Caring for Seniors

Most of today’s seniors are educated, enlightened, healthy and financially independent. They are full of vigour even after retirement right into their eighties or even sometimes nineties.

They should be stopped from hibernating! They are bogged down with routines, routines that take up their precious time which would have been otherwise spent for noble causes. The main reason being that the youngsters in their life leave the shores seeking greener pastures.The seniors are thus left behind to fend for themselves.

An urgent need is therefore felt to set up abodes with a holistic infrastructure to take care of such seniors who are financially independent and want to contribute to society.

Seniors need a holistic infrastructure

A time comes in ones life when one is forced to depend more and more on Society for his or her survival. As one grows older one is left alone to fend for oneself as the children have their share of responsibility and find it difficult to take care of their ageing parents. Society has created a niche for this group of people and they are instantly institutionalised!!! They are so to say quarantined and kept isolated from the rest of the world where they await death!! Today’s Old Age Homes are a far cry from what the old really need. State-of-the-art Abodes for Senior Citizens is the only answer.
An ideal Old Age Home in the first instance should not be called as such. It gives a depressing feeling. The words’Institutions’ ‘Charitable Trusts’ keep people away from such homes. May be something like ‘SENIOR CO-OPERATIVE ABODES’ prefixed by the name of anyone who starts the venture?

These ABODES would be set up by social organisations and managed by them. The funds for the infrastructure would have to be collected from donors. These funds would be used to set up the infrastructure which becomes the property of the social organisation . For phychological reasons however those wanting to own apartments would be given these apartments on certain payments governed by certain bye laws.The members will pay for their maintenance.
Such ABODES should compulsorily have the following features:
1. Land
2. Independent OWNERSHIP apartments
3. Restaurant
4. Department Store
5. Pharmacy
6. Communication facilities cybercafe, etc.
7 Hospital or easy access to any other hospital
8. Emergency ward
9. Transport facilities
10. Escorts
11. Health Club
12. Guest Houses for visitors
13. Landscaped exteriors with facility for morning/evening
walks.
14. Pollution free remunerative activities on the premises for
those who have the interest and health.
15. Organised social activities.
16. Opportunities for furthering their education.
17. Opportunities for social work on the premises

THE ABOVE FACILITIES EXCEPTING PERMANENT RESIDENCY SHOULD BE THROWN OPEN TO PUBLIC SO THAT THE SENIOR CITIZEN GETS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH OTHER THAN JUST HIS AGE GROUP. THIS WILL ALSO HELP THE PROJECT TO BE VIABLE.

The number of senior citizens who cannot manage life independently though financially sound is constantly on the increase the world over and therefore this CONCEPT can be effectively applied GLOBALLY.

Image via Wikipedia