Concept Housing Projects for Senior Citizens

• @kw
• 12 Nov 2020

The concept of building exclusive housing complex for senior citizens are fast picking up. These days most of the people have nuclear family with one or two children. Once children complete their education, their work demands them to stay away from their parents. In many cases children move out to other countries for better job prospects. It becomes difficult for them to manage work and also take care of their parents. Parents feel lonely in absence of physical presence of their children to give them support. In many cases even if children live in the same or nearby city, married children are too busy with their own family and consider parents to be their burden. The ultimate solution is to send their parents to an old age home to maintain peace at home. These old age facilities may even be of 5 star rating, but definitely it is a pain for both the old parents as well their children. In this old age home more than often these old aged people feel lonely, depressed and neglected.

Many children who live abroad are though able to bear expenses for maintenance of their parents but are worried about safety of their parents and day to day care. Most of the orthodox people do not approve the OAH concept and adds insult to the injury blaming the children that they dumped the old parents in OAH.

To avoid the stigma of OAH concept some builders have started projects with exclusive facilities for senior citizens. Parents and children do not have to feel humiliated as parents can now proudly live in their own small apartments with all facilities that is required for them at their service at 24x7 within the housing complex.

While designing such a project builders have to keep the exact need for these aged people. The need for single parent also has to be taken care. The basic aim and objective of these senior citizen housing complexes are providing security, dignity and pride. Some builders have started building housing complexes where demarcated building blocks are exclusively for purchase by senior citizens. These projects are real blessing for retired couples who do not have children and also for single parents.

The senior citizens housing complexes completed with the following exclusive facilities:

1. These apartments are normally 1and 2 BHK units.

2. Spacious toilet with non-slippery floor tiles, fitted with side holding roads suitable for aged persons.

3. Non skidding floor tiles in kitchen and other common areas.

4. Bigger size Balconies with sitting arrangements with full grill works for safety.

5. Biometric – enabled lock for main door for easy access.

6. Sensor controlled room and toilet lights so that the occupants do not feel difficulty to ingress in dark.

7. CCTV coverage for all the alleyways and common area and in case of emergency call control room should be able to view the apartment from inside to access the problem.

8. Video communication facilities is also desirable for each apartment with the Security control room.

9. User friendly lift with sitting facility.

10. Nursing bay with 24 hours qualified nurse to take care of medical needs and emergency response with basic medical equipments and one hospital-bed.

11. Visits by qualified doctors, Physiotherapist, health worker / nurses are made available on call.

12. Games room for seniors.

13. Library with books on varied subjects.

14. Yoga class by trained yoga specialists on payment basis.

15.  Cleaning and housekeeping staff are available. Their services on payment basis are availed for cleaning homes or bathing senior citizens.

16. Online medicine and grocery delivery available.

17. Arrangement with banks for home service for delivery of cash 

18. Broad band Wi-Fi internet connection.

19. In case an inmate gets admitted in hospital, a bystander can be arranged on request by the welfare manager. This person can also manage the insurance, payment etc.

20. On request the welfare team can make arrangements for rituals and related functions including informing their relatives and friends. A data base can be submitted to the welfare officer for easy access for this sort of functions.

21. On call laundry service.

22.  Breakfast to Dinner kitchen facility for those who cannot cook their food at home. Some senior citizen housing  have also started providing restaurant and club facilities for their inmates.