Abstract

As India stands in the 70th decade of its independence it has travelled a long way with life expectancy at birth drastically increasing from 36.2 years in 1950 to 69.7 years in 2020; this is further projected to rise to 75.9 years by 2050. The Indian subcontinent is known for its rich heritage and culture. It is one of the most diverse countries in the world with its varied religions, ethnicities, languages, customs and social structures. The most unique feature of India is its unity in diversity. It is home to 1.3 billion people of which more than 8% being elderly making India an ageing nation. As diverse as India is, so is the situation of the elderly in India. The health and wellbeing of the elderly is determined by multiple features ranging from individual risk factors to the socioeconomic, cultural and environmental milieu in which the elderly reside. Their level of education, working environment and living conditions have a detrimental impact on the lives of the elderly. The immediate family, social and community networks of the elderly play a crucial role in providing not only physical but also mental support. This rich social capital is considered most often as the only social security measure that the elderly in India have. Even though there is a national policy and program with many elderly friendly initiatives in place there still exists a huge gap in services that needs to be addressed. This chapter aims to provide a holistic overview of the life of an elderly in India emphasising the need for healthy aging for a healthier tomorrow.