“Spacious rooms. Scenic view. Well trained polite attendants. Round the clock medical facilities. Nutritious well planned meals. Welcome to Senior citizens assisted living!’ These kind of ads are nowadays seen all over on the social media platforms. What was earlier known as “Old Age Homes’ are now being popularized as ‘Assisted Living’ arrangements. Going by the number of such facilities that have come up, it is obvious that the society needs them on an urgent basis and there is still vast untapped segment that needs assistance.
Until half a decade back, ‘Old Age Homes’ stood for the ultimate abandonment of the helpless old population by their family. A person moving or being shifted to an old age home was more like a betrayal by the children, and refusal to take up the responsibility of the parent who had sacrificed their entire lives for their children. But on closer examination, moving into an assisted living facility does not necessarily imply neglect and rejection of the parent/senior person. The 20th century saw a change in the family system, with families moving to a nuclear arrangement from a large joint household. A joint family system meant availability of several members to help out in looking after the elderly, and as one became old and physically incapable, the younger rung took over the responsibility of the elders. The elders in such a family system remained useful by way of their advice, experience, and guidance in family matters or even keeping an eye on the little ones, teaching them prayers, narrating mythology, stories, culture and values. Looking after the old people in the family with respect and responsibility was an invariable part of the household’s routine.
Times changed and so did the family arrangements! Children moved away to other countries or cities to earn a living and often it was not possible for the older people to follow. Space crunch within the cities, long working hours for the children meant that elderly and often unwell parents who needed care, did not receive it. The younger population, already overburdened with the demands of life, felt guilty and unable to take care of their parents. There was clearly a need for facilities that filled in the gap to look after the elderly. Thus came up the ‘Old Age Homes.’ The earlier facilities did come up to house a section of the old population who had nobody to take care of them and hence offered services that were extremely basic and often inferior quality. Being banished to an old age home effectively meant that the older person was left to die, neglected.
With changing social circumstances and emerging affluent NRI population, the concept of assisted living underwent a change in perspective, losing the taboo surrounding it in the process. With foreign settled children with ability to pay handsomely for their parents’ wellbeing, the demand for better homes, superior services and comfortable living arose. Children could not live with their parents nor could the parents move to them, so community living with modern amenities have become the need of the day.
It is not always the children who suggest the parents to take the step of moving to an assisted living. There are people who themselves opt for these homes. Reasons are many; people have lived independently all their lives and do not wish to impose the burden of their care giving on their children. Often, space is a constraint, with the norm of 2BHK homes for average middle class families, when the grandson is to be married and needs a separate room, the old person decides to shift to an old age home. Then there is also the factor of loneliness. Instead of living with the help of a house help, elders prefer to spend the twilight years in the company of other people of the same age group.
As India looks at a prospect of 56 million elderly people by 2031, the need of old age homes is going to be on the rise. These facilities are no longer viewed as a pathos, or miserable end to vulnerable old people, but have acquired the importance of child care centres or medical care facilities. The benefits of assisted living are aplenty-
- Round the clock supervision for the seniors
- Frees them from taking care of household stresses such as trying to locate an electrician, plumber or booking a gas cylinder
- Availability of ready well prepared meals, freeing them from daily chores of shopping for groceries, cooking or being dependent upon domestic help for meals
- Companionship of people of the same generation
- Most of the assisted homes ensure relaxation activities for the members. The senior citizens may have more entertainment options, thereby reducing loneliness, depression and sense of vaccum
- The family is often unable to take senior citizens out, making them feel guilty, increasing boredom among the elderly. But the elder care facilities ensure planned, supervised outings and recreation for their residents
- Regular medical checkups and doctors at hand makes it safer for the older people to be in the care of the homes
- Lack of dependence on the family members, thereby reducing resentment
Gone are the days when the assisted living centres were considered and dismissed as a ‘western’ concept, a breach of the Indian family system. Our culture also held the concept of ‘Vanprasthashram’ the fourth stage of a human life where those who had completed their familial duties moved away from their families to peace, introspection and spiritual attainment. It is time to revive, understand and accept the final stage of a human existence by embracing the modern day Vanprasthashram, or the assisted living centres.