Health and Wellbeing in Late Life: Perspectives and Narratives from India

This open access book takes a multidisciplinary approach to provide a holistic understanding of late old age, and situates the aged person within the context of family, caregivers, clinical and other institutions. All through the book, the author discusses preparedness for an aging individual as well as the society in the Indian context. The book highlights inevitable but mostly neglected health issues like depression, dementia, fall, and frailty and provides detailed analyses of solutions that are practicable in low resource settings. It also brings up intergenerational differences and harmony in the context of holistic care of older Indians.
Alongside clinical perspectives, the book uses narratives of elderly patients to dwell on the myriad of problems and issues that constitute old age healthcare. Demonstrating cases that range from the most influential to the most underprivileged elderly in India, the book enlightens multiple caregivers--doctors, nurses, and professional caregivers as well as family members--about the dynamic approach required in dealing with complex issues related to late old age. The narratives make the book relatable and interesting to non-academic readers, with important lessons for gerontological and geriatric caregiving. It is also of use to older adults in preparing for active aging.

Dr Prasun Chatterjee, M.D., is Assistant Professor at the Department of Geriatric Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. He is one of the few trained elderly care physicians in India and a member of the Indian Academy of Geriatrics. He has worked extensively in the field of geriatrics and gerontology, and has multiple publications on important geriatric concerns like frailty syndromes, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis and other geriatric syndromes. He was awarded the best paper at Gericon 2009. His academic background ranges from his training in psychiatry, pulmonology, to M.D. in Geriatric Medicine from Madras Medical College, and this has given him a broad base to holistically approach his elderly patients. He is a founder president of a non-profit organization, Healthy Aging India, which has a vision to provide dignity and autonomy to elderly through intergenerational empowerment. He has been given the Pride of Chennai award for his community service by Padmashree Professor V.S. Natarajan.