New Delhi, Feb 17th:In a significant step toward reimagining elderly care in urban India, the Hamari Dilli Elder Friendly survey has uncovered critical gaps in in elder care, with 86% of seniors lacking digital literacy training—exacerbating isolation and unmet needs amid India’s ageing crisis. Aligned with NITI Aayog’s call for digitized elder programs (Senior Care Reforms Position Paper, 2024), the findings echo the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI Wave-1, 2017-18) data, where 27% of elderly report unmet healthcare needs and 30% live alone or with spouse, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive, tech-enabled solutions.
The survey, conducted by Wellness Health & You (WHY) and KG Community Development Council (KGCDC) across three colonies covering 600 senior citizens, is now set to be adopted and implemented at scale by Pacific OneHealth, which will lead operational execution, digitisation, and impact monitoring.
At the survey launch, Dr Anil Goyal, MLA, Krishna Nagar, New Delhi, said, “This ‘Elders for Elders’ model—linking three seniors with one peer and fostering intergenerational support—reflects the spirit of Kutumb Prabodhan in a structured, professional framework. He emphasised that combining experience, youth engagement, and medical care can keep seniors productive. Urging citizens above 70 years to obtain their Ayushman card, he highlighted Delhi Government’s ₹10 lakh health assurance scheme, covering treatment across 180 empanelled hospitals linked to the National Health Authority, and expressed full support for the initiative.”
Dr G. S. Grewal, Former President, Delhi Medical Association; Director – Senior Care+ Programme, Pacific OneHealth, asserts, “The survey findings clearly show that longevity without quality of life is not success. Healthy living in advanced years depends on mobility, mental wellbeing, preventive screening, and now increasingly, digital inclusion. LASI data has already warned us of chronic disease burden and functional decline. What this Delhi survey adds is ground-level evidence that elders want structured engagement, not sympathy. Our approach at Pacific OneHealth is to blend community, clinical continuity, and digital support so that seniors live longer—and live better.”
Operating on a “For the Elders, By the Elders” philosophy, the Hamari Dilli Elder Friendly initiative has onboarded 12 senior associations, completed line listing of 60+ residents, and conducted 600 household assessments. Six buddy groups and intergenerational volunteers are active, alongside a fortnightly OPD in Siddhartha Extension. A Digital Elder Care Card, mobile app, and service rebates are underway. Pacific OneHealth will now digitise, expand, and scale the model while preserving its participatory ethos.
Dr Swadeep Srivastava, President & Co-founder, Pacific OneHealth, said, “India is ageing rapidly, but our systems are still designed around episodic treatment, not sustained elder wellbeing. This initiative provides a replicable, scalable framework rooted in community participation. Pacific OneHealth will lead implementation, strengthen digital integration, mobilise healthcare partnerships, and ensure measurable outcomes. Our objective is not merely service delivery, but building an ecosystem where elders become active custodians of their own health.”
The Hamari Dilli Elder Friendly survey mirrors national LASI findings, highlighting hypertension (45%), diabetes (11%), functional decline, depression, unmet healthcare needs, and weak social security among seniors. It flags severe digital illiteracy locally, echoing NITI Aayog’s call for digitised elder training. Without digital empowerment, elderly risk exclusion from healthcare, financial protection, and social participation.
Mr. J. S. Marwaha, Secretary, Federation of Senior Citizens (EOK-4), asserts, “I say this with conviction—when one’s identity is alive, one’s joy is alive. If identity fades, life becomes mere survival. Seniors must maintain their vitality, their tempo. This initiative gives elders that platform—to remain active, connected, and purposeful rather than dependent.”
With India’s elderly population projected to double in the coming decades, initiatives like Hamari Dilli Elder Friendly could define the next chapter of urban ageing policy—where data meets dignity and community becomes care. Experts believe this participatory, community-driven approach offers a scalable blueprint for elder care across urban India.
Launched at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, under the HEAL OneHealth Connect Series, the initiative marks a paradigm shift—empowering elders as active participants who design and direct their own care with dignity and agency.