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P. J. Jyothi Datta

You might call it a retirement resort or an old age home, the intimates still long for the love and care of the family.

The Gujrals take a brisk walk every morning at the park in front of their home in one of Delhi's typically Punjabi residential enclave. They are active in the neighbourhood's social and cultural events, that is, when they are not visiting their children settled in different parts of the country and abroad.

"It is not the ageing process that is tiring, as much as the systems you have to deal with in daily life. For instance, recently, the post office in our area was shut down because they did not have enough business. But no one thought how this would inconvenience elderly people. What was a five-minute walk to the post office for some of our money transactions has become more strenuous. We have to drive across or catch a rickshaw," he points out.

And this is just one of the several inconveniences that senior citizens constantly face. Whether it is paying bills or visiting a hospital — they are forced to rough it out, without special queues or facilities.

Another World Elders Day passes by us today, but will it change anything at all in the way the nation treats its senior citizens?

Nearly 77 million Indians are senior citizens. And, according to a Helpage India estimate, their numbers are set to touch 117 million by 2025.

"With children travelling on work more often, elderly parents increasingly find themselves alone at home. Sometimes they become dependent on outsiders for help. This puts their life in danger, as these `helpers' are often strangers. In Delhi, for instance, several elderly people have been murdered by such strangers," points out a representative of an NGO working with the elderly.

However, retirement homes — a new-age concept aimed at elderly people, especially those who are in `active retirement' — promise to surmount some of the difficulties faced by such people. "People retire from work, not from life. In a retirement home, an individual or a couple can buy an apartment within the complex and rest assured that everything else is taken care of. Ranging from basic medical help to daily chores, such homes take care of the needs of their inhabitants," says a public-relations executive. "We have moved a step forward, from a retirement home to a retirement resort, with our Ashiana Village (about two hours from Delhi.) While an old age home is about assisted living for people who cannot take care of themselves, we are looking at people in the active retirement segment. Our resort is more a lifestyle product where people can have an enjoyable time, without the cares and worries of old age," says Vishal Gupta, Joint Managing Director of Ashiana Housing and Finance.

"At prices ranging between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 14 lakh for an apartment (depending on the rooms and facilities required), the senior citizen is assured of everything at his or her doorstep. Residents can cook for themselves or eat at the common dining room. The resort offers scope for companionship among like-minded people," adds Gupta.

Gyms, swimming pools, prayer centres, medical centres, paramedics and emergency facilities are among the other features of this retirement resort. Added facilities like rent-a-driver are also available. Some of the facilities come at an extra charge. "Our apartments are designed for elderly patients: The rooms have bigger switches, non-skid tiles and night lamps. There are ramps for wheelchairs, too. But we are still not equipped to support, say, a person suffering from Alzheimer's. This is our first venture and we will slowly graduate to build apartments for assisted living," says Gupta.

Emphasising that the resort is not elitist, he says his company targets middle-income groups, since banks like HDFC offer loans for such apartments. (However, the experience of some retired people in availing such bank loans tells a different story.) "All we stipulate is that the owner is above 55 years. There is no upper age limit. We have developed over 900 such apartments and about 800 are already occupied," he says.

Though the concept is new, such resorts are also coming up in Bangalore, Pune, Chennai and Kerala, say officials working with the elderly. "The reason why this concept is catching on is because there is a large section of people that has the money and does not want to depend on others for help. They also need the company of like-minded people. In fact, even younger people are contemplating investing in such apartments, in preparation for life after retirement," says one of the officials.

But Major General (retd) Inderjit Singh Dhillon, Director General of Helpage India, is not too happy about the manner in which the nation treats its elderly. "There is a paucity of funds and government authorities are not exactly putting their heads together to solve the problems of the elderly." Retirement homes based on western models can benefit only the rich, but the community needs to do much more to take care of the increasing number of senior citizens. When corporates talk of social responsibility, they look for visible causes, which contribute to their image, and residential projects for the elderly are hardly on their priority list. "We have a long way to go in terms of getting people who are dedicated to the cause of caring for the elderly," he adds.

His sentiments find a supporter in 16-year-old Prithvi. "I come away with a heavy heart every time I visit the old age home that I was introduced to as part of a school programme. We are encouraged to adopt a grandma for a year. The elderly inmates are delighted to have us in their lives and are constantly talking about their children and the life they once led. When I watch my adopted grandmom wait for calls from her children abroad, it makes me very sad. Much more needs to be done to support our elderly, both emotionally and otherwise," she says.

"However happy the environment is in an old age home, the inmate always longs for her family... to stay together with them," says an inmate of one such home.

Call it an old age home or a retirement resort, as Major General Dhillon observes, "We still have miles to go when it comes to caring for the elderly... "

Picture by Paul Noronha

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