Theorizing Aging in Nepal: Beyond the Biomedical Model

Abstract

This paper has in part emerged from work recently undertaken by Parker and Pant under a British Academy funded Small Grant examining the phenomenon of aging in Nepal. This has enabled them to work in collaboration with the Nepal School of Social Work in Kathmandu to both generate locally relevant empirical research on aging and to facilitate the creation of spaces for dialogue on the implications of aging in Nepal. As a result of this project a network of key academics, activists, government policy makers and non-government organizations, both national and international, has been formed. The findings of this study reveal a lack of both empirical data and theoretical development on aging in Nepal. Aging in the west is often viewed from a biomedical perspective where the emphasis is on medical treatment and health and social care arrangements. Biomedicine also dominates international health strategies, organizations, and the funding streams for aid, of which Nepal is a recipient. Whilst longevity is clearly a positive outcome of development, it also presents health and social care dilemmas. This paper provides an opportunity to explore some of these key issues and highlights the need for practitioners, policy makers and the research community in Nepal to provide an open dialogue in which local, culturally appropriate decisions can be developed in the best interest of older people in Nepal.

Older People, Mobility and Transport in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of the Research

“…Moreover, these global policy concerns are very rarely reflected at regional and national levels. National policymakers cite resource constraints and the absence of evidence for these policy gaps [12]. Thus, while a number of studies conclude with proposals for policy interventions, these have not been translated into practice [13,14].…”

“…Parker et al point out that "Aging in the west is often viewed from a biomedical perspective where the emphasis is on medical treatment and health and social care arrangements. Biomedicine also dominates international health strategies, organizations, and the funding streams for aid..." [12]. From this perspective, the wider implications of ageing as another stage in the life course receive much more scant consideration, and the familial, social and economic relations which structure older people's lives tend to disappear from view.…”

A Health Model Based on the Clinical Practice of Manual Therapists

“…Although not very relevant, the physiotherapists who base their clinical practice on the biomedical model demonstrated a lower percentage than the other models and was the only model in which they chose the option with little or no effect. According to Parker, et al (2014), in clinical practice based on the biomedical model, people are being treated as objects [62]. In broader interventions, the user should be treated with empathy and comprehension [63].…”

Understanding frailty among older people living in old age homes and the community in Nepal: A cross-sectional study

“…Since most studies on frailty were conducted in high-and upper-middle-income countries, the evidence from low-and low-middle income countries remains scarce [18][19][20][21]. Due to a lack of evidence, health and social care planning in these countries are difficult [22]. In Nepal, for instance, little is known about the burden of frailty and the factors leading to frailty in older people.…”