Health care systems and policies for older adults in Nepal: new challenges for a low-middle income country

Background: Nepal, like other low- and middle-income countries, is experiencing a rapid increase in the number of older adults and the rate of aging in the population. This has increased the number of older adults with age-associated chronic illnesses, which in turn will escalate the demand for specialized healthcare and long-term care in Nepal. However, very little is known regarding the current healthcare system and health policies for older adults in Nepal. In this paper, we aimed to advance this understanding.

Methods: We reviewed the existing literature on the health, healthcare system, and policies related to older adults in Nepal.

Results: Our findings revealed that older adults have a high prevalence of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and chronic kidney diseases, and the number of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is on the rise. Additionally, there is a decline in historical family caregiving for several reasons such as international migration of offspring, and the country currently lacks a skilled geriatric workforce and formal long-term care support and services (LTSS). Together, this has created a challenge in adequately meeting the health and care needs of the older population. Findings also indicated that several geriatric health policies exist in the country, which ensure primarily free healthcare services for older adults. However, economic constraints limit the financial resources to implement these policies, build appropriate care facilities, and improve access and utilization.

Conclusion: Therefore, the government must develop sustainable financing to adequately provide quality healthcare and LTSS for older adults as the population ages.