Old-Age Homes In India
- Older or older citizens who have been abandoned by their homes live together in old-age homes. They can only survive there for the rest of their lives. It serves as a haven for all the needy parents whose kids have abandoned them. It provides a range of amenities for those residing under its roof, far away from their home. You must be at least 55 years old to reside in an old-age home.
Purpose Of Old-Age Homes
- Old age or senescence is a part of life that is as beautiful as wrinkles on the face. No one can deny old age. The purpose of an old-age home is as follows-
- To uphold society and national welfare.
- To keep tabs on and tend to elderly patients who are ill.
- To provide autonomous homes for them as they age.
- Teaching them fresh information and education.
- Allowing them to partake in fresh social activities.
Maintenance Of Old-Age Homes
- Old-age homes are required to be in a stable state. Following are tips on how one can maintain an old-age home in various ways:
Keeping track of electricity bills and paying them on time to avoid power outages later on. To have a backup solution in place in case of a power outage, what would be used as a source of electricity? Inverters and generators can be used, but power outages are uncommon nowadays.
To maintain proper cleanliness and hygiene in the Old-age home and the surrounding area. Cleaning, dusting, changing garbage bags every day, and disposing of them in a nearby open area, and so on are all important steps toward hygiene.
They should practice good cleanliness and take great precautions when cooking because many diseases are transferred through tainted food and water. Vegetables need to be thoroughly cleaned. Clean hands should always be used. Senior citizens should properly wash their hands before and after eating.
A security guard is required in an elderly residence. These days, cameras might be deployed in public areas to monitor senior citizens’ medical care.
To make sure they are maintaining a proper healthy body; regular health examinations must be performed. If at all possible, there should always be a nurse on duty in an elderly residence.
Top Old-Age Homes In India
1. Shraddanand Mahilashram
It is a roof for abandoned ladies by their families. They can peacefully live here free of cost. Those who can afford can also live here by paying the charges. It provides separate beds and food to all ladies taking shelter with medical-aid also. It is located in Vasai, Maharashtra.
2. Jesus the Way Trust
It is located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is also called “Charu’s home for elders’’. It provides basic amenities.
3. Aashirwad old-age home
It is in Delhi. It takes care of all senior citizens yet makes them strong to follow their own routines. The atmosphere is quite good and coordinated.
4. Navachaitanya old-age homes
It is located in Bangalore and provides all the basic amenities like food, beds, and health check-ups. Apart from this they also provide various programs for them. People can stay here by paying monthly charges which are 10,000 to 12,000 rupees.
5. Balaji healthcare
Situated in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, it is structured with basic facilities. It especially takes care of seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, paralysis, dementia, etc.
6. Old-age Welfare Centre
Located in Hyderabad, Telangana. It is well-equipped for basic needs. In addition to the basic needs, a nurse stays there to keep an eye on their healthcare. Also, there is a yoga and meditation room in which they can start their day by meditating and doing yoga. Proper vegetarian meals are served to keep their balanced diet in mind.
7. Covai Urbana Irene
It is located in Bangalore near Bangalore International Airport. It is well-structured with a luxurious feeling. It provides all the basic needs, memory care, and travel plans. It has over 170 senior-friendly apartments.
8. Senior Divine Home
It is situated in Faridabad, Haryana. It provides all the facilities necessary for senior-citizens living there. It aims at providing a home-like ambiance to people which cannot be possible considering what elders have lost but still they try to achieve to make their environment comfortable for them.
9. Farewell desk Old-age home
Located in Patna, Bihar. It is set up with all the facilities one can need. It believes in taking care of the elders for they have the right to live a peaceful life. All the life they have given us so much now it’s our turn to make their old-age easy for them by taking care of them and loving them.
10. Abhalmaya Old-age home
It is located in Pune, Maharashtra. It is served with all the basic necessities. They provide free-of-cost living to some people according to their charity policy per year. They also provide proper health care. They also provide shelter to mentally challenged and handicapped senior citizens. They also women by self-empowering themselves. It has also done many operations free of cost and provides 60% concession for poor and needy people.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Old-Age Homes
Advantages:
There are many advantages of old-age homes in society. For instance, they take care of poor and needy senior citizens.
Some have the facility of free services. For those who have no kids or live far away in another country and the parents are not ready to move out of their country, an old-age home is a boon to them.
The people or staff of old-age homes try their very best to give them a homely environment. They also take care of the elder’s health properly.
Furthermore, they also sometimes take care of any operations if needed.
Old-age home is a boon for differently abled people too.
Many diseases occur with age especially dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and paralysis. So, for the children sometimes it becomes a dilemma situation how to take care of elders in a family. With today’s lifestyle, it becomes difficult to give the family the proper time, care, and attention they need.
Disadvantages:
With many advantages, there are also some disadvantages. The most significant disadvantage is that many children abandon their parents.
Though they have everything, they put their responsibility on old-age homes. These children never visit them again or rarely visit their parents. Government must investigate this and make strict laws against abandoning parents in a ruthless way.
A further disadvantage of the old-age home is that it is as spacious as a home.
- There is a limited visiting hours for parents and children. So even if one wants to meet it becomes a matter of time.
Reason For Increase In Old-Age Homes In India
There are various reasons for the increase in old-age homes in India. One of the main reasons is the settling of children in foreign countries. It is difficult for parents to leave their country and shift to a new place. So, children leave their old parents in any old-age home. Also, for safety purposes, it seems a better option to leave parents in the old-age home rather than alone at home.
Parents having an illness like dementia, paralysis, or Alzheimer’s require special care and attention. It is not possible for working children to give them the care they require. Today’s date, people want privacy and independent life. They want to live carefreely. They do not understand old age is inevitable.
Problems Faced By Elders In Old-Age Homes
Old age is difficult for any parents or elders. Though old-age homes try their cent percent to give them a homely environment still they face certain problems.
Some problems faced by old-age home people are as follows:
Mental disorders are very common in old age. They mostly suffer from psychotic depression. They suffer from irritability, loss of memory, speech not clear, restlessness, insomnia, loss of interest, heartburn, etc. They also suffer from digestion problems and other psychological issues.
A feeling of loneliness and being left out makes them emotionally weak and more susceptible to depression. Living with a family and leaving them suddenly marks a tough impact on emotions. Their trust gets fragile and they do not find any reason to smile and further to live anymore.
They do not have a source of income in old age. Though many old-age homes try various methods of small-scale production to make them independent. But still, most finance gets used in treatments and they are left with none. This also causes stress in their life.
They feel socially left off. Many have lost their friends and do not have anyone to share their emotions with. At this age, it’s difficult for them to make new friends and form new bonds.
- They go through a lot of physical changes. From losing teeth to getting wrinkles on the body, greying of hair to losing them, they suffer a lot of changes in them.
Fun Activities For Elders In Old-Age Homes
Oldage homes maintain a routine for their physical and mental balance in order to prevent elders from experiencing issues associated with old age. They occasionally provide entertaining activities and tours. The morning starts with a yoga or meditation session. This usually ends with a laughing exercise.
Some other ways of indulging them in various activities are as follows:
- Gardening is one of the best tools to keep them busy. It’s plus point is that the vicinity will have pure oxygen flow and also it gives a positive impact on the atmosphere. The way they took care of their children, now they can nurture trees for trees won’t betray them at any cost. In this small process, they will again learn to trust and be happy.
- Having a kirtan once a week to make their soul peaceful.
- Taking them nearby on short trips on weekends.
- Having a game session every day or once a week. To keep their memory intact and stronger, games are a good fun way.
- Having a cooking competition. Of course, the competition is a healthy one.
- Teaching them regularly. As education is a must right of every individual. Learning new things makes the mind more interactive.
- Have a fun movie night occasionally.
- Celebration of various festivals together in a different way.
- Sharing memories with them, talking with them.
- Not putting any unnecessary restrictions on them.
Conclusion
- Old age is a type of childhood. Elders behave like a kid in their old age. Old age usually starts after the age of 65. Females go through menopause at the age of 45. During menopause, the calcium level in bones is less and usually, females have osteoporosis problems or bone-related problems. Children should take special care of their parents once they reach 45-50 years of age. One should teach their children to take care of old- parents and the power of empathy. one should teach their children to take care of their grandparents by serving them food, telling them to check on if they have taken medicine, etc. Old age can be easy with care, love, and attention.
Top 13 Facts About Old-Age Homes In India
Kerala has the highest number of old-age homes in India.
In India, there are 728 old-age homes. Out of these 728 old-age homes, 325 allow senior citizens to stay free of cost.
October 1 is celebrated as “The International Day of Older Persons” in India. The 2001 census of India showed that aged people in India have crossed over 100 million.
In the year 1999, then Governor of Andhra Pradesh of India, Dr C Rangarajan on World Elder’s Day awarded ‘Sewashram’ the best old-age home in Andhra Pradesh in a function. Later, in the year 2004 on ‘World Elders Day’ that is on October 1, the chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Sri. Mohan Kanda awarded Sewashram as the best old-age home in Andhra Pradesh.
Various studies have shown that people are less happy in their late 80s than in their early life.
According to a government report, India’s elderly population will rise to 41% in the next decade and touch 194 million population in 2031.
The first old-age home in India was made in Thrissur, Kerala in 1911. It was made by Raja of Cochin and thus was named Raja Varma’s old age home.
In India, a person who is at least 60 years of age is described as an old-aged citizen of India or a senior citizen. They are eligible for government schemes for senior citizens.
India has various schemes for old-age people like Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), etc.
One in ten seniors is a case of elder abuse. According to a report by Help Age India (2018), about 52% of elderly India are abused by their son and then 34% are then abused by their daughters-in-law.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on September 28, 2021, launched the ‘Elder Line’. It is the first PAN-India toll-free helpline number 14567 for senior citizens.
According to data, only 3.6% of 65 age are in an old-age home.
The ratio of women to men over 65 years old and 85 years old are 100 to 76 and 100 to 49 respectively.
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