In the last five years, eldercare firm Emoha has helped save the lives of about 1,000 senior citizens, says Co-founder and Chief Executive Saumyajit Roy, narrating incidents of elderly members being alerted just in time on a health emergency or a gas leak in the house.

This is just a small insight into the situation that’s set to unfold in about 20 years, Roy says, when India is projected to have more elderly people in the country, than children. And the support ecosystem is far from prepared, he adds. 

Addressing a key concern of elderly people living on their own, Emoha has joined hands with alarm monitoring and response services firm VProtect (an SIS Group venture) and launched a paid 24/7 emergency response service for senior citizens. 

The service involves an emergency response “on the go”, Roy told businessline, and it works with 15,000 ambulance partners and dedicated geriatric doctors. It involves an integrated one-point response across 200 cities and towns, a note from Emoha said. (SIS Ltd had earlier this year invested Rs 10.16 crore in Age Care Labs, that runs Emoha.)

The “GoSecure” service includes a panic alarm button, that the elderly person keeps with him or herself, and the response could be clinical or a civil one, as required, he explains. This service has a one-time expense of ₹5,000 for the basic systems to be put in place, following which there is a monthly payment of ₹1000, he says, adding that it was a small price for a family member to be able to ensure a quick response for an elderly person who may not be living with the family.

It’s about being prepared, as a country and at the micro family level, he says, pointing to the growing number of the elderly population in the country (presently at 149 million), and the potential for businesses to design and provide services for them. But “it needs to be done with a heart, as it’s somebody’s mom and dad (who may be seeking help),” he points out.  

By 2047, India is projected to be home to 17 percent of the world’s senior population, an Emoha note said. And according to a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report, the number of elderly in the country are expected to double and make up over 20 percent of the country’s total population by 2050, it added.

This would be close to 347 million people, and would surpass the number of children (aged 0 to 14 years) by 2046, Emoha said, citing available data.

Related Topics