Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Accessible healthcare for all socioeconomic segments of the population in Bangladesh has pushed the average life expectancy to 72.52 years. A strong stigma with a suspicious mindset toward the “old home” has long restricted developments in the elderly care system, where initiatives have long been managed by limited resources and inefficient public and charity-based projects. Considering changes in demography, the social fabric, and a gradually growing aging population, Subarta is working to re-frame the system in order to build an innovation-rich sector. At the core of its model is a range of “special housing” models which cater to individuals from ultra-poor communities with its micro square-feet housing to affluent individuals seeking high-quality housing solutions. Managed by professional caregivers, Subarta ensure a sophisticated, cross-subsidized care management system catering individuals from both socioeconomic spectrums. To ensure sustainability, cost efficiency, and consistency in service quality, Subarta manages in-houses enterprises including an elderly entrepreneurs platform which produces products and services for both internal needs and external market demands. The Caregivers Institute, a subsidiary of Subarta, produces highly-trained professional caregivers with specialised skills such as geriatric care and stroke, who address the vacuum of professional caregivers in the sector. This innovation showcase discusses how a frame change considering all aspects of elderly care system is necessary to ensure long-term adaptive solutions for a country’s growing need.