Why In News?
NITI Aayog released the report titled “Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat@2047” at NITI Aayog. The report presents India’s caregiving ecosystem and outlines a comprehensive roadmap for building an organised, professional, accessible and future-ready system of care.
Importance
- This report positions caregivers at the centre of the care ecosystem, recognising caregiving as a skilled, dignified and valued profession.
- The report also underlines the growing need to develop a cadre of trained caregivers to address the current and future demand of care services in the country.
- It also addresses the potential opportunities for Indian caregiver professionals at the global platform.
- It supports the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 by strengthening social welfare, healthcare and the care economy.
Key Highlights
- The report was released by Ashok Kumar Lahiri (Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog) in the presence of Dr. R. Balasubramaniam (Member, NITI Aayog) and Ms. Nidhi Chhibber (CEO, NITI Aayog) and senior officials from NITI Aayog.
- The report recommends setting up a National Caregiver Council (NCC) as the apex body to regulate, standardise and promote caregiving services in India.
- It proposes a National Policy on Caregiving to provide a clear legal and institutional framework for the sector.
- The report calls for a National Caregiver Registry and a digital portal to connect trained caregivers with people seeking care services.
- It recommends expanding caregiver training, introducing national standards and recognising caregiving as a professional career.
- The report encourages stronger collaboration between the government, private sector, educational institutions and international partners to improve caregiver training and employment opportunities.
- It also suggests improving social security, financial protection and mental health support for both professional and family caregivers.
Who is a Caregiver?
There are two types of caregivers:-
- Formal:- A formal caregiver, often referred to as a personal care aid is a professional who provides non-medical assistance and support to help older individuals, people with disabilities (PwDs) or patients with terminal or chronic illnesses with their daily activities.
- Informal:- caregivers can be family members, friends, or volunteers who take care of the elderly.
Government Initiatives
- SHATAYU Dashboard: A digital platform to maintain a database of trained geriatric caregivers across the country.
- JEEVAN App: A single-window mobile application providing information on welfare schemes and support services for senior citizens.
- Vayo Manasa Sanjeevani: An initiative to promote mental health awareness and healthy aging among elderly citizens.
- Mission for Caregiver Training: Various programmes are being implemented through the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Skill Development to build a skilled caregiving workforce.
