Integrated senior-citizen townships are offering tailor-made and hassle-free living for retired Indians, says Sushmita Biswas.
Every morning, 72-year-old Mani Bharucha likes to go for a walk with her friends. A single woman, she’s chosen to live 90km away from the hustle and bustle of busy Mumbai life at the Dignity Lifestyle (set up by Dignity Foundation) Retirement Township in Neral near the hill-station Matheran. After the walk she tends the plants in the small garden attached to her cottage. She particularly loves the monsoons in the hills when the landscape turns a verdant green. “The quality of life is much better and there are absolutely no restrictions on our lifestyle,” she gushes.
Bharucha is among the growing number of senior citizens who are opting to stay in senior-citizen townships coming up in different corners of the country. And no, these are not old age homes but integrated townships for people aged 55 years and above, where the key selling point is senior living.
The living conditions are specially tailored for older folks with ultra-spacious, wheel-chair friendly rooms with anti-skid flooring and touchscreen systems. In addition, there are multi-cuisine restaurants, libraries, club houses, golf courses, wellness centres and spas. Of course, there’s geriatric care at hand and trained staff for housekeeping.
So you can perk up with a brisk walk, or enjoy an Ayurvedic massage, sweat it out at the fitness centre or engage in community development projects.
Who are the target buyers? Anybody who is looking at retirement (young retirees 55 years onwards) or the already retired or those who need assisted living can choose to stay in these homes.
Perhaps, it’s little wonder that the elderly parents of NRIs, retired bureaucrats, bankers and businessmen are increasingly finding their space in the protected environment of a retirement home.
“Senior-living homes have immense potential. Though it’s a western concept, and still in its infancy in India, developers need to take it to the next level complete with ultra-modern and hassle-free facilities,” says Saumyajit Roy, assistant vice president, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj,
According to a recent report by Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj (JLLM), in India there are over 81 million elderly people. The figure will rise to 177 million by 2025 and by 2050 it will be about 240 million. Adds Roy: “After you retire from the frenetic pace of life, there’s no need to feel left out. Retirement townships are increasingly being favoured by elderly people whose children settle in different parts of the country or abroad and cannot visit them too often.”
Here’s looking at some of the places where the elderly can retire to.
Some Retirement township in India:
RENAISSANCE,West Bengal
VIVARA RESIDENCES,Goa
DIGNITY LIFESTYLE RETIREMENT TOWNSHIP,Maharashtra
UTSAV,Rajasthan
MELUR MEADOWS,Chennai
RAKINDO,Coimbatore
Read in detail: The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | The Personal Telegraph | The silver innings
1 comment:
With 10,000+ people turning 60 years old in the US every day, that could become a real issue...
assisted living
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