An Overview Of Luxury Housing Under The Senior Living Umbrella
Introduction
Nowadays, the demand for the senior living community is increasing. All these communities are dedicated to providing a very comfortable and peaceful life to retired persons or seniors. Enriching and helpful environments are the main features of these kinds of senior citizen communities. In general, all senior citizen communities have to offer a wholesome solution for all types of requirements of the urban or class-based population of the society.
As the number of senior citizens living alone is increasing daily, many families are trying to find well-designed and well-managed living communities for those senior citizens. But the fact is this sector suffers from various misconceptions. Two significant misapprehensions are especially unfortunate. First of all, these communities of urban regions, middle class or upper middle class, are sometimes indicated as refugees who are abandoned.
Secondly, a considerable portion of the general public judges these senior citizen communities through the real estate paradigm. But people need to understand that these communities are entirely different in the quality and the type of service provided to residents. These communities should not be judged by the quality and pricing of a physical asset in the form of real estate.
Why senior living umbrella- what is the concept of senior living housing
Any desire does not just drive the concept behind the senior citizen community. The entire process is based on the required services and lifestyle development of senior citizens or retired elder people.
Usually, we use the term “luxury” in various residential projects. In the case of general residential projects, the term luxury indicates expensive materials, larger homes, and exclusive features like a swimming pool, gym, theater, food joints, etc. But when it comes to the senior citizen community, the term luxury indicates the well-planned design of the residence that wants to support the changing physical abilities and helpful standard requirements of residents.
No senior citizen indeed wants to relocate to a senior citizen community. But they need to relocate to get access to various services that are helpful for their present age or the future.
When this service is provided to the residents, the monthly payout is dictated to the service provider. It also indicates and differentiates the luxurious segment of residents from various demographics.
What are the bare essentials of a well-designed and well-managed senior living community?
A well-planned and well-designed senior citizen community should have three basic needs. When all three basic needs are fulfilled in the community, the community will be the appropriate place to stay for a lifetime.
Here are those three basic needs:
- Completely hassle-free lifestyle
When it is a senior citizen community, residents of this community should be liberated from any daily work or chores. When no such daily tasks exist, they can quickly pursue their dreams or hobbies. There will be no worries. It is a must-have factor for all kinds of senior citizen communities.
- Peace of mind
Older people need to stay in touch with medical assistance 24*7. It is mandatory to have facilities like a daily visiting doctor, periodic health check-ups, etc. When these kinds of facilities are assured, the residents, as well as the family members of residents, can stay in peace. All sorts of medical needs should be monitored. Also, in case of a sudden emergency, it is necessary to have a 24*7 ambulance service. It is also required to have a good relationship with nearby healthcare centers, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. If the relationship with those medical places is good enough, the services can be accessed easily from the expertise, and quality infrastructure can be used for residents.
- Positive aging with freedom
Usually, a community for senior citizens should include an amiable atmosphere and an active social environment. These two will ensure that no single resident will be in depression or loneliness. A vibrant social atmosphere will arrange various social activities to ensure that residents are fit by physique and mind. It will stimulate healthy and positive aging. Also, long and healthy life is provided with these kinds of features.
So, it is an entirely different thought than any other usual luxurious community. In luxury housing, under a senior citizen community, all kinds of facilities, amenities, services, etc., will be customized, and the support system will be delivered from home to home.
Why is luxury housing under senior citizen communities emerging rapidly everywhere?
In this section, you can clearly understand the immediate need for the senior citizen community in India. According to the census report of 2011, it was stated that nearly 15 million older adults were spending their life alone, without any social help. Among this number, three-fourths of women were there. When the number and report were reevaluated in 2015, it was updated that there are nearly 90 million senior citizens in India. By 2021, it was expected that the number would reach 140 million.
In the year 2018, the Indian Senior Care Industry by Confederation of Indian Industry stated, “In about 30 years from now, the elderly population in India is expected to triple from 104 million in 2011 to 300 million in 2050, accounting for 18% of the total population in 2050”.
When there is a traditional joint family culture, the family members usually support the care of senior citizens. Soon, the theory of the nuclear family came to society. Usually, the earning members of the family need to settle down outside the house. All older people became dependent on helpers or any medically trained assistant or nurse. As the opportunities for young people are increasing rapidly, they are moving to tier 1 cities or metro cities. Some are relocating to foreign countries for better chances. In this situation, older people are left behind. Even if those older people lived in a gated community, fewer social activities could make them active. All kinds of needs or medical support were provided to them by their helpers or medical staff, or sometimes on their own. Sometimes, these situations create unpleasant and unwanted conditions and hazards.
Any senior citizen community helps people aged 55 and more to spend an active life throughout their age days. This situation triggers the need for personalized service only for older people. To fill the gap between the best variety of services and older people, the wholesome ideology of the senior living community is emerging day by day. All of those luxury houses under the old living umbrella include convenient services, urgent medical assistance, senior-friendly design of homes, access to various social activities, etc.
Also, this senior living community is divided into two basic types. The first one is for independent living and the second one is for assisted living. Those who are physically fit and independent can enjoy their housing community on their own. Usually, they can do their daily chores on their own. On the other hand, assisted living is only for those who need medical help or assistance at every stage of life. It may include caregiving and nursing. A new concept is also there, which is known as CCRC. CCRC stands for continued care retirement communities. This continued care retirement community can include independent and assisted living. However, this community is not adequately available in Indian states.
How should you select proper luxury housing under the senior living umbrella?
Finding the best housing for the senior citizen community is sometimes daunting because all kinds of facilities should be there. Especially those features we talked about previously must be there. Congregations few studies on luxury housing under the old living umbrella showed that in many cases, housing communities do not have ambulances, wheelchairs, or a good connection with hospitals or medical institutions. Nearly 53% of the senior citizen community is not happy with the services of congregations.
Some of those senior citizen communities are located in various remote areas and are away from hospitals. What is lacking in these housing communities is governmental assistance or rules. In some housing communities, no strict regulations can maintain appropriate care or service at any stage of life.
All those luxury housings under the senior citizen community should follow the principles, guidelines, norms, etc. These guidelines are prescribed by the ‘National Building Code (NBC)’ and ‘Model Building Bye Laws.’
Here is the list of critical factors that can help you to find the right fit for a senior living community. Check these factors that play an essential role.
- Location
Usually, senior living communities are built in remote places on the outskirts of a town or city. This location is chosen because those locations can provide a noise-free and pollution-free environment to all residents or older people. Also, these places are well connected via a sound transport system. Various facilities can be easier to access in case of all kinds of emergencies.
- Weather
The weather in the housing community should be mild and pleasing. Locations with extreme temperatures should be avoided because they can create a hassle for older people.
- Healthcare
The location should have a good connection with nearby medical services. Reliable medical care should be present within the vicinity of the housing community. Also, a good relationship with all those medical centers will offer expert doctors in various fields.
- Facilities
Luxury housing in a senior citizen community should ensure various facilities. These accommodations should have ramps for wheelchairs or elevators for easy access from floor to floor. Also, services like laundry and nourishment features should be there. Some introductory provisions like proper hygiene, housekeeping services, indoor and outdoor activities, security service, helpdesk, transportation assistance, etc., will be the best for older people. Security measures like security service will be better too. These kinds of facilities are must-haves. All luxury housing in a senior citizen community should be friendly, too, to make living comfortable and happy.
- Reputation of builder
Before purchasing the right fit for the senior citizen community, it is mandatory to check the reputation of the builder or developer of the community. If the builder is a well-known and popular face in real estate, you can be sure that the residence or district will be the best for older people. Still, you have to check the documents and legal paperwork. Before purchasing the property, you should also undergo research work to fit all kinds of essentials and needs of older people.
In the case of outsourced maintenance providers, you can also check the background and services of those service providers. You may also check the previous elder people community projects the builder did to understand their standards and service types. What we want to say is you need to find out the service provider’s details so that you do not need to face any hassle in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How do you employ elders in the community?
Young people and community assistants must engage older or senior citizens in the community so they can be active and interact with other same-age people easily. You can ask them to be a mentor of social activity for a day. You can invite them to create something new in art or craft works. You can help them to develop new hobbies or interests. Through these kinds of jobs, senior citizens can always feel active.
- What are the major facilities for senior citizens in a senior citizen community?
The significant facilities for senior citizens will include ramps, lifts, CCTV, security services, medical practitioners, medical assistants, a green zone, proper hygiene, housekeeping services, indoor and outdoor activities, a helpdesk, transportation assistance, etc.
- What activities stimulate the physical activeness of older people?
Many senior citizen communities arrange various physical fitness programs like free-hand exercises, gardening, miniature games, badminton, and football for physically fit people, etc. Apart from these physical activities, some senior citizen communities have a baking day, instrument playing sessions, cooking day, card playing sessions, learning languages, learning computers or other devices, etc. Through these kinds of social activities, older people get the chance to improve their fitness in a good state. Also, they can interact with other senior people.
- What are some hurtful things older people need help with?
Older people may need help with mobility, medication, transportation, personal care, nutrition, hygiene, etc. Sometimes they need help with daily chores because of their physical abilities.
