Cadila hosts awareness session on geriatric mental health

Ahmedabad: Leading experts and doctors came together to discuss the crucial issue of mental health challenges faced by elderly people at an awareness webinar organized by pharma major Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

The webinar was organized on 20^th July in association with Richmond Fellowship Society, Lucknow, and Aastha Geriatric Hospital & Hospice, Lucknow, as a part of an awareness initiative by the Bharatiya Varishtha Nagarik Samiti (Bhavana) on Wednesday.

Addressing the webinar, Dr. Harjeet Singh, member of Richmond Fellowship Society, and Senior Psychiatrist at Lucknow said the elderly can keep their memory intact and avoid dementia by keeping themselves occupied with various activities and hobbies. “The family has a vital role to play in ensuring proper mental health among the elderly by way of prevention as well as treatment,” he said.

Dr. Abhishek Shukla, Head of Department of Geriatric & Palliative Medicine at Aastha Geriatric Hospital, Lucknow, emphasized the need for more discussion on the mental health of elderly citizens.

“We must look at not just the physical wellbeing, but also the social, emotional, spiritual, and mental health of the elderly for their complete well-being,” Dr. Shukla said and stressed the need for setting up special care hospitals for geriatric patients.

Dr. Prabhat Sitholey, Member of Richmond Fellowship Society and Senior Psychiatrist at Lucknow, spoke about Parkinson’s disorder, which is mainly seen among the elderly and affects around 1% of the people. Dr. Ravi Soni, Consultant Geriatric Psychiatrist in Ahmedabad, said it is important for the elderly to remain active, engage in new things, and lead a happy and healthy life to keep mental health challenges at bay.

In his comments, SS Saxena, Senior Vice President of Bharatiya Varishtha Nagarik Samiti, said that many health issues among the elderly are age-related and cannot be prevented, but their onset can be delayed.

“A lot of mental health problems can be prevented by keeping busy, doing things they are interested in, doing charity works, etc.,” he said. A senior citizen group from Hansot in Gujarat’s Bharuch district was specially invited to participate in the webinar and benefit from expert advice.

“The rapid surge in Covid cases, fear of contracting the virus, restricted movement and socialising has instilled a sense of uncertainty among the elderly. Family members should work towards creating a more empathetic environment at home”, added O.P. Singh, President, Sales and Marketing, Cadila Pharmaceuticals.

Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (www.cadilapharma.com) is one of the largest privately-held pharmaceutical companies in India. Over the past seven decades, Cadila Pharmaceuticals has been engaged in the development and manufacturing of affordable medicines and in making them available for patients across the world. Its innovation-driven drug discovery processes ensure the health and well-being of people around the world.