On the eve of Doctor's Day:ELDER CARE IN CRISIS AND TRANSITION: MEDICAL EXPERTS WARN AGAINST FORCED RETIREMENT AND OVER-MEDICALIZATION AMIDST GROWING AGING POPULATION.

On the eve of Doctor's Day:

ELDER CARE IN CRISIS AND TRANSITION: MEDICAL EXPERTS WARN AGAINST FORCED RETIREMENT AND OVER-MEDICALIZATION AMIDST GROWING AGING POPULATION.

NEW DELHI -- India is hurtling towards an unprecedented demographic shift, with government data projecting that the population of citizens over the age of sixty-five will exceed twenty percent by the year 2050. On the Eve of Doctor's Day 2026, This looming reality has sparked urgent warnings from leading medical professionals and social activists regarding the systemic failures in current elder care models. During a comprehensive investigative session hosted by Ram Janaki Sansthan Positive Broadcasting House, officially known as RJS PBH, prominent experts dismantled the prevailing societal narratives surrounding aging. They exposed severe economic inefficiencies, deep-rooted social biases, and controversial medical practices that are currently undermining the dignity and health of senior citizens. The convention, spearheaded by Uday Kumar Manna and national observer Deep Mathur, served as the 591st national webinar for the organization, culminating in the release of a 35-page monthly documentary newsletter and the announcement of major upcoming national events.

The investigative discourse revealed a critical flaw in how society and the medical establishment evaluate aging. Dr. G. S. Grewal, a senior consultant in integrated medicine and former president of the Delhi Medical Association, fundamentally challenged the traditional reliance on chronological age. He introduced the concept of functional age, which measures a person's ability to perform daily and social activities independently, rather than simply counting the years since their birth. According to Dr. Grewal, the societal mindset is severely prejudiced. When younger generations picture an elderly person, they automatically envision frailty, gray hair, a hunched posture, and a disconnect from reality. This toxic stereotype forces older individuals to internalize these limitations, accelerating their physical and mental decline.

Dr. Grewal highlighted a major controversy within the medical treatment of the elderly, distinguishing between treating a disease and managing a problem. Many issues faced by senior citizens, such as loss of bladder control, memory issues, and physical weakness, are classified as geriatric syndromes rather than distinct diseases. However, the current medical system often treats these syndromes with an aggressive prescription of medications. This leads to a dangerous cycle known as polypharmacy, where a senior citizen might consult three different specialists and end up consuming twenty-five different pills a day. This over-medicalization is not only a massive economic drain on families but also introduces severe side effects that further deteriorate the patient's quality of life. Dr. Grewal warned that attempting to cure a natural aging problem as if it were a sudden disease only traps the patient in a vicious cycle of medical dependency.

Adding a striking economic and human rights angle to the debate, Dr. Naresh Chawla, a socio-medical activist and former president of the Delhi Medical Council, strongly condemned the practice of forced retirement. Drawing a sharp contrast with Japan, where individuals in their eighties are encouraged to remain active in the workforce, Dr. Chawla criticized the Indian system for discarding capable professionals at the age of sixty. An accountant, engineer, or teacher who is functionally fit is often forced out of their livelihood, only to be offered menial, low-paying jobs if they wish to continue working. This systemic marginalization triggers a devastating economic impact, stripping senior citizens of their financial independence and leading directly to severe anxiety and social insecurity. Dr. Chawla emphasized that the right to dignified employment must be extended to the elderly. Stripping them of their economic utility not only harms the national economy by wasting decades of accumulated expertise but also severely impacts the physical and psychological well-being of the individuals involved.

The social implications of this systemic neglect were further explored through the lens of mental health. Dr. Nimesh G. Desai, a senior psychiatrist and former director of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, addressed the profound psychological crisis facing the elderly: loneliness. In a rapidly changing society where younger generations frequently migrate abroad for opportunities, many elderly parents are left behind in large, empty houses with substantial assets but zero emotional support. Dr. Desai made a crucial psychological distinction between enforced loneliness and cultivated solitude. He urged senior citizens to master the skill of enjoying their own company, a concept he referred to as Ekaant. However, he also issued a stern medical warning regarding geriatric depression. Unlike transient sadness, clinical depression in old age is a severe medical condition that significantly increases morbidity. Dr. Desai dismantled the controversial stigma surrounding psychiatric medication for the elderly, clarifying that modern treatments are highly effective, do not cause addiction, and do not dull the brain, contrary to popular, outdated beliefs.

The session also waded into the controversial territory of alternative medicine. While acknowledging the value of traditional practices, Dr. Grewal shared a troubling anecdote about an elderly patient who developed severe facial rashes due to the unprescribed consumption of Ayurvedic remedies. He pointed out that elderly individuals, often driven by a fear of mortality or peer pressure, sometimes blindly adopt alternative medicines without medical supervision, leading to dangerous health complications. This blind faith exacerbates the already precarious health situations of vulnerable seniors. Furthermore, Dr. Grewal shed light on the dark reality of elder abuse. Citing a recent Right to Information inquiry he filed with the South East District Magistrate regarding elder abuse cases, he revealed that despite government figures indicating that forty percent of the elderly population faces some form of abuse, almost zero cases are officially reported. He urged the RJS PBH platform to launch a massive awareness campaign targeting this silent epidemic ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day next year.

Throughout the inquiry, the voices of the elderly participants provided living proof of the experts' theories. R.S. Kushwaha and Uday Shankar Singh, both senior citizens, shared their personal regimens of early morning yoga, constant physical movement, and strict dietary control. They embodied the concept of functional independence, demonstrating that regular physical activity and a positive mindset can effectively manage chronic conditions like diabetes and joint pain. OM Prakash Jhunjhunwala, aged eighty-four and an active member of the youth wing from Patna, delivered a philosophical yet practical perspective. He argued that chronological age is merely a bodily metric and that maintaining a youthful, positive consciousness is the ultimate defense against physical decay. His active involvement in producing environmental awareness videos for the upcoming forest festival underscored the vital importance of keeping the elderly engaged in meaningful social causes.

The event was not merely a forum for grievances but a launchpad for concrete action. Uday Kumar Manna announced several key initiatives aimed at integrating positive media with elder welfare. The formal release of the organization's monthly documentation newsletter highlighted the meticulous archiving of these crucial societal discussions. Furthermore, a major national event is scheduled for August 7 at the Delhi Metropolitan Education campus in Noida. This event will feature the launch of the organization's seventh bi-annual book, which will encapsulate the insights on elder care and positive broadcasting. Another poignant announcement was made by Sweety Paul, who detailed her upcoming program on July 11 titled Jeevan Saathi, an initiative designed to honor departed spouses and maintain emotional continuity and societal connection for widowed seniors.

Deep Mathur concluded the extensive investigative session by summarizing the actionable mandates derived from the medical panel. He reiterated that healthy aging is not just an individual responsibility but a collective societal obligation. Families must actively monitor the dignity afforded to their oldest members, ensuring they receive not just food and shelter, but respect, companionship, and a voice in family matters. The RJS Technical Team was commended for their seamless execution of the digital broadcast, ensuring these critical messages reached a global audience. The overarching narrative that emerged from this comprehensive inquiry is clear: India must urgently pivot from a mindset that views aging as a terminal disease to one that recognizes it as a functional phase of life requiring economic inclusion, mental health support, and unwavering social dignity. Failure to rewrite this narrative will result in an unprecedented socio-economic crisis as the demographic balance tips in the coming decades