Since the beginning of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has gripped our attention more than anything else in our lives. It has pushed a lot of challenges faced by the human race to the background, while vaccines, medication, hospitalization and lockdowns occupy the foreground. One such challenge is the loneliness pandemic, a pandemic that is much older and more severe than the Covid one. So severe is this pandemic that the UK has even appointed a ‘Minister of Loneliness’ to address this new social crisis.
The loneliness pandemic affects all age-groups of people, across every region of the world. However, the elderly, or senior citizens are more severely affected by loneliness. Unlike younger people for whom loneliness can be a temporary problem, for the elderly, its permanent, one that they must compromise with. The breakdown of the joint-family structure, migration of children within the country or abroad for better prospects, an increase in disposable incomes leaving parents and children less dependent on each other financially, cultural and generational differences between parents and children, and many other reasons have led to the loneliness pandemic among elders.
So exactly how serious is the problem? The Census Data of 2011 showed that in India, 15 million elders were living alone, out of which almost three-fourths were women. According to a report published by HelpAge India, as of 2020, 100 million elders were living alone and the number was expected to hit 143 million by end of 2021. According to a report published by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), by 2050, elders will account for nearly 18% of the population, at 300 million. A drop in fertility rates and more and more youngsters opting out of marriage or raising kids, is contributing to this trend.
Even though elders learn to live with the loneliness, it has a devastating effect on their physical, psychological and cognitive health. Lonely elders are more prone to diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular ailments, depression and cancer, among others. In addition to the ailments, quality of life takes a backseat. This is a tragedy considering that many elders can actually afford to live a good quality of life even in their old ages. This is precisely what has inspired the culture of Community Living for elders, and an entire industry around this, all over the world.
As people age, they try their best to stay connected with friends, family, acquaintances and the society at large. However, there are recurring challenges that pose a handicap.
While the above factors can be a challenge for any elder, for elders who are living alone, they can be devastating.
That is where Community Living comes into the picture. Community Living precisely addresses all of the above challenges that elders face, like lock and key, and all in one package. Community living, as the name implies, centers around a community created for senior citizens or elders, where they can get to live a life of dignity and respect, with comfort and convenience, companionship and quality-of-life, all under one roof.
In such Senior Citizen Homes, every single need of the elder is addressed by a commercial entity or service provider who undertakes this activity for profit, like in any other business. This is a far cry from old-age homes or Vriddhashrams which depend on charitable grants to sustain operations. And where elders from humble backgrounds, who have no close family or have been abandoned by them, must compromise with whatever is available.
The trend of Community Living started in the US in the late 1960s and early 70s with states like Florida and some New England states being the popular location for such communities. The idea has since then gradually spread across the world. In India, such retirement homes or communities began in the early 2000s, and over the years, they are slowly gaining acceptance as a healthy way of spending one’s evening years. To the Government and the society at large, this concept is a boon, as it reduces the cost of providing healthcare to seniors, who are spread across the length and breadth of every city and town in the country.
Modern-day Senior Citizen Communities are located in Tier-2 cities of India that have a moderate climate. These communities can be a couple of standalone buildings or cluster of villas and cottages, that are served by a dedicated team of workers. Healthy and homely food is prepared in a central kitchen and served in a common dining-room to help the members bond. Housekeeping services ensure all the day-to-day needs of every elder or couple in every unit is attended to. These communities have an in-house doctor, nurses and an ambulance to address medical emergency needs. Entertainment options such as games and TV are available in the clubhouse, while sports, gym and other facilities take care of the health and fitness needs of elders. Most of these communities are gated, with 24×7 security and CCTV coverage. Transportation options such as a bus and cars, with drivers, will be available for outings, on a payable basis. The community may also have plenty of landscaped green spaces for overall health and satisfaction.
Residents who suffer from conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases can look forward to specialized care in dedicated CCRCs or Continuous Care Retirement Communities. However, most communities support CCRC like amenities and care within their setup.
Needless to say, all this costs money. Members or elders who would like to move into such communities can explore one or more flexible payment models. This includes one-time lumpsum deposit, or one-time deposit along with monthly rents, or just monthly rents for people who would like to test the waters before making a decision if this is the right community for them. While some amenities and facilities are covered in the recurring charges, special services desired by a resident may be chargeable.
Residents of such communities can benefit from:
In India, most of these retirement communities are concentrated in cities like Coimbatore, Bangalore, Mysore, Goa, Pune, Lavasa, Bhiwadi, Jaipur and Dehradun. Pioneers in this industry include Ashiana Housing, Covaicare, Eden Retirement Living, Antara Senior Living, Melur Meadows, The Golden Estate, Eldercare, Samvedna Senior Care, etc.
In Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Kancheepuram district and Coimbatore are the most popular hubs for Senior Citizen homes and Retirement Communities. While some are elite and admit elders from NRI or privileged families, many of them are economical and admit elders from middle-class Indian families. While some have existed for nearly 2 decades, some are new. While older projects benefit from experience in geriatric care, newer ones are more update and pack new features to beat the competition.
Unlike the past when elders had to de-facto live with close family members and suffer abuse even, today no such compulsions exist. Retirement communities offer a healthy alternative, that combines the best of living with dignity and quality of life, so that elders can enjoy what all they seek in their evening years.
If you are one such elder, do your due diligence and research before picking the community that is just right for you. Involve your family members in this exercise but the final decision must be yours. Once this is done, rest assured, you can look forward to a stellar second innings in life and leaving the field with grace and satisfaction.
Reviewed by Dr Suresh S Venkita, Group Medical Director, Kauvery Hospitals
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
Chennai – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801
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