Health-care decisions of older persons in India

Many older persons in India cannot afford the high cost of health-care and consequently have to forego treatment for their illness. We compared the incidence of illness and health-care decisions of rural and urban persons as well as the outcomes for older persons and younger persons. One of the main findings was that rural persons had a higher incidence of illness and a higher incidence of non-treatment than those in urban areas. The higher incidence of non-treatment in rural areas was mainly due to the shortage of health-care facilities and concerns about the high cost of treatment, reflecting lower income in those areas. Second, analysis for two rural locations indicated that older persons do not always choose the same provider of treatment as younger persons even if it is for the same type of illness. Third, in looking at one urban centre, the study found that older persons had a higher incidence of non-treatment than younger persons. This was mainly because older persons had greater concerns about the costs of treatment, reflecting again their lower levels of income.