Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday stressed on the need for promoting family system and its values right from the school days and teach children the need to respect their elders.
He also urged the immediate family members of the elderly and the community at large to accord the highest priority to their care and wellbeing.
Addressing a gathering after releasing a book 'Health and Wellbeing in Late Life: Perspectives and Narratives from India' by Dr Prasun Chatterjee, a specialist in geriatric medicine at AIIMS, the vice president termed the Indian family system and family values "the USP of Indian civilization".
Deploring the "tendency to ape western culture", Naidu called for societal and attitudinal changes and said, "We must go back to the Indian family system, values, culture, and traditions. Respect for parents, Guru, and nature is ingrained in the Indian philosophy."
The vice president expressed anguish over reports of abuse of elders and their abandonment, and said many elders were forced to stay in old-age homes. He said it is the bounden duty of children to take good care of their parents and grandparents.
Stating that India was ageing much faster than previously thought and expected to have nearly 20 per cent population of the world's 60 years and above by 2050 with the largest number of older adults in the world, Naidu said one must be prepared to address all challenges and be prepared to give elders a joyous, healthy and happy late life.
He pointed out that ageing increases one's susceptibility to many diseases and conditions, and there was an urgent need to set up more geriatric departments in medical colleges across the country in view of the increasing population of the elderly.
The vice president also asked all stakeholders in the health sector to work for the wellbeing of the elderly and stressed that good health was the right of all, irrespective of age.
Naidu appreciated the Government of India for implementing the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) and said the government was proactively working on lifestyle modification, non-communicable disease management, vision and hearing problem management, and accessible healthcare through Ayushman Bharat.
Keeping in mind rise in demand for specialized care for the elderly, the vice president wanted institutes like the AIIMS to be at the forefront of promoting healthy ageing.
About the book, he said it discusses preparedness for an aging individual as well as the society in the Indian context.
Apart from highlighting the health issues like depression and dementia, Naidu said the book provides a detailed analysis of solutions that are practicable in low resource settings.
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