The Elderly in India: A Collection of Selected Writings

Description

Elderly in India: A Collection of Selected Writings is an edited book with contributions from various academicians, researchers, and human service professionals working in the fields of geriatric care and gerontological social work. Well-timed, the noted editors have brought together a host of luminaries who intend to enlighten the readers about the vast plethora of issues confronting the elderly persons in the neoliberal context in which we are currently placed. Such a context has brought into focus new challenges and problems, which in turn affect the overall quality of life of the elderly in India. The book has made a significant contribution toward generating knowledge and enriching the practice of social work with elderly persons.

Population ageing, at one end is taken as a triumph of human civilization while on the other end, it is posing challenges to social planners, policy makers, demographers, health practitioners and formal and informal caregivers in terms of increasing economic and social cost of care and security. With increase in number and proportion of the elderly in the population, in near future, each and every family would have to address to the needs and problems of older persons. This in itself explicates the need to establish an ongoing dialogue with regard to addressing the emergent needs and problems of this huge constituency. It is also important to note that while the elderly are deemed to present multiple vulnerabilities, yet they also represent a considerable pool of potential to be mobilised for meaningful participation in the development of a society. This is a realm that requires concerted study and deliberation.

In this context, the chapters weaved in this book highlight certain vulnerable constituencies of elderly – those amidst poverty, encountering food insecurity and economic exclusion, the ones living in old age homes, those left uncared for, ignored and abused, lonely, depressed, those suffering from physical and mental ailments, and all those not being able to adapt to age related changes because of several structural and functional factors. Some worth mentioning empirical studies that usually do not capture the research attention of gerontologists, like situation of transgender elderly and aged women into alcoholism, are also included in the book. 

The book is going to provide insights and foresights to academicians, researchers, policy analysts, field practitioners, activists, and civil society actors who work with and for the older persons not only in terms of enhancing their understanding on the subject line, but also creating an environment for open discussion, giving courage to raise our voice for the vulnerable, marginalised and excluded groups of older persons. The book carves a huge contribution in the field of Gerontological Social Work’ and is extremely relevant in the sphere of engagement for social worker practitioners, both in the global and in the indigenous contexts. 

I appreciate and congratulate the well-known educators in the field of social work – Dr. Paramita Roy, Dr. Subhashree Sanyal and Dr. Sasmita Patel – for providing a space to academicians, researchers and practitioners to delve into the diversity of themes that require reflection and articulation. The book is envisioned to give a vast fillip to the domain of ‘Social Work with the Elderly’.

Dr. Archana Kaushik is a Professor at the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi, India. Gerontological social work has been her area of specialization. She has many books and research articles on varied issues in the journals of national and international repute to her credit. She has conducted several research studies such as the situation of older persons amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, determinants of active-ageing in rural-urban locale, long-distance care of the elderly, poor and vulnerable aged, elder abuse, and social support for the aged, etc. She has presented papers and chaired sessions at several national and international conferences on various social issues and participated as an expert in many television shows, webinars, and other platforms.