Noting that institutionalised care of elderly people is the need of the hour, Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Friday said the Union government is running more than 640 old age homes in around 360 districts in the country.

“It is an old concept in mind and also suitable to cultural traditions that aging at home is commonly accepted and encouraged. But at the same time institutionalised care is somewhat which is needed and required and as time goes by it would be needed in a much greater way,” the Secretary said at 4th ASLI Ageing fest.

The Association of Senior Living India (ASLI) is a premier national voluntary membership association that addresses the needs of the ageing population by establishing communication platforms that educate seniors about the diverse models of structured care available and the essential principles of quality care.

Garg also mentioned the Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine (SAGE) programme, which was launched two years back for the elderly people. The SAGE programme and SAGE portal were launched with a view to help such persons who are interested in entrepreneurship in the field of providing services for elderly care.

He apprised that since the launch of the portal, they have received 90 applications. “One is making automated devices for home dialysis, another one is trying to make cost-effective tests for elderly people,” he said.

Dr. Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, who was the chief guest at the ASLI Ageing fest, emphasised the fact that 50 per cent of elderly people are women and the companies working in the field of elderly care should focus on this fact.

“Fifty per cent of elderly are women, they have special needs, care, privacy, mental health, and special situations. So let’s not forget about specific solutions for our elderly people, especially women. You should bring affordable gender-specific solutions,” Dr Paul asserted.

Adarsh Narahari, Chairman, ASLI said his association is actively fostering industry growth by organising regular industry meetings and programmes that are aimed at enhancing operational standards, sharing best practices, and raising awareness about the senior care sector.