Elderly Women’s Health in India and Related Challenges

Elderly Women’s Health in India highlights challenges like nutrition, chronic diseases, mental health, and access to care, stressing the need for inclusive health and social policies.

Table of Contents

Context: According to the India Ageing Report 2023 (IIPS & UNFPA), people aged 60 years and above will constitute over 20% of the population by 2050. Women, on average, live 2.7 years longer than men. Yet, elderly women’s health issues remain neglected, understudied, and underserved.

Challenges Faced by Elderly Women

Social & Structural Barriers

Patriarchal conditioning makes women prioritise family needs over their own health.
Health decisions are often controlled by spouses or adult children, reducing women’s autonomy.
Financial dependence: Nearly 60% of older women lack personal income; <20% can pay medical bills (vs 44% men).
Digital divide: Very few elderly women use digital devices, restricting access to tele-health and health information.

Access Gaps in Healthcare

Limited availability of female doctors and gender-sensitive facilities.
Lack of support in navigating complex hospital procedures.
Rural elderly women often travel long distances to access even basic health services.

Disease Burden & Neglect

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular illnesses have more severe outcomes in women post-menopause due to hormonal shifts.
Bone health: Women are disproportionately affected by osteoporosis and arthritis; a higher risk of fractures reduces mobility and mental well-being.
Cancers: Cervical and ovarian cancers often go undiagnosed until advanced stages.
Neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s and dementia are more prevalent among women (due to longer lifespan and estrogen decline), but are underdiagnosed.
Mental health: Only 1 in 10 elderly women with depression seek help (HelpAge India) due to stigma and poor access to counselling.

Policy Gaps

Current policies emphasise maternal and reproductive health but ignore post-reproductive health needs.
Fragmented governance: Women’s ageing issues are not systematically integrated into national health missions.
Lack of gender-sensitive geriatric care: Absence of specialised programmes for elderly women within the healthcare system.

Way Forward

Inclusive Health Policies: Integrate elderly women’s health into the National Health Policy and geriatric care schemes.
Financial Security: Expand pensions, insurance coverage (Ayushman Bharat), and provide targeted subsidies for elderly women.
Gender-Sensitive Healthcare: Increase training for female doctors and community health workers.
Preventive Care & Screening: Routine NCD screening, osteoporosis check-ups, and awareness campaigns.
- Early detection of cancers through pap smears, mammography, and ultrasound.
Digital & Community Interventions: Bridge the digital gender gap through literacy programmes.
- Use self-help groups and ASHA workers for outreach.
Mental Health Support: Expand community-based counselling, social engagement centres, and destigmatise mental health care.

India’s elderly women face a triple burden: longer lifespans, poorer health in old age, and systemic neglect. To ensure healthy and dignified ageing, India must build gender-sensitive, inclusive health systems, secure financial and digital access, and promote preventive care.