The burden of illness in old age is enormous. These patients in our society are neglected till the time the disease becomes life altering and debilitating. Because of this reasons most of the diseases in such patients are detected after the curable window and most of the times the ailments are blamed on the age physiology I.e non-communicable diseases(life style related and degenerative) of the patients instead of suspecting a pathology that may be present.

In population over 70% years >50 % suffer from one or more chronic conditions- hypertension, coronary artery disease, cancer, joint problems etc. Decline in immunity in such patients due to old age also make them susceptible to communicable diseases (eg. TB) which leads to increase in the burden on the family and society.

Among the elderly 10% suffer from impaired physical activity, 10% have mental illness like depression due to socio economic factors such as breakdown of the family, brain, socio economic factors such as breakdown of the family support system, decrease in economic independence and 10% are hospitalised at any given time, both proportions rising with increasing age. 

GERIATRIC PATIENT STATUS IN INDIA-

As per the 1991 census, the population of the

elderly in India was 57 million as compared with

20 million in 1951due to a decrease fertility rate

and increased life expectancy. Even though

the age expectancy has improved but the quality

of life has been severely reduced in our society. The

rapid urbanisation and social modernisation has

brought in its wake a breakdown in family values

and the framework of family support, economic

insecurity, social isolation, and elderly abuse

leading to a host of psychological illnesses.

In India, not a lot of institutes have isolated facilities for this ignored sector of

our society which results in increased waiting time, increased visits and

long duration of treatment for such patients. A lot of elderly patients (with

H/O stroke, cardiac arrest, vasculitis, and other mental illness) who require

constant care and monitoring are neglected due to their constant

requirement of visits to healthcare sectors. The increasing burden of

growing economy and constant race has led to ignorance of such patients

at home.

IN MEDANTA WE FOCUS ON MAKING LIFE COMFORTABLE AND

ILLNESS FREE FOR These warriors by working on three levels -

Health promotion measures-

By helping them to get rid of any addictions if present, motivating

them for physical exercise and maintenance of the target BMI,

immunization, making a dietician health plan, immunization and

vaccination.

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE - MEDANTA 2

“Treating geriatric

patients as one

of our very own”

-MEDANTA

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE - MEDANTA 13 May 2024

Screening

For non-communicable and preventable diseases like hypertension, cancers, psychiatric

disorders, nutritional anemia, arthritis, maintenance of blood sugars (in diabetics) and

prevention of diabetes-induced multi-systemic disorders.

Rehabilitation

The primary focus is patients who have already developed a disease and the

disease is not curable we target improving the quality of life by providing visual aids/

mobility aids, physiotherapy, supplementing with proper nutrition and vitamins, and maintaining

mental health with proper counseling.

EXCLUSIVELY IN MEDANTA-

HOME VISITS-

We know that in today’s generation of increasing workload taking care of old age

patients is a responsibility that is involuntarily ignored by lots of us, SO WE DO IT FOR

YOU.

-Monthly home visits by qualified doctors and nurses to take care of your loved ones

and their health with routine investigations and follow-up to not only treat the diseases

at their first stage but also prevent the new ones.

- Transportation services included in case of emergency.

- Physiotherapy and rehabilitation at home.

- Vaccination for infectious life-deteriorating diseases.

- Specialised pain relief treatment in patients to increase the quality of life.

- Daycare IPD treatment for patients who require IV treatments and monitoring.

- 3 monthly follow up in OPD without any waiting time.