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Health insurance should help you focus on recovery, not bills.

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How Does Health Insurance Support Geriatric Care Coordination?

By 2050, nearly 21% of India’s population, around 347 million people, will be senior citizens. Age brings in special needs, and that is what geriatric care does. Geriatric patient care is meant to address both the support of chronic illness and help maintain a healthy emotional and social life. Understanding geriatric care meaning, benefits, and how insurance can help is essential for families and caregivers.

What is Geriatric Care?

Let’s start by understanding what is geriatric care. Geriatrics is a specialized kind of health care that specifically targets senior citizens. It contains preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitation services that focus on the conditions related to aging issues, including arthritis, dementia, cardiovascular illnesses, and lack of mobility.
Geriatric care meaning in simplified terms, can be understood as the provision of care that enhances the quality of life of older adults, not only in regard to their physical conditions but also their mental and emotional status.

Why is Geriatric Care Important?

Geriatric care coordination ensures elderly individuals get comprehensive, efficient, and personalised care. The following benefits highlight the importance of geriatric care in health insurance.

  • Ensures timely medical treatment of chronic conditions. Thus, it reduces hospital readmissions and improves the overall well-being of patients.
  • Empowers individuals and families to understand and utilise insurance benefits.
  • Simplifies information sharing among healthcare providers, family members, and caregivers. Streamlined communication helps reduce medical errors and ensure coordinated treatment.
  • Personalised care plans help meet the specific needs of an elderly individual.
  • Helps these patients take charge of their healthcare choices.

Differences Between Geriatric Care and General Healthcare

General healthcare offers standard, comprehensive medical care for individuals of all ages. It focuses on physical health andadopts a general approach to treating and preventing illness.

Care of geriatric patients differs from general healthcare in the following ways:

Comparison CriteriaGeriatric CareGeneral Healthcare
   
Treatment approachTargeted specifically for chronic conditions and age-related issues.Standard and comprehensive healthcare treatment that applies to the general population
Target DemographicIndividuals aged 65 and olderAll age groups
Patient-centred careFocuses on physical, social, and emotional well-beingChiefly focuses on physical health
Medication managementConsiders reducing multiple medication use and focuses on drug interactionsAdopts general medication management with less focus on age-related considerations
Preventive measuresConsiders age-related preventive measures, like fall preventionComprehensive preventive strategies targeted at the general public

How to Choose an Insurance Plan with Geriatric Care?

Here are aspects you can consider when selecting an insurance plan for geriatric patient care:

Coverage

Check whether the policy supports home healthcare, assisted living, and nursing home care. It is better to choose a long-term care insurance option that offers financial support to meet specific medical needs. Make sure the plan covers costs for medical equipment, prescription medications, and mobility aids.

Care Coordination Services

Care coordinators are made available in some insurance policies. They assist patients with booking medical appointments and treatments.

Chronic Illness Support

Check if the insurance plan covers chronic disease management (like arthritis, dementia, and diabetes). It is advisable to choose a plan that offers rehabilitation benefits, including post-hospitalisation care and physiotherapy.

Emergency Assistance

Look for a policy that supports emergency coordination services, especially for elderly individuals living alone. Some plans support home visits by nurses and doctors (for routine check-ups).

Premium Costs

Compare premium costs to ensure an affordable choice. Look for flexible payment options. You can choose a government-backed insurance scheme to get subsidies for elderly individuals.

Cost of Specialised Geriatric Care with Insurance

Factors like the type of services needed, insurance coverage, and location decide the cost of specialised geriatric care. Typically, the home elder care services range from INR 15,000 to INR 30,000 per month in India.

The cost may vary depending on the care requirements. For example, geriatric care post-surgery may be needed for a short term, while caring for elderly patients with dementia may be needed for a long term.

Conclusion

Geriatric care definition is more complex than a simple medical care. It denotes specialised health care accommodating the physical, emotional, and social needs of old people. Geriatric care is beneficial in enhancing the quality of life of older adults by coordinating and providing complex support to senior citizens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Geriatric care definition can be given as a specialised healthcare focused on the medical, emotional, and social needs of elderly individuals to improve their overall quality of life.

As per the new IRDAI guidelines, health insurance can be purchased at any age. So, it's possible to buy senior citizen health insurance for a 75 year old with geriatric care coverage. The policy terms and premiums may vary with insurers.

Certain insurance companies cover expenses for caregiver and home nursing services. It depends on the policy terms.

Many senior care insurance companies can cater to care coordination services such as appointment bookings, treatment, and communication with doctors for elderly individuals.

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