Role of Private Healthcare Hospitals in Creating a Continuity of Geriatric Care(COC): “The Right Care in the Right Place at the Right time”

<p>India will shortly become home to the second largest number of older people in the world, and the challenges are unique with this population in India. Currently, the elderly population has increased up to 100 million, and by 2021, it is expected to cross 140 million. Out of the 100 million present geriatric people, 80 percent have one chronic disease and 50 percent account for two conditions. With the growing older adults in the country, there is a need to strengthen geriatric care services in the existing public health system so that1 private healthcare providing hospitals can fulfil the increasing care demands of the elderly. Like any other country, ageing is a challenge and a problem. There is a need to make people work - whatever their age is. If they are working, then half of the problem is solved. It is necessary to improve their skill levels, education and health, that is the key, one has to look into it. India urgently needs to review its policy on the older adults2. Creating a continuity of care (COC) in the geriatric care is a great focused area in the present context. In this regard, the private hospitals have an immense role in giving a quality care to this section of the population. New Therapies of Clinical Development in Geriatric Care focusing Medical, Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy and Physiotherapeutic aspects on detecting and managing specific diseases that affect the elderly population should be the aim of Continuity of Care. Those Private hospitals attached to teaching facilities have a responsibility to promote the development of modern gerontology and older adults' health medical treatment industry in fast-growing ageing population in India.</p>