Do we understand what they need? A course on taking care of the elderly……SiddharthKelkar

Prashant Shinde is a doctor working in Ahmednagar. Hooked by the urge to serve senior citizens, he started a magazine, Swasthya Darpan, which addreses health issues of elderly persons. But it seems this was not enough for him. Recently, he joined a course in geriatric care conducted by the International Longevity Centre (ILC) and Symbiosis Nursing College. With a renewed orientation towards issues of senior citizens, Prashant now wants to change the image of a senior citizen, from a person with unkempt hair and walking with a stick in hand to one with a smiling face exuberating energy.

Charuta Kadulkar runs an old age home in Dhayari. New challenges related to health of senior citizens are bound to grow in the coming years. It is better to get trained and know about the medical and social aspects of geriatric care while running an old age home, says Charuta.

There are at present 77 million senior citizens (over the age of 60 ) in the country. The number will go up to 137 million by 2021, nearly 13 per cent of the total population.

Here comes the real problem, as geriatric care is a still new concept in the country. To unveil the concept to commoners, the National Institute of Social Defence, ILC and Symbiosis Nursing College have started a course in geriatric care in the city. This is the first such course started by any institute in western India.

It requires adequate attention to ensure positive interventions and affirmative action to strengthen social support systems for the elderly. There is a huge demand for skilled professional personnel trained in geriatric care and as part of the National Initiative on Care for Elderly (NICE), the Union government has developed a certificate course in geriatric care.

ILC Honorary President Sharachchandra Gokhale and Executive Director Ravindra Surve initiated the course in Pune along with Symbiosis founder-director S B Mujumdar and Advisor (Medical Projects) M A Tutakane. The first batch of 13 students is now halfway through the six-month course.

The idea behind the course is to train students in various aspects of geriatric care. It ranges from tips on providing psychological support to training in first aid, explained Tutakane.

With the concept of nuclear families growing day by day, senior citizens are at the receiving end of problems like loneliness. It is important to accept them socially by bringing in mental support. It requires a great deal of skill, which can be developed only after training, said Course Coordinator Asha Jammihal. We also arrange visits to old age homes and hospitals so that the students can get a feel of the needs of senior citizens, she said.

The students are trained in basic nursing and here starts the role of the Nursing College. At old age, proper food and fluid intake are of utmost importance. We give some tips on that. Besides, we also train them in keeping health records and providing first-aid treatment, said Symbiosis Nursing College Principal Col Jayalaxmi.

Visiting lecturers include economist M V Patwardhan, social scientist Meenakshi Apte, architect Radhika Vaidya, communications expert Vishwas Mehendale, social worker Renu Gavaskar, NRI Parents Organisation President Kumar Kiwalkar, and former All India Radio-Pune director Sharad Bhosale.