Experts stress positives of retirement communities
Transforming dynamics of demography, the advantage of companionship, pollutionfree environment, and assisted care were among the factors expert speakers espousing the advantages of retirement community homes dwelt at length during a panel discussion here on Thursday.
The second panel discussion in the series ‘Coimbatore Unlimited 2.0’, presented by real estate developer G Square Group and powered by The Hindu on “Coimbatore’s Kovaipudur An Emerging Destination for Retirement Communities” also witnessed a consensus among the speakers that a cultural shift strongly signifies preference of senior citizens for living independently visavis joint family system, which, they observed was, disintegrating.
The panellists: R. Kar
thik Narayan, Founder and Managing Director of Athulya Senior Care, Chennai; A. Sridharan, Founder and Managing Director, CovaiCare, Coimbatore; and Rahul Padmanabhan, Senior Care Consultant and Medical Director, Dr. Rahul’s Elder Care, Coimbatore; and Omkar Vikram Sankar, Managing Director,
Sankar Group,
Coimbatore, together said that with provisions of technologyaided preventive care, and theraupatic activities, the retirement homes are best suited for senior citizens.
It is only at retirement homes that attention could be accorded for the four needbased verticals: Independent living, assisted living, nursing, and palliative care. If Coimbatore has come to be preferred over cities such as Bengaluru and Pune as the destination for senior citizens to spend the rest of their lives, it has much to do with the advancements in affordable healthcare; easy air, rail and road connectivity, and proximity to the Airport, Mr. Omkar Vikram said.
The culture of respectfulness is a major reason for the choice. Joyful conversations, which are possible only in retirement homes, do wonders to the physical and mental wellbeing of senior citizens, Mr. Karthik emphasised. Affordability was also major factor Coimbatore could take advantage to transform into retirement capital of India, Col. Sridharan said, observing with ailments affecting people, taking a call early in life to settle down in secure area of retirement homes has become necessary.
An ecosystem for preventive health care and home care would attract senior citizens towards retirement communities, Dr. Padmanabhan said.