"Can retirement homes help prevent abuse of the elderly?" Dr. Mala Kapur Shankardas.

‎
A short overview of the changes faced by the indian society through times toward eldercare facilities : a change in the perception and expectations in India today. 

"Can retirement homes help prevent abuse of the elderly?" DR. MALA KAPUR SHANKARDAS, BOLD (Quarterly Journal of the International Institute on Ageing (United Nations, Malta), Vol. 22 No. 1, 2011 – page 29-30. 

…“Building homes for the aged has a long history in India, but it is generally related to compulsions which older people face in making a survival in their later years. However, what is new in the country is the concept of giving choices to older people to live their life independently notwithstanding managed and supervised care”….


....“Or, these are around areas undergoing urbanisation with its consequence of increase in nuclear family set-ups and double-income families where both male and female adults are involved with work outside the home, having little time for care giving environments. 


There are many senior citizens as new reserach and my work with older people indicates who want to continue living in familiar environment, but however require special care facilities, age-sensistive provisions and age-friendly services. 

They are happy to pay for these, reinforcing their independence and autonomy. They are looking for living options in gated communities which are to close proximity to medical facilities, shopping areas, cultural centres, catering holistically to their emotional, social and physical needs.”....

…“Institutions involved with caring for older persons do have legal liability and obligation to perform their task through the Indian Contract Act, 1872 and the law of ‘torts’ whereby for any mistreatment and failure in caring, a civil suit can be filed against the management of the institution for the breach in contract to care, even though there might not be a written contract and damages can be claimed for the wrong done by the affected older person or his/her family member”….



Read full article at : http://www.inia.org.mt/data/images/bold/Bold_Nov_2011.pdf
or Pdf available on request at hendi.lingiah@gmail.com

Slideshow on "Dementia and wandering: suggestions for family caregivers in India." (english and hindi versions)

Made by Swapna Kishore (Family Caregiver, Bangalore) on Dementia Care Notes website.

"Most persons with dementia wander, and this can traumatize the patient and the family. Some patients are not located for days, and some get seriously injured, even die.

This video discusses ways in which families can try to understand what needs or restlessness makes patients wander, how to reduce wandering, and also how to be prepared to get the patients home safe and fast in case they do wander.

While the video may be useful for any caregiving situation, it is designed keeping family caregivers in India in mind."

English version:

Hindi version: Dementia aur bhatakna/ khona (dementia and wandering): parivaaron ke liye sujhaav: 

Primary Healthcare market mushrooming in India today.

Primary healthcare catches on",

By Itishree Samal / Chennai/ Hyderabad Jan 06, 2012.

..."The healthcare expenditure is increasing 12 per cent year-on-year and is expected to touch $125 billion by 2015 in India. Experts believe the main cause for this high expenditure is lack of primary healthcare facilities and mushrooming tertiary and super speciality hospitals.

According to reports, in the last 10 years more than 60 per cent of super speciality hospitals had come up mainly in metros. Being the world’s second most populous nation with over 1.2 billion people, the country’s government-run primary health clinics are over-crowded and faces a shortage of qualified doctors and nursing staff. Besides, many still have to travel some 100 km to get basic healthcare.

To reduce the expense and make healthcare accessible for all, many players are now getting into the primary healthcare space. Primary healthcare caters to the basic level of preventive and curative medical care, and forms almost 80 per cent of all health requirements.

Its major components are doctor consultations, ambulatory care, immunisation, basic diagnostics, and retail healthcare such as pharmacy, over-the- counter drugs, personal medical equipment, health food and physiotherapy. It mainly comprises care delivered by a general physician in an out-patient setting.

According to Technopak Advisors, the primary healthcare segment accounts for 60 per cent of the healthcare delivery market, growing at 15 per cent annually. The current market size is $30 billion, which is likely to reach $200-250 billion by 2025.

The last few years had seen increased interest and investment in this segment. The start-ups, with innovative business models, are providing health treatments at low-cost, high-quality. Some of the names in the field include LifeSpring Hospitals, Manappuram's MaCare Healthcare and Razi healthcare, who are spreading their operations pan-India and setting up community health centres and, primary health clinics."....

READ MORE at: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/primary-healthcare-catches-on/460842/

What is Progressive Supranuclear Palsy? share the testomony from a caregiver in India, 2011.

"World Rare Disease Day and My Lessons From it All", Posted by Mom-Lady on February 27, 2012 in Talking Points.
  


Acknowledgment to Ms Anusuya Datta (New Delhi) relating her caregiving experience with her father who suffered from PSP .

Excerpts:
....."There are estimated to be over 3.3 crore patients in India suffering from rare diseases. There are about 6,000 to 8,000 rare diseases in India and the unfortunate part is most do not have any cure. Now, why is this event important for me?

My father recently died of a rare disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy or PSP, a neurodegenerative brain disease that has no known cause, treatment or cure.

Let me quote here from Cure PSP, the foremost organisation working towards cure and prevention of the disease: it is extremely rare and known to strike about only six people per 100,000 population. It affects the nerve cells that control walking, balance, mobility, vision, speech, and swallowing."

..."The disease systematically robs the affected persons of their independence and basic character. Often, the first to go is the eye movement, followed by gait and balance problems. 

This continues for years, with the persons losing their ability to perform executive functions one by one. Finally, there comes a time when they can no longer stand or walk and ultimately end up bedridden. 

Next to go is their ability to speak and use their hands. Soon they have a tough time focusing or looking up and down, and finally even blinking, or opening or closing eyes become a problem. In the last stages, the patients can no longer move or even eat and drink.

Yet, PSP in itself is not directly life-threatening. Patients often die of associated complications — like pneumonia and malnutrition owing to swallowing difficulties. Multiple organ failure is what is written on Dad’s death certificate. What caused it, the doctors don’t know. As one of them explained, it was possibly the brain’s way of switching off."

.....

"Imagine a visibly healthy person with no peripheral vision (the problem can never be diagnosed by eye specialists) or with severe balance problems (this again, cannot be diagnosed by normal orthopaedics), being told again and again by doctors that everything is fine with him and he is just not making an effort. Soon, the family joins in. Imagine a person’s horrors when he can’t remember basic things like how to take a bath or button up a shirt, or he suddenly discovers he can’t read and write, or how and what to talk? 


He is scared, he can’t share this with anyone, may be he thinks he is losing his mind. He needs support, but of course the family thinks he is just being lazy. So, he is more scared, gets defensive, aloof, withdrawn. As it is the world of communication is fast shrinking for them, we in our ignorance help shrink it faster. He didn’t talk much, we didn’t bother why. And neither did the doctors."....


READ FULL ATICLE at: http://www.howzzit.com/2012/02/27/world-rare-disease-day-and-my-lessons-from-it-all/


Alzheimer's Disease in India: Thank you Anusuya Datta for this piece relating your experience of PSP through your father's condition these last years. It supports our "actions" in regard of the importance of raising awareness among the society and the importance of having an early diagnosis. 


Indeed, even though there is no cure yet, it gives at least an ANSWER to the patients and the families about what is happening and then some understanding, maybe some "keys" for possible adjustments and/or arrangments. 


As though the diagnosis doesn't decrease the sorrow, people affected by a disease express their RELIEF after knowing the information : "I've been relieved, there was a NAME on what was happening to me.", "I understood there was a reason for my deterioration/incapacities", "I wasn't in the dark/ignorance anymore".
"We understood it was not his/her fault", "we felt we were not alone", "we could adjust better", "though his/her ability to comprehend deteriorated, with right infos and support we made it to communicate according to the stages", "with support we could share this beautiful experience each times it happened" etc etc etc.

Some Principles for a Dignified Diagnosis in Alzheimer’s: the patient's view.

Principles for a Dignified Diagnosis in Alzheimer’s, from  Elder Care at Home, OCTOBER 28, 2011. 


"In the 2008 report, Voices of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Summary Report on the Nationwide Town Hall Meetings for People with Early Stage Dementia, 

the Alzheimer’s Association identified diagnostic challenges and dissatisfying interactions with the medical community as two major challenges articulated by people living with the disease. "

"These principles are their insights on how to make that experience better: 

* Talk to me directly, the person with dementia;
* Tell the truth;
* Test early;
* Take my concerns seriously, regardless of my age;
* Deliver the news in plain but sensitive language;
*Coordinate with other care providers;
* Explain the purpose of different tests and what you hope to learn;
* Give me tools for living with this disease;
* Work with me on a plan for healthy living;
* Recognize that I am an individual and the way;
* Alzheimer’s is a journey, not a destination.



Link: http://alzheimerscareathome.com/2011/10/principles-for-a-dignified-diagnosis-in-alzheimers/

"City needs clinics to check Alzheimer's", Time of India, Pune, 2011.

"City needs clinics to check Alzheimer's", Swati Shinde Gole, The Time of India, Pune, wednesday, september 21, 2011. 

"Estimation for number of people living with dementia in Maharashtra between 2011 and 2026 (projected numbers in hundreds) with dementia by age group." source ARDSI.

Double click on the picture to enlarge it 

Brochure of ARDSI Hyderabad Deccan

Brochure of ARDSI Hyderabad Deccan on Pdf available on request at hendi.lingiah@gmail.com

You may contact them directly for any info about Alzheimer's Disease in Telugu language.

For more infos and advises, do visit our Facebook page Alzheimer's Disease in India and ask your questions to our Family Caregivers and or professional practitioners.

link: file:///C:/hendi/India/ardsi-hyd-services%20brochure.pdf 

See also their website: http://ardsihyd.org/services.html

VIDEO: interview of a dementia caregiver in India (Bangalore, June 2009)

"Swapna Kishore is a caregiver for her mother, who has dementia. 


She lives in Bangalore, India. In this interview she describes some of her caregiver experiences and challenges, and how she turned around the caregiving by getting better informed, by interacting with other caregivers, by using appropriate tools, engaging her mother in activities, and reducing social pressure.


Swapna also shares her ideas on what can help caregivers, and feels that awareness is critical, and that caregivers also need informed professionals who support them, and trained home help.

Swapna Kishore shares her experiences as a caregiver, and her thoughts about dementia care in India regularly on her blog at http://swapnawrites.wordpress.com She is also a volunteer who helps other caregivers, and she also uses her blog to share experiences related to her volunteer work."

‎'1298' Mumbai Senior Citizens Helpline Report for January 2012.

‎'1298' Mumbai Senior Citizens Helpline Report for January 2012 : 

Alzheimer's Disease 10% of the calls, with Legal issues : 10% and calls about Old Age Homes: 9%. 

Link: http://silverinnings.posterous.com/#!/1298-mumbai-senior-citizens-helpline-report-j

VIDEO: Wandering and Missing Senior Citizens. India (english version) (2)

"Wandering and Missing Senior Citizens: Why does this happen and what to do then?"

By Sailesh Mishra from The Silver Innings Foundation in Mumbai for the Health Library, Help Talks on 6 february 2012, Mumbai. 


Case studies from India, tips to reduce wandering and support and ressources in your environment. 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Silver Innings Foundation Presentation, 2012 also available on Pdf downloable at: http://silverinnings.posterous.com/#!/wandering-missing-senior-citizens-why-does-it

Article "Healthcare in India - Vision 2020".

Article "Healthcare in India - Vision 2020" by R. Srinivasan.
Available and Downloable on Scribd on PdF at : http://www.slideshare.net/anupsoans/health-care-in-india-vision-2020?from=new_upload_email

"Prevalence, Distribution and Impact of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Latin America, China and India: a 10/66 Population-Based Study. February 2012.

Article "Prevalence, Distribution and Impact of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Latin America, China and India: a 10/66 Population-Based Study. February 2012, Volume 9, issue 2. PLoS Medicine, Open Acess (freely available online). 


Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/81359313/Mild-cognitive-impairment-in-L-America-China-and-India-MildCognitiveImpairment10-66-2012Study-Journal-pmed-1001170#source:facebook

February 7, 2012

‎"Urgent reform key to securing Asia’s pension systems, says OECD", 25/01/2012.

‎"Urgent reform key to securing Asia’s pension systems, says OECD", 25/01/2012: 

"Asia’s pension systems need modernising urgently to deliver secure,sustainable and adequate retirement incomes for today’s workers, according to a new OECD report." 

"Pensions at a Glance: Asia/Pacific 2011 says that many of the region’s retirement-income systems are ill prepared for the rapid population ageing that will occur over the next two decades."

"The report analyses the retirement income systems of 16 Asian countries, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam." 
....


Link to the article available at: http://www.oecd.org/document/56/0,3746,en_21571361_44315115_49454212_1_1_1_1,00.html


and Link to the OECD full report in PdF at this link :  http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/37/41/49454618.pdf

‎"The Cost of Universal Health Care in India: A Model Based Estimate", january 27,2012.

‎
Article "The Cost of Universal Health Care in India: A Model Based Estimate", Open Access Scribd, published january 27,2012.


Available on Scribd, at this Link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/80760691/The-Cost-of-Universal-Health-Care-in-India-A-Model-Based-Estimate

Hindi website for dementia caregivers in India by Swapna Kishore, Bangalore.

‎"Hindi website for dementia caregivers in India (40+ pages): an announcement", from Swapna Kishore, Swapna Writes Blog, february 11, 2012.

"This blog entry is to share that I have created a 40+ page Hindi website for caregivers of dementia patients in India. 


Below, I explain the scope and purpose of the site and put forth my request to all blog readers."....at : http://swapnawrites.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/hindi-website-for-dementia-caregivers-in-india-40-pages-an-announcement/


Link to the Hindi website: http://dementiahindi.com/

"The Private Health Sector in India : Nature, Trends and a Critique" by Ravi Duggal.

"The Private Health Sector in India : Nature, Trends and a Critique", Ravi Duggal, Project Supported By: Independent Commission for Health in India (ICHI), New Delhi.

..."While the expansion of the private sector is primarily responsible for high and increasing inequity in access to health care, its internal functioning is riddled with problems and its claim of better efficiency and quality service are yet to be objectively proven. 

Besides, malpractice is very common, irrational and unnecessary diagnostic tests and surgeries are rampant, and ethics are by and large jettisoned.

All over the world there is a tendency to move towards more organised national health systems and an increased share of public finance in health care. Almost all developed capitalist and socialist countries have universal health care systems where the public sector's share of the fiscal burden is between 60 to 100 %. 

This trend is inevitable in the pursuit of equity and universal coverage. A few countries which have not set up universal systems of health care, such as the USA, where 30 million people do not have reasonable access to health care, continue to have glaring inequities in health care provision despite being economically well-developed."

Link: http://www.cehat.org/go/ResearchAreas/HsfPhsi

Primary Care in the indian Healtcare system today.

‎"Market moving the preventive and primary way in health care in India", by Dr Rakesh Parashar. Health Care & Hospital Management Consultant; The Health Care Intelligence Team, february 9, 2012. 

"Indian health system’s major drift towards the specialized and super-specialized care in last two decades has been a result of an incompetent preventive and primary health delivery system. 


The primary care has remained a concept of public health and the business hospitals have found little incentives to incorporate this into the service delivery, which is high end and technology driven. 

The growing business of health care in India, which is speeding at about 20 % CAGR, is about to touch $ 120 billion by 2015. However, the improvement in the health status of the country is still doubtful with IMR, MMR, anaemia, malnutrition and life expectancy improving at a slower pace than the industry growth."....


Read more at: http://dendrytes.com/Blog/market-moving-the-preventive-and-primary-way-in-health-care-in-india/

"1298 Senior Citizen's Mumbai Helpline" report

"1298 Senior Citizen's Helpline" January 2012 report, Mumbai,
downloable at the following link:

On silverinnings's posterous:
http://silverinnings.posterous.com/#!/1298-mumbai-senior-citizens-helpline-report-d

"Wandering & Missing Senior Citizens: Why Does it Happen & What To Do ? ". India. (1)

Wandering and Missing Senior CIitzens: why does it happen and what to do?  Silver Innings Foundation Presentation, 2012. 

Case studies from India, tips to reduce wandering and support and ressources in your environment :

pdf downloable at: http://silverinnings.posterous.com/#!/wandering-missing-senior-citizens-why-does-it

The 20th IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, June 23-27 2013, Seoul, Korea.

Call for Submitted Symposia Important Dates :

· Period: September 1st 2011 ~ May 31st 2012
· Notification of Acceptance: April 2012
· Notification of Presentation schedule: May 2012
· Final list of accepted proposals: May 2012


WELCOME MESSAGE & Situation in Korea:

The ageing society is now a global challenge faced by not only advanced  countries, but by the entire world. Notably, Korea is experiencing one of  the fastest ageing trends in the world with its aged population ratio exceeding 11 percent in 2010. We anticipate this ratio will rise to over 14% by 2018, making Korea a truly aged society.The sense of urgency  among people about this development is leading to diverse policy discussions.  In the year 2013, when we plan on holding the 20th IAGG World  Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Seoul, the Korean society will  be at a critical juncture regarding ageing.

The 20th IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics will be hosted  by the Federation of Korean Gerontological Societies, which is an  alliance of the most representative Korean institutions in  Gerontology. With the full support of the Korean government, I am  confident that the Congress will be a successful global academic festivity of  exchanging relevant research findings from all 5 continents and 6 oceanic  regions of the world.The Seoul Congress will make especially  great use of Korea’s advanced information technologies of the  21st century for discussing the various research, implementation,  and policy initiatives necessary for enhancing  the quality of life for the older people.  I look forward to having valuable exchanges on the much talked about issue  of ‘ageing’ with the great minds of the world here in Korea, which is a country  known for its distinct history and tradition. link : http://www.iagg2013.org/

19th International Conference Of Indian Association of Palliative Care, Kolkata, speakers and details.

19th International Conference Of Indian Association of Palliative Care, 
IAPCCON2012, Kolkata, 10-12 Feb 2012, 
Conference Proceedings 
ABSTRACT BOOK

Dr Arundhati Chakraborty 

Organizing Secretary, IAPCCON 2012, Kolkata              

H.O.D. – Radiation Oncology 

Apollo Gleneagles Cancer Hospital, Kolkata

IAPC CCEPC (Certificate in essentials of palliative care ) Experience,
Dr. Rajashree KC 

Institute of Palliative Medicine (IPM), Calicut       

E-mail: drrajisuresh@gmail.com

Palliative care Research: Indian Perspective 

Dr Sushma Bhatnagar 
Additional Professor of Anesthesia & In-charge Palliative Care      
AIIMS, New Delhi 
E-mail : Sushmabhatnagar1@gmail.com 


Ethical issues in planning research in Palliative Care 
Prof. Santosh K Chaturvedi. M.D. FRCPsych 
National Institute of Mental Health & Neuroscience, Bangalore  
E-mail: skchatur@gmail.com


Update on Children Palliative Care Project, India                                
Dr. Anil Paleri, Calicut,                                 
and Prof. Maryann A Muckaden, Mumbai                                     
E-mail: anilpaleri@gmail.com              


Demographic and Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Elderly in India: Reconstructing Data for Palliative Services  
Prof. Suhita Chopra Chatterjee        
Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT, Kharagpur, INDIA  
E-mail:  suhitacc@yahoo.co.in 

Palliative Care issues in Dementia – Social Death and Beyond 
Prof. Prabha S. Chandra                                                                                                                  
NIMHANS, Bangalore 
Email: prabhasch@gmail.com



Abstract Book -19th International Conference of Indian Association of Palliative Care IAPC is now available at Conference Website:
http://www.iapckolkata2012.org/pdf/IAPCCON2012-ABSTRACT-BOOK.pdf


or available on request at: hendi.lingiah@gmail.com