Global University to push for study about the elderly

EMN
Dimapur, June 11

Noting the urgent need for taking care of the elderly in the country in general and in the north-east in particular, Global Open University of Nagaland will be strengthening ‘resources’ at the institution’s geriatric care department.
The department has been offering master’s degree in geriatrics for the past 8 years by incorporating new and emerging subjects such as gerontology, aging demographics, bio-gerontology, theories of aging, social and environmental gerontology, clinical Gero-psychology, geriatric nursing, geriatric housing, geriatric security and geriatric counselling.Vice Chancellor of Global Open University Dr. HN Dutta stated in a press release issued to the media on Thursday, June 11, that the idea is to study the physical, mental and social changes in the people as they age; investigate the biological aging process itself (bio-gerontology); besides the social and psychosocial impacts of aging (socio-gerontology); the psychological effects of aging (psycho-gerontology); the interface of biological aging with aging-associated disease (gero-science); the effects of an aging population on society, and applying this knowledge to policies and programs including macroscopic and microscopic perspectives.
“The world is forecast to undergo a rapid population aging in the next decades. With the rapid growth of the aging population, social work education and training specialized in older adults and practitioners interested in working with older adults are increasingly in demand,” he said. Applied Research on the biological theories of aging will be conducted on a ‘continuing basis’ for ensuring proper care of the elderly persons, the university stated.
Explaining the details of the programs under ‘elder care management’ at Global Open stated that the university will be evaluating its program for senior citizens on United Nations Day for the Elderly Persons on October 1, 2015 “for assisting families of older adults with chronic needs such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia”.
The university will also be supported the national policy of the government of India on older persons in pursuance of the United Nations’ General Assembly resolution to ‘keep the assurances to older persons besides the wellbeing of senior citizens mandated in the Constitution of India under Article 41’.
The overall population of India will grow by 55% whereas the population of people aged 60 years and above will increase by 326%, the university stated. ‘Those in the age group of 80 years and above by 700% which would be the fastest growing group as 1/8th of the world’s elderly population live in India and accordingly this will be a big challenge of old age income security in the country,’ the press release from Global University stated.