SENIOR LIVING IN KERALA

With an increase in life expectancy and advanced healthcare facilities, the average population of senior citizens is booming in India. People aged over 60 years are likely to make up over 25% of the country’s population by 2050, and the infrastructure made available for them is only gradually catching up. A senior care study released by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) predicts a tripling of the population of senior citizens in India by 2050, with a consequent increase in senior care products/services and increase in longevity from 67.5 in 2015 to 75.9 in 2050.

However, despite such staggering demographics, none of our urban infrastructures are built keeping seniors in mind. Public transport, parks, activities for seniors, friendly sidewalks and age-friendly homes or public spaces lack sensitivity to this age cohort. As there is an upsurge in the ageing population, we will have to spend a lot more of our budget in making infrastructure suitable for seniors.

Given the lackadaisical government policies, the private sector has seized the opportunity to develop Senior Living Facilities and retirement homes. While old-age homes have typically been a taboo in a conservative and traditionalistic culture like Kerala, this perception is gradually changing with times.

When the older person is no longer able to care for themselves or be cared for by their family, an alternative form of care can be provided by aged care homes when available. Most of the families in Kerala believe the transition to an aged care home is due to a lack of sense and apathy. So, living in an aged care home is a stigma for the older person and their family in Indian culture. This stigma arises from the deep-rooted culture of family cohesion and belonging. Despite the religious beliefs and cultural values of Kerala, it has become necessary for some families to make use of aged care homes in recent years.          

Aged care homes are now undergoing a transformation to become a place where people can live comfortably and live life on one’s own terms once again. For most individuals today, the idea of old-age homes is evolving, from being associated with abandonment to independent living instead. 

The increase in nuclear families and the number of NRIs concerned about leaving their parents alone have augmented the demand for Senior Living facilities. New, modern state-of-the-art senior living facilities have displaced short-staffed, government-operated old-age homes. These aged care homes are dedicated to the comfort and convenience of the elderly. They have tie-ups with medical establishments, staff members meeting specific food and nutritional needs, and an infrastructural design that keeps the convenience of senior citizens at its core. Aged care homes are now undergoing a transformation to become a place where people can live comfortably and live life on one’s own terms once again. For most individuals today, the idea of old-age homes is evolving, from being associated with abandonment to independent living instead.

Transition to an aged care home is perhaps the most important relocation affecting an older person. The decision to relocate to an aged care home can cause the older person and their family a great amount of apprehension, fear and ongoing stress. Providing older people with an opportunity to talk about their involvement in the decision to transition to an aged care home can often help them adjust to the transition process. It can help them to adapt more readily to the changed living situation. For many older people, however, the transition decision is mostly made by family members following hospitalization of the older person. In this situation, the decision on discharge destination needs to be made quickly and under stressful conditions, if the older person is unable to have ongoing care from their family.

It is found that in many countries and cultures, greater use of aged care homes has coincided with changing social structures and family systems like what is occurring in India. Given the important role of social and cultural structures in shaping life transitions, having relevant information about aged care service offerings would be helpful for potential residents and their families.

I believe the taboo associated with retirement homes is slowly ebbing away because the push for living in them is coming from the elderly themselves. It is unlike the commonly held notion that children are driving their parents to live in such communities, and I say this from whatever interaction I have had with senior citizens who live in senior citizen communities. One of my acquaintances loves the experience so much that he invited other senior family members to live with him for a few days. He says at his age he displays total sagacity with no sense of competition but only camaraderie and companionship. He now has an active social life, which was missing earlier and events to attend. This elderly gentleman was a Western music aficionado and he also showcases his talent now.

Sometimes these gated, secure facilities are constructed within larger communities of younger, working professionals, so seniors don’t feel cut off from the rest of the world. Relationships between parents and children improve because parents are less dependent on children. The children, in turn, are relieved of a sense of guilt and feel good about providing their parents with a high quality of life.

Senior living is a perfect blend of housing, hospitality as well as healthcare and is primarily a service-focused business with real estate as an enabler. Life in a senior living community is all about spending hassle-free quality time with like-minded peers, enjoying a socially rich calendar, while being in a safe, secure and health-conscious cocoon. India is ready, both culturally and economically, for Senior Living.