus infection and social isolation were the two big concerns for seniors during the lockdown, it said.

More than half of seniors in the survey said that India has done its best to handle the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the senior assisted living programmes, a large chunk of the surveyed senior people was of the view that these programmes and facilities were acceptable.

Despite being an established and accepted industry across the world, senior care services are still at a nascent stage in India. This can be attributed to various reasons such as a young population, close knit-family structures, social stigma, among others.

"The survey shows this perception is changing rapidly. 48 per cent of seniors consider senior care facilities as a ready-made social community, an acceptable living option. They believe that it provides them with the comfort and access to a community of like-minded individuals, thereby increasing their mental satisfaction by making them feel understood," the report said.

Rajit Mehta, MD, and CEO, Antara said: "Their (senior Indians) needs and aspirations have come a long way. They now want to be active contributors in the economy, want to lead a life with dignity, and become more 'Atmanirbhar'."