Elder care is undergoing a revolution, to help seniors live independently while staying close to their families. By using both personal care and modern technology, elder care services now focus on the complete well-being of seniors, covering their physical, emotional, and social needs. Explore how modern elder care services are making life richer and more fulfilling for our ageing population, ensuring dignity and joy in every stage of life.
Asheesh Gupta, Founder of Samarth Eldercare shares new ideas to improve Elder Care and enhance senior’s lives.
How can elder care services innovate to provide consistent support and companionship, ensuring seniors remain independent and connected to loved ones, even over distances?
Elder's wish to remain independent has constantly stood out in our research. Most seniors prefer to live in their own homes even if it means dealing with the attendant challenges and inconveniences. Familiar surroundings and long-time community connections play significant roles in their emotional well-being.
While different models of elder care services are emerging in India and worldwide, at Samarth we focus on Ageing-at-home. Over the years, we have assisted thousands of families, engaged with tens of thousands of seniors in our community in India and touched nearly a million through our various initiatives.
At Samarth, elderly care meets innovation. It combines human care with technology to support elder’s core needs of independence, healthcare, emergency support and companionship.
Our process starts with a comprehensive assessment of individual situations and physical, social and emotional needs that act as building blocks for tailored care programs. To provide preventive and prompt medical services, we also maintain a network of home health providers, hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres to address all health needs.
The approach keeps the seniors connected, enabled, and as independent as possible while closing the geographic distances thereby ensuring peace of mind and happiness for the elderly as well as their children.
Beyond physical assistance, how can the elder care industry develop a more comprehensive approach that nurtures the social, emotional, and mental well-being of seniors?
While building Samarth, we asked the children, people like us, what they wanted – their response was – taking care of emergencies, arranging medical care, getting chores done at home, ensuring they are safe… everything focussed around their physical needs. Interestingly, the response of the elderly was very different. Their needs were more emotional and social. And as we researched and learnt more, what gives them joy is – People to talk to, places to go to and to continue to be needed – to have a purpose.
The elder care industry is evolving beyond traditional physical assistance to address the overall well being of seniors. An emerging approach is towards nurturing social connections, emotional well-being, and mental stimulation, recognizing that true quality of life encompasses psychological and social fulfillment.
At Samarth, in our care program, we have incorporated components such as cognitive fitness activities, immersive family experiences, advanced communication tools to keep seniors engaged and connected. In addition, we have built an active community of 30,000 seniors across India. Our community is an engagement platform covering fun and educational sessions, online and offline events, content on lifestyle, travel and games.
In what ways can elder care services empower seniors to live with dignity and independence, fostering fulfilling lives while maintaining connections to their communities and loved ones?
According to the World Health Organization's Global Health and Aging Report, there will be a nearly 1.5 billion increase in the population over 65 by 2050. With life expectancy currently reaching well into the seventies and beyond, this unparalleled longevity presents a huge potential as well as challenges. Taking care of ageing parents is a journey that requires insight, empathy, and planning.
Samarth has developed a unique framework, we call it 1-2-3 of eldercare. It involves helping seniors fulfil their one wish, alleviate their two concerns, and enhance their three joys. By respecting their independence, alleviating their concerns, and facilitating access to joy, Samarth empowers seniors to thrive, redefining ageing as a phase of dignity, wisdom, and growth.
How do corporate-elder care partnerships enhance employee well-being and productivity while ensuring compassionate companion care through Samarth? Could you name a few corporate partners?
Corporate-elder care partnerships have a huge potential to help employees manage their care-giving responsibilities and benefit organisations as a result. Changing socio-economic trends, including migration of the young, weakening extended support system, and increasing crimes against elderly, are putting constant pressure on employees to care for their parents back home.
Many big corporates are acknowledging this. We work with a number of companies to deliver comprehensive parent-care assistance for their employees and clientele worldwide. These include top banks, multinational technology companies, global conglomerates as well as small but progressive organisations, totalling to more than half a million employees. These alliances have helped employees, especially mid-senior level employees extend the same quality of comprehensive support to their parents living anywhere in India as if they themselves where there. This is helping them continue to grow in their careers, worry less and be more productive at work.
Provide an overview of the number of caregivers currently on Samarth's platform and discuss the factors that have resulted in 99% of them being women. Was there a deliberate strategy behind this gender distribution?
We currently have a network of more than 400 care counsellors across the country supporting elderly. These include many qualified engineers, managers, bankers, teachers who have decided not to continue in regular work because of some reason. They have chosen to be part of our care network out of their love to care for elderly and to make a difference. They would do everything that one will do for her own parents from managing emergency to companionship.
Since forever, women have been at the centre of caregiving from child care to elder care. They have empathy and are innate caregivers. When we started Samarth 8 years ago, we were fortunate to find our special tribe of care managers. It is not a surprise that our team is predominantly women.
How does Samarth distinguish itself from other providers in the elder care industry, particularly within the context of the growing silver economy?
Samarth is the best choice when it comes to care for parents. Our approach is holistic care, prioritizing physical, emotional, and social well-being whereas other providers are focused on tasks and transactions or only on part of the needs. We provide comprehensive elderly care in India with flexible elder care plans, geared to cover all needs, across 350+ locations in India. Our services are proactive and personalised to the family. Other providers often have limited physical presence which is task-oriented. Many elder care providers have remote services only.
Samarth care counsellors play the role of ‘caring children’. Our care counsellors are accomplished and highly educated women from backgrounds similar to the families we care for. They are professional, mature, resourceful and empathetic. Other providers often have nurses, attendants or paramedics, retired armed forces staff, volunteering students who play the role of ‘helpers’.
In addition, we ensure multi-city support for the elderly available, even if they need to travel to or visit other cities. The service can be scaled-up or down based on need. This kind of support is not available with other providers. We take pride in sharing transparent pricing, low overhead, high value for money for clients. Pricing for most providers varies, has hidden elder care costs that usually results in higher net cost.
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