Healthcare for elderly citizens in spotlight at launch of Seniors First by Apollo Hospitals in Bengaluru

Apollo will tap into the eco-system — Apollo Hospitals, Apollo Homecare, Apollo 24/7, and Apollo Diagnostics — set up by the company over the years to deliver this programme which is curated specifically for citizens over the age of 65 years.

Apollo Hospitals has launched a healthcare programme - Seniors First - tailored to cater to the needs of elderly citizens. The company will rely on a parameter called ‘clinical frailty scale’ and a dedicated manager to ensure that senior citizens receive timely care when it matters the most.

Apollo hopes to make this possible by tapping into the eco-system — Apollo Hospitals, Apollo Homecare, Apollo 24/7, and Apollo Diagnostics — set up by the company over the years.

The features of Seniors First include a dedicated helpline for health-related queries and service co-ordination, a concierge team for seamless navigation care, priority consultations, admission and discharge support, 24x7 access to medical guidance and homecare services, emergency co-ordination and assistance.

While launching the programme in Bengaluru on March 22, Health Minister of Karnataka Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “We have to prepare for a scenario of extended lifespans. And, when you live longer, at some point, you are very likely to face some or the other health-related problems. The West is already grappling with an aging population. If we do not start early, we will suddenly wake up one day and realise that we do not have the infrastructure necessary to handle the healthcare needs of our seniors. The government of Karnataka is aware of the challenges that lie ahead and is working to find solutions. And, when someone comes up with this kind of programme, it turns the spotlight on various aspects of healthcare related to senior citizens.”

Justice Krishna S. Dixit of the High Court of Karnataka, who has dealt with cases of seniors being abused by their family, made it a point to participate in the launch. “I took time off from court duties to attend this event because I believe there is a pressing need for such a service. It is our karma and our dharma to take care of our seniors.”

Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said, “When I see our Chairman Dr Prathap C. Reddy actively participating in the running of this company at the age of 92 and his wife, my mother, organising various events even now to keep the family together, we are motivated to contribute in some way to ensure that all seniors enjoy the same quality of life. While a lot has been done for the healthcare of seniors, there is no focused effort in this direction, and that’s what this programme is all about. Seniors get lost when they try to access the healthcare system - what to do, where to go, whom to call? These are the questions that this programme aims to address by having a dedicated manager to handle such questions from seniors. A unique feature of this programme is the clinical frailty scale, which has been prepared by our team to identify the kind of care a person might require. The clinical frailty scale takes into account the fact that we have different types of seniors - ranging from the ones who are very fit to someone who is reasonably fit to a section that is in need of a lot of care, and a lot of people in between.”

The execution of this programme will be the responsibility of Dr. Steve Paul of Apollo Hospitals at Bannerghatta Road, who has had a long association with the Indian Academy of Geriatrics. But, being the first-of-its-kind initiative for the Apollo Group, Dr. Steve expects a lot of challenges. “The biggest challenge is finding manpower trained to handle the needs of senior citizens. We need a lot of medical professionals to run this programme. At present, I am working with a small team, which I am trying to expand. I am tapping into my experience in geriatric healthcare to train the members of our dedicated team that comprises doctors, nurses and para-medics,” he told The Hindu.