Pandemic Increases The Demand For Safe Senior Living Communities in India

Over the last few months of the Covid-19 crisis, there has been a rising demand for retirement and senior living communities among retired Indian seniors, especially those living alone and away from their children. Here’s all you need to know about it. 

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, Sukhshanthi Retirement Homes in Bangalore has received a significant number of phone calls from seniors willing to opt for its services. It has been the same at Primus Reflection Senior Living in Bangalore. “The fact that self-sufficient retirement communities have been the safest option for seniors is our biggest takeaway from this pandemic. Retirement communities are going to see a very large demand as it acts as a safe bubble where normal life remains undisturbed,” says Adarsh Narhari, managing director of Primus Reflection Senior Living.

Indian seniors living by themselves in independent houses or those residing in apartment communities have been severely affected during the lockdown. A majority of them struggled to procure daily essentials including milk, groceries and medicines; mental health professionals say many elders have suffered anxiety attacks; several senior citizens across our cities had to depend on volunteer initiatives of several NGOs, social enterprises and RWAs. Silver Talkies’ Covid-19 volunteering initiative was one such that helped senior citizens living alone in Bengaluru with doorstep delivery of essentials including groceries and medicines during the lockdown.

Seniors who were under the care of well-managed retirement communities have a different story to tell. “We are very fortunate to live in a retirement community space during the Covid-19 crisis as we have never felt any difference compared to normal times. Be it the timely supply of food on our tables, the hygiene that has been maintained throughout despite inability of the staff to reach our community during the lockdown, hassle-free cleaning of the house and uninterrupted availability of doctors, nurses and doorstep delivery of medicines, our life has been as smooth as possible,” says Ramakrishna, one of the residents of Primus Reflection Senior Living.

Most senior living communities have prioritised safety along with taking care of their senior residents’ physical and emotional well-being during this time. “Our residents hardly realised we were going through a bad phase. While those living alone are facing loneliness, monotony, anxiety, depression and several other mental health issues due to self-isolation, our residents were kept socially engaged in the form of fun activities, virtual interactions and more, keeping in mind the importance of social distancing and following all safety measures,” says BS Nalini, Operational Director from Sukhshanthi Retirement Homes who believes living in a retirement home is convenient for senior citizens who are on their own no matter what the circumstances are.

Sukhshanthi Luxury Retirement Homes

“At Sukhshanthi, we keep a 15 – days stock of all essentials like groceries, milk, cooking oil, medicines from beforehand even during normal times. This is why the sudden announcement of lockdown could not interrupt any of the services that we provide to our residents,” she adds.

Why retirement communities are a viable living option in the post-pandemic world

Narahari believes that senior living communities have been able to safeguard seniors from all aspects during the pandemic. “Elders living in independent houses faced several difficulties during the lockdown. Starting from the inability to complete their errands to loneliness or lack of companionship to difficulty in managing household chores to getting exposed to risk factors like allowing cooks, maids, helpers, plumbers at home, seniors living alone had to tackle several inconveniences. In a senior living community, all staff and helping hands reside within the community, thereby lowering the risk of community-based contraction of the virus,” he says.

Residents of Primus Reflection Senior Living enjoying fun activities before outbreak of the pandemic

Here are the reasons why retirement communities may work better, especially in a crisis:

Daily needs sorted: Elders are in the high-risk category and compelled to spend more time in isolation. A senior living community addresses all their needs without having to step out.

Enhanced and safe socialising: The lockdown has made people feel lonely, especially seniors. In a senior living community, elders can know they are part of an accessible community and have access to people they can talk to.

24/7 assistance: During the lockdown with government advisory barring the entry of maids and cooks, ageing seniors needed to do all the work by themselves. In senior communities, the in-house staff takes care of household chores and preparing meals which are planned as per the dietary requirements of the residents.

Efficient handling of emergency: The staff at senior living communities are specifically trained to deal with any emergencies. Well-trained nurses and doctors on campus take care of any immediate health risk.

Senior safety on priority

Senior living communities are focused on the safety of their residents, as seniors are at a greater risk of contracting the virus due to underlying comorbidities. “At Sukhshanthi, we ensure maximum safety for our residents. Starting from restricting the entry of visitors from outside to making arrangements for the staff to live within the campus for avoiding the risk of contraction to strictly maintaining hygiene and sanitisation as per the government guidelines and keeping cautious eyes on our residents’ health, we have not left any area untouched when it comes to prioritising safety for the seniors. We are making sure that our staff wear masks, gloves, face shields whenever they step out to get essentials or run errands. We have shut down our community dining facility and are serving meals at the doorstep to reduce the risk of community transmission at any cost. We are focusing more on keeping them engaged despite social distancing,” says Nalini.

Several long term care senior facilities have come forward to help take care of the infected patients at the time of crisis. Such units have converted into nursing units to take in stabilised Covid-19 patients to relieve acute care hospitals. These units have been set up to isolate patients with trained staff equipped with appropriate PPE.

Would Senior Living Communities Have More Takers Now?

“During a pandemic, we certainly recognize the value of senior housing and more seniors will tend to gravitate toward this lifestyle. They offer a greater level of protection and care to the residents by limiting their exposure; separating the “Vulnerable” from the “Carriers”. However, operators will need to revisit and possibly expand their models of care to absorb a wider group of seniors with varied medical conditions,” says Tania Phillips AIA, senior associate at Perkins Eastman, who expects to see considerable design changes in both existing and upcoming retirement communities.

Speaking about some of the recommended designs that could help retirement communities in India adapt to the new normal post-COVID-19 outbreak, she adds, “Architectural designs should consider more emphasis on ‘Well Design’ principles. Mechanical systems should be designed to minimize the possible spread of infection. Air filtration, humidification, UV sanitizing, zoning and decentralizing HVAC systems, increased air changes, and many other factors are all part of this planning.”

Phillips suggests that intergenerational living may not be a very wise option in light of the current pandemic and believes that expanding the senior living community model into Continued Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) will enable operators to provide care to a larger group of seniors as well as be a place where younger active adults can age in peace and know that they will be cared for in the long run.

It is evident that as we adapt to the new normal post-pandemic, retirement communities will witness a steady increase in demand among Indian seniors and undergo significant transformation in terms of concept, design and services.