siliconindia | | JUNE 20258In 2024, for the first time in history, India's elderly population grew faster than its youth. The silver tide is here and it's rewriting every rule of healthcare, economics, and community. As the world grays, India is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation one that touches every home, every street, and every hospital corridor. By 2050, over 320 million Indians will be over the age of 60, outnumbering the entire population of the United States today. This isn't just a demographic shift it's a societal awakening.In Indian households, grandparents have long been revered as wisdom-keepers. But too often, they've also been silent sufferers pushed to the margins of modern healthcare. Now, that silence is breaking. A revolution is underway not of protests or politics, but of compassion, innovation, and policy.From pharma giants reimagining drug development for older bodies, to startups building AI tools to detect dementia early, to rural mobile clinics offering palliative care under banyan trees, India is reshaping what it means to age with dignity, purpose, and support.As Dr. V.S. Natarajan, India's first geriatrician, once said:"Old age is not a disease. It is a stage of life, just like childhood. But it deserves just as much science, love, and structure."That philosophy is finally becoming action.New Age Geriatric Medicine: Compassion Meets InnovationIncreasingly, geriatric mental health is receiving long-overdue attention. With loneliness affecting nearly 40% of Indian elders, interventions now include group therapy, reminiscence therapy, and AI-powered companion bots that provide real-time emotional support and check-ins.This isn't just elder care it's New Age Geriatric Medicine, where clinical expertise intersects with empathy, and preventative geriatric care becomes as important as reactive treatment. From advanced diagnostics to AI-powered Geriatric Healthcare, the shift is comprehensive.Hospitals are adding Geriatric Emergency Rooms. Cities are developing elder-friendly infrastructure. Geriatric home care is now a core healthcare segment. Communities are reviving the art of listening. And perhaps for the first time, aging is being seen not as a burden, but a new chapter worth writing with care and creativity.This is the story of India's geriatric revolution a movement that was once whispered but is now roaring across hospital wards, village lanes, and the hearts of millions.Global Giants Betting on Silver HealthPfizer is running vaccine awareness campaigns across Indian villages and Tier-2 cities, protecting seniors from pneumonia and influenza. In Gujarat, an 83-year-old woman bedridden due to recurrent infections regained independence through Pfizer's vaccine initiative.Novartis is using AI to develop predictive models for Alzheimer's and osteoporosis. Its collaboration with Indian neurologists helps identify early dementia patterns specific to South Asians.Eisai and Biogen introduced Leqembi, the world's first FDA-approved Alzheimer's drug, and are training Indian caregivers. In Bengaluru, a family caring for their 70-year-old father benefits from Eisai's weekend workshops on cognitive therapy and nutrition.AstraZeneca India is creating ergonomic inhalers for seniors with arthritis and diminished grip strength a lifesaver in polluted metros like Delhi and Kanpur.India's Pharma Powerhouses Join the MovementHomegrown pharma leaders are also deeply invested in geriatric chronic disease management:Sun Pharma is developing transdermal pain patches for arthritis and testing easy-to-use packaging through eldercare homes in Pune and Mumbai.Dr. Reddy's Laboratories launched SilverDose, a medicine delivery and compliance app for seniors. It also produces chewable and dissolvable pills for seniors with dysphagia.Lupin is offering combo kits for seniors with heart and diabetes conditions and training rural pharmacists in geriatric care essentials.Indian Hospitals Rewrite the Rulebook for Elder CareIf medicines are the engine, geriatric healthcare infrastructure is the chassis. Leading Indian hospitals are creating age-friendly spaces and systems that center elder dignity.AIIMS Delhi: The Government PioneerIndia's first government-run Department of Geriatric Medicine at AIIMS Delhi offers:· Dedicated geriatric OPDs and in-patient wards· Free memory clinics and frailty assessments· Community dementia detection drives· A recent slum outreach identified dozens of undiagnosed dementia cases, all now enrolled in a cognitive stimulation program.EDITORIAL EXCLUSIVEIS THE NEW AGE GERIATRIC MEDICINE & CARE REVOLUTIONARY siliconindia | | JUNE 20258By Snigdha Das, Correspondent, siliconindia
< Page 7 | Page 9 >