In India, everyone is familiar with the concept of “Old Age Homes”. We have a picture in our head when we think of an old age home. It is a place where seniors live unwillingly. We assume that seniors go there when they have nowhere else to go. However, there is more to an old age home than being just a shelter. It is supposed to provide a safe, comfortable and happy environment to the elders who stay there, whatever their reasons for being there might be.
Senior Living on the other hand, is a completely different concept. However, it is also a new concept in India and that’s why most people still think “old age homes” when someone mentions “senior living”. However, in developed nations this concept has been around for a while. As countries like the USA and many European nations have a larger older adult population, they have an established industry for senior living spaces and retirement communities. These concepts are largely popular and well understood.
The senior living industry is picking up globally. The Global Market for retirement and senior living communities was valued at nearly $218.6 billion in 2019. In the same year, the assisted living facilities market size in the US was valued at 79.3 billion. These trends show us that with a steady increase in elder population around the world, more investment needs to be made in senior and assisted living facilities even in India.
What is senior living and how is it very different from old age homes?
Senior Living stands for a form of residence that is specially created for seniors, keeping their unique needs in mind.
At Senior Living Facilities, the focus is on care—mental, physical, and spiritual. This is what facilitates holistic wellness and healthy aging. In a nutshell, senior living is very different from the traditional concept of old age homes.
Typically, senior care facilities provide emergency medical support, medical supervision or presence of a doctor and /or nurse. They also often provide facilities like daily nutritious meals, housekeeping, arrangements for laundry, and life enrichment services in the form of routine engagement activities.
We need to disconnect from the old ideas of what is care for the elderly. In our old definitions of care, only one way of care was deemed acceptable—care given by children and family at home. However, with changing times, increasing specialization, more and more working women, and overall shift in perspectives, these old notions of “ideal” are changing. We must update ourselves and recognize this evolution in the important sector of senior care.
In modern senior living facilities, “care” means going beyond just meeting the elder’s physiological and daily household needs. They show care by proving each elder with personal service and carefree living. They provide them with a daily routine packed with fun filled and engaging activities. Food is not just a service but a fulfilling experience. Socialization is not just about interacting with others, but connecting and celebrating company.
Such a level of care can only be given by a team that is both able and willing to service elders. Senior Living facilities have a trained and professional team that has chosen a career in servicing elders through caregiving, nursing, counselling or even administrating support.
Assisted Living is another concept that is less talked about in India. Assisted living facilities provide a higher level of assistance to residents than a purely senior living facility. They are not nursing homes or clinics, but rather residences where extra facilities and services can be opted for. Some senior residences may have options for both independent senior living and assisted living. The level of care needed may be different for different residents and iterations can be made accordingly.
Senior living residences can be in the form of real estate or rentable spaces. These can be in the form of apartments or villas that provide auxiliary senior care services as per need. Some facilities provide rent-able rooms or apartments with integrated senior care services.
These modern senior living facilities have a host of integrate features which may include:
- Senior friendly flooring (anti skid)
- Senior friendly spaces (wheelchair accessibility)
- Emergency Support (emergency call bells in rooms and sometimes bathrooms as well)
- Safety Features (Grab Bars in walkways and bathrooms)
- Trained and sensitized staff (GDA, Nurses, support staff)
- Basic medical facilities (vital checks, doctors’ consultations, physiotherapy, counselling, available nurse as some examples)
- Community Engagement (Socialization, Events and Celebrations)
- Life Enrichment (scheduled activities, hobby classes, exercise classes)
- In house fitness areas like walking track, gym or exercise area
- Community Dining often with addition private dining options
- Aesthetic spaces to relax in (lounge, garden, etc)
- Clubs room with card games, board games, carom, etc.
- Activity room for group activities
- Daily services like meals and housekeeping
- Available select services like transport, laundry, concierge, etc.
With such a host of features and facilities, senior living (as well as assisted living) facilities are both worthy options for any older adult looking for this level of care. In the senior care industry, we can’t adopt just one format of providing care. Different families have different circumstances and each individual elder also has a unique set of needs and expectations. So, a solution must be tailored to fit the needs of each specific elder. For this to be possible, the senior care industry must grow, along with the mindset of the general population.
Why Aurum Living Gurgaon is not just an old age home?
Aurum Senior and Assisted Living located in the heart of Gurgaon, South City 2, is a world in itself. More than just an old age home, Aurum is a sprawling community spread across 7 floors, brimming with love and laughter. Unlike any old age home, Aurum offers care packages that are customized as per the unique needs of each resident. Here, each care plan is supported by a dedicated infrastructure and extensively trained personnel. Life at Aurum is a glorious second innings for senior citizens where they can spend the final years of their life happily and with dignity. There is no greater satisfaction in gifting parents as much comfort and stability as you can and letting them live their lives to the fullest.
What is an old age home?
Old age homes in India generally bring a picture in mind of a dilapidated establishment that is poorly managed. They often are seen as places of loneliness and gloom. They often lack trained medical staff, proper facilities, and basic hygiene to an extent where living as a senior citizen is nothing to look forward to.
Every senior citizen deserves respectful and fulfilling second innings of their lives. However, the picture brought to mind when we say “old age home” generates feelings of abandonment and loneliness eliminating them as an option for senior citizens.
How Aurum is different from a typical Old Age Homes?
Aurum Senior and Assisted Living, is a peaceful haven for senior citizens where they can happily start their second innings in a space that is as cozy and comfortable as home. Once they shift to Aurum, they can expect a life full of recreation, rejuvenation, and relaxation- a place where they will not have to stress about getting mundane things done all the time. Unlike the gloomy and poorly managed typical old age homes, Aurum is a luxury senior living residence where seniors can live life on their own terms and be surrounded by like-minded people, amenities, and facilities. The best part of Aurum is its rentable suites and studio apartments that are conceptualized, planned and designed keeping in mind the challenges faced by senior citizens. With a dedicated team of doctors, caregivers, and assistants, Aurum offers a secure lifestyle to seniors, full of love and compassion.
Why do you need an old age home?
As we age, individuals get jeopardized by illness and fatigue. Even simple day-to-day tasks seem herculean and there is reduced mental stimulation to take proper medications, have well-balanced meals, exercise, socialize and ensure physical and mental wellbeing. Often, they find excuses to avoid these things, resulting in serious deterioration of health. This is where advanced old age homes come into the picture. In India, advanced senior assisted living residences like Aurum, cater to the holistic wellbeing of senior citizens. By sending parents to such luxury residential apartments, their children also get stress-free with the assurance that their parents will get the best kind of medical assistance round-the-clock by a team of highly qualified doctors.
