Sruthin Lal, Hindustan Times,
New Delhi
Rohit Arora works in
Delhi, but his ailing mother was alone in Kolkata, and he used to feel helpless
about it. When he managed to get a health worker, Rajesh (name changed), to
look after her, it was a great relief for him. “He visited every week, looked after
her health, talked to her, took her to the doctors. Later on they developed
sort of psychological bonding. She was so happy,” he says. Arora’s mother
passed away recently.
MP Pai and his wife in
Bangalore looked forward to the daily visit of their nurse, Nitya. For them, it
was not just about medical care, but about social bonding and a daily dose of
advice. Both their sons are settled in the US, and “having her come home and
check on us has made a huge difference in our lives,” Pai says.
Rajesh and Nitya are
symbols of healthcare care focussed on the elderly, still an emerging industry
in India valued at about $7 billion (R43,000 crore), of which home-based care
is estimated at between $2 and $3 billion (R12,800 and R24,600 crore).
Compared to about $290
billion that is spent on eldercare in the US, this is miniscule. However, with
income levels rising and young professionals no longer able to care for their
parents willing to dip into their wallets, companies such as Portea, TriBeCa
Care, Medwell, and HealthCareAtHome are sniffing a business opportunity with
high growth potential.
As per Census 2011,
India has 103.2 million ‘60-plus’ people – next only to China – constituting
around 8.6% of the population. Given the increasing longevity and high
population growth, it is expected to reach 300 million by 2050 – a fact that is
not lost on the industry.
“Currently, the
private healthcare sector, especially corporate hospitals, perceives older
persons as a non-profitable segment. They are not tapping into the potential
that elder care services offer,” feels AB Dey, head of department, geriatric
medicine at AIIMS.
“The market is small
compared to the US, which is worth billions,” says Tamojit Dutta, Co-CEO of
TriBeCa Care. “The reasons are, one, that there are not enough companies in
this segment right now and, two, now the segment is dominated by informal
sector and government-based services.”
The elderly have
different healthcare requirements. They generally suffer from multiple and
chronic diseases and need long-term and constant care, according to the
National Programme for Health Care for the Elderly (NPHCE) report. But
medication is not their only need – the elderly need emotional support,
counselling and often, legal support.
“Along with medical
needs, we also address their non-medical needs,” says Meena Ganesh, CEO of
Portea Health care.
The companies, apart
from giving medical and nursing services, offer legal support, help in day-to-day
activities such as shopping and paying bills, and going outdoors. Some also
offer products such as wheelchairs, beds and walking assistants that can be
purchased online.
So far, cities are the
focus of such companies. The last two NSSO (National Sample Survey
Organisation) sample surveys on the elderly have shown that the numbers of
urban elderly who report poor health has increased, and among these, women are
more vulnerable. In many cases, senior citizens live alone as their children
work away from the home, or owing to family disputes (Agewell Foundation survey
in 2010).
“Our clients include
children living within and outside India, and at times in the same city as
their parents. Sometimes the (aged) parents themselves ask for our services,”
says Gaurav Thukral, vice-president, HealthCare at Home India, a joint venture
of the Burman family of the Dabur brand, and UK-based HealthCare at Home.
Portea, which was
established in 2013, is present in 22 Indian cities and is looking to get to 50
within the next two years. HealthCare at Home is present in four cities. Both
companies, with their focus on expansion, are yet to break-even. TriBeCa care,
founded in 2013, is expanding to the national capital region from Calcutta,
where it is just breaking even, according to co-founder and CEO Tamojit Dutta.
“The biggest challenge
I see for the sector is not strategy, but finding the right staff -- sensitive
people with the right skills,” he says.
Such healthcare
companies employ people below the level of doctors, such as attendants and
nurses. They either hire experienced staff, or recruit and train people on
their own.
In India, there is in
fact a dearth of doctors specialising in eldercare. Even nearly half of the
miniscule trained manpower migrates to other countries, as opportunities are
better there, says the NPHCE report.
Leveraging technology,
all these companies have a centralised database, and the care-seekers and their
relatives can access their records from anywhere in the world.
For the modern-day
professionals who have little time even for themselves, the fledgling industry
is a boon.
“Given the current
social situation I see it as a great service and a good business opportunity,”
says Satindra Sen, a former banker and a businessman in Delhi, who uses the
services of a company for his 84-year-old-mother, a dementia patient who lives
alone in Calcutta.
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