PNN
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], May 23: India is rapidly becoming an ageing society. According to government population projections, nearly one in seven Indians is expected to be above the age of 60 by 2036. Maharashtra is also witnessing a major demographic shift, with the state's elderly population expected to rise significantly over the coming decade.
Doctors at Vencer Hospital say Pune and the PCMC region are already beginning to experience the realities of this transition, from rising loneliness among elderly citizens and increasing lifestyle diseases to mobility problems, visual impairment, and emotional isolation in increasingly nuclear family environments.
To respond to these changing realities, Vencer Hospital has launched "Grandparent Care," a new senior-focused healthcare initiative combining preventive care, emotional reassurance, and community support under one umbrella.
"We started Vencer Hospital as three doctors who simply wanted to build honest and patient-focused medical care," said Dr. Sharoon Shitole. "As we completed nearly 1,000 days of this journey, one realization became impossible to ignore -- a very large percentage of the people who trust us every day are grandparents. India is ageing, Pune is ageing, and the need for compassionate geriatric support is only going to grow. Elderly people spent their lives taking care of us. Now it is our turn to take care of them."
Vencer Hospital said Grandparent Care has been designed around three major pillars.
1. Drishti - Senior-Focused Vision Care
The first component of the initiative is Drishti, Vencer Hospital's senior-focused cataract and vision-care program.
The hospital said the initiative was created after observing that many elderly patients delay cataract treatment because of confusion, fear, or anxiety around procedures and healthcare expenses. Drishti aims to simplify the process and encourage senior citizens to seek timely vision care so they can maintain independence, confidence, and active participation in family life.
2. Aashwas - Long-Term Health Assurance for Senior Citizens
The second pillar is Aashwas, a preventive healthcare subscription model designed specifically for senior citizens.
The package includes routine tests, health evaluations, and long-term healthcare assurance for enrolled members. Vencer Hospital said subscribers under Aashwas will continue to receive the same package pricing for the next three years, helping families plan healthcare expenses with greater predictability and confidence.
The subscription also includes free emergency medical intake visits at the hospital. Hospital officials said this is possible because Vencer Hospital maintains round-the-clock doctor availability, allowing senior citizens to receive immediate medical assessment during emergencies without additional intake concerns.
3. Apna Circle - Weekly Support, Counselling and Community for Grandparents
The third component is Apna Circle, a weekly doctor-led support and community initiative open to subscribers.
Senior citizens can attend along with a friend or companion and interact with doctors, counsellors, and specialists from different disciplines every week.
The sessions will focus not only on medical concerns, but also on emotional well-being, loneliness, mobility, nutrition, ageing-related anxiety, and adapting to changing family structures. The hospital also plans to conduct discussions designed to help senior citizens better understand younger generations and modern family dynamics.
Doctors at Vencer Hospital believe emotional isolation is becoming one of the least discussed but most important healthcare challenges facing elderly citizens in urban India today.
Dr. Bhushan Shitole and Dr. Sameer Patil said mobility, continuity of care, and emotional reassurance are deeply interconnected in elderly healthcare. They noted that many senior citizens slowly disconnect from social and family life when mobility declines or when they begin feeling medically unsupported.
According to them, structured preventive engagement, regular doctor interaction, and community support systems can play a major role in helping elderly individuals remain active, confident, and emotionally connected while also reducing avoidable medical complications.
Vencer Hospital said Grandparent Care is intended not just as a medical initiative, but as a long-term community support ecosystem for senior citizens and their families.
Grandparent Care registrations are now open in Pune.
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