Elder care in India is a nascent industry. In a country of 1.3-billion population and no state care for the elderly, private players are seeing great potential in this area as youngsters locate to other cities/countries for jobs leaving elders at home, disposable incomes are going up, and awareness levels about global developments in elder care are rising.

Santosh Abraham, Founder and COO of ElderAid Wellness Pvt Ltd, told BusinessLine in an interview that his four-year-old company is focussed on elder health and wellness, and goes the extra mile to be a ‘proxy child’ for the elderly. Excerpts:

Unlike in the West where the elderly are taken care of by government-led care-homes, the elderly in India are taken care of by their family members/friends in their old age. How is the private sector trying to step in and help?

There are vast differences between urban and rural elders in India. More importantly, across socio-economic strata. The private sector is targeting the middle class, urban elder living independently or with their children who are sensitive to their needs and are looking for options. This is a ripe environment for ElderAid to play a role.

Private players like you do face various problems since this is an evolving industry. Walk us through the typical issues that companies in your sector face.

Companies in this sector face different types of issues. There are cultural issues. In India, Badon ki seva karo (take care of the elders) is an accepted norm, whether or not the family has the wherewithal. This ‘wherewithal’ could be physical, infrastructure, financial, etc. When I say physical, I mean, are there adequate number of people in the family who have the time and health to take care of an elderly person 24x7? If not, the outcome could be shoddy.

Many elders have strong family and friends support networks. Such elderly people often feel they can do well without any professional assistance, due to the existence of such support systems. Many a time, these elders are fiercely independent; they refuse help till they are left with no choice.

The elderly need certain types of infrastructure. ElderAid helps set these in place and use it properly. There is also the factor of apathy by the children: They will not react until there is a health crisis.

In all these contexts, it makes eminent sense to bring on board organisations like ElderAid proactively, before problems arise, accidents happen, or illnesses set in.

Funding for elder-care in India is an issue, though it is better for elder health.

How do you ensure standardisation in your areas of operations?

We undertake training of care managers. ‘Shadowing’ of each other for ongoing peer review, and shadowing by managers, help each staff put in their best efforts at all times. We have Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place, which ensure use of best practices. The Care Manager Handbook sets processes and procedures which obviates confusion; it puts in place a clear line of escalation during emergencies.

Your company offers services other than simply taking care of the medical needs of the elderly. Tell us about these services? Is this how you are trying to position yourself differently from the other players in the segment?

Yes, we are focussing on elder health and wellness. Most organisations focus on elder healthcare alone. We also provide services such as bill payment, accompanying elders on social/hospital visits, accompanying them for a morning walk, and supporting them with their technology issues, among others.

For instance, where the children do not stay with the elderly parent, and the latter have to go for a movie or a musical evening, we book the tickets and take the elderly person to the venue. So, we try to be a ‘proxy child’ for the elderly.

You have received a small amount of external funding till now. Are you looking for more funds? What are your expansion plans?

Yes, we are in the process of scaling up to six cities over the next 24 months and will be in conversations with investors shortly.

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