Is a retirement community just a fancy name for an old-age home? With the population of citizens over the age of 60 in India crossing 10% of the total population (approximately 150 crore), and the number expected to grow in the coming decades, conversations about retirement communities are common. The Hindu set out to find answers to these questions by visiting retirement communities and interacting with the residents. A retirement community is a residential complex for senior citizens where the services include food (at home or in a dining hall), housekeeping services (home and common areas), and medical care, if and when necessary. It is nowhere close to the old-age homes that are associated with being the final refuge of destitute people and parents abandoned by their children. On the contrary, it is a place where senior citizens shift to in a bid to lead a life of quality, independent of their children if they have any, while acknowledging the need for some sort of help in view of their advancing age. How did the concept take off? Many of the residents told The Hindu that they had heard of retirement communities from either former colleagues or relatives. They had visited friends and relatives in retirement communities, at times stayed with them for a few days, before taking the plunge themselves. Sharada, who has a home in south Bengaluru in a multi-storey apartment complex, says, “As we are getting old, managing the household becomes a problem. We bought a house in a retirement community to see if it is better than our existing living arrangement.” Their decision was aided by the experience of her brother-in-law who has been living in a retirement community in Coimbatore for 13 years. “He had been telling us to buy a house in a retirement community.” Concerns about the future were a big factor in Ashish and Dipasri taking the decision to invest in a retirement community. Ashish says, “In 1997, my father fell ill. He was in coma for 55 days. That made me think of our future. What would one of us do if the other were to fall ill? That’s when we looked for options, and decided on a retirement community.” Dipasri says, “Initially, our children were skeptical and opposed to the idea. But, once we shifted here, and they visited us a few times, slowly they changed their mind about our decision. We do not expect our children to be looking after us the way we looked after our parents. Their career and responsibilities towards their children will not allow them to. Also, we would not want them to because, having done that ourselves, we know how difficult it is.” Push during covid-19 pandemic The medical care aspect of retirement communities was highlighted when the Corona virus struck and restricted people to their homes. Padma, another resident of a retirement home, says, “During covid, we were locked down here. At that time, we were looked after very nicely by the team here. That convinced us to shift here permanently. Actually, we had hospitals in the neighbourhood of our previous home in south Bengaluru. But, you are dependent on your neighbours to get you there. But here, you are not dependent on anybody. There is a dedicated team here to take care of your medical needs.” Role of medical facilities Many in the current generation of senior citizens had moved out of the homes of their parents to pursue a career in a different city, or even country. They have been used to living independently. And, they are not willing to give up their independence. However, aging comes with its own set of problems. It comes with a decline in physical and mental abilities, and is often accompanied by health problems. Cooking and upkeep of the house are a challenge, and aging diminishes the energy to deal with this challenge on a daily basis. Medical problems are inevitable, and it appears that retirement communities offer a smoother way to deal with them. Shekar says, “Our retirement community has a dedicated team that monitors the health of residents who need such a service. Others can avail the service if and when they need. An ambulance is stationed in our premises.” Boon for women But, a retirement community is not for people who are very picky. Take the case of food, which is an important component. Food is prepared in a common kitchen. Residents have the option of having meals in the dining hall, delivered to home or cook at home. But, food cooked in a common kitchen many not be palatable to everyone. Some people insist on food cooked to their liking. While demands like these may appear reasonable, it can be a boon when seen from the perspective of women who for most part take on the burden of cooking. So, when does a woman get to retire? Sharda says, “My friends envy me. They say I am lucky to have got rid of the task of cooking. Now, I can devote time to other tasks and hobbies that I am interested in.” Thus, shifting to a retirement community requires a major change in mindset, and the willingness to compromise and be open to a new way of life. Why the reluctance? However, there is also a reluctance on the part of some people to moving to a retirement community due to the broadly homogenous profile of the residents, and the absence of children. While children do not stay in retirement communities, they are never far away. Jayaraman, who lives in a retirement community near Bengaluru, says, “This place is packed with children during summer and winter holidays.” Besides, children and grandchildren of residents often organise various activities in the retirement community. During such events, they make it a point to involve all residents. For example, children who have learnt Bharatnatyam or Kathakali may perform for the residents. Or, children may celebrate their birthday in the retirement community. In case of retirement communities located near mixed communities, families come together to celebrate festivals and other events. Padma says, “Last Christmas, all the children in the neighbourhood celebrated the festival with us. And, it was not a one-off event. Sometimes, we go over to their building, or they come over here for various events and festivals.” The focus on seniors Though mixed communities do not fall short in terms of activities, there is an important difference vis-a-vis retirement communities. In mixed communities, multiple groups of people – youngsters, women, seniors and others – are vying to be at the centre of various activities. What eventually happens is that seniors end up at the end of the queue. In contrast, all activities in retirement communities are focused on seniors. Besides, there are other subtle differences. Padma says, “All activities, including celebration of festivals, end at 7.30 pm. As we age, our tolerance to noise goes down. We need some quiet, which we get in a retirement community, but cannot expect in a mixed community.” Who is best suited? But, that does not mean that everyone who has crossed the age of 60 will fit into a retirement community. Perspectives differ. Shanti, who stays in a retirement community in Coimbatore, says, “A retirement community is very convenient for people living in independent homes where security is a concern.” Shekar, who shuttles between a multi-storey apartment in south Bengaluru and a retirement community in north Bengaluru, says, “Best suited for lone senior citizens because they will struggle even in a multi-storey apartment complex.” Yashwant Singh, who stays in a mixed community, says, “Retirement community is best for seniors whose children live abroad.” Viji, who stays in a mixed community, says, “We had visited, and even stayed in a retirement community for a few days. It was great. But, I don’t see a lot of benefit for seniors staying in a multi-storey apartment in shifting to a retirement community. In a mixed community, neighbours are always ready to help at any time of the day or night. Plus, being around children makes you feel young.” The general consensus was that seniors living in a multi-storey apartment complex get the least benefit by shifting to a retirement community. Such people are amidst a vibrant community comprising people of all ages. They get to interact with people from various age groups. They can seek help from neighbours if and when needed. Their major challenges are cooking and upkeep of the house. While Yashwant Singh is all for a mixed community in a multi-storey, he says that seniors can reap the benefits only up to a point. “Even in a mixed community in a multi-storey apartment complex, people are okay up to the age of 70-75. After that, most people need some sort of help,” he explains. Comparatively, people living in independent homes would benefit more from shifting to a retirement community. In independent homes, they need to cook and clean the house. Besides that, they need to maintain the property for which they might have to engage electricians, plumbers, and gardeners. Apart from these, they need to keep in mind their security needs. Eshwar, who stays in a retirement community, says, “In an independent home, you need to lock every window and door at night every day.” All things considered, the concept of retirement homes is definitely finding a lot of takers. Dr. Uma Maheshwari Yuvaraj, Joint Managing Director of Ananya Group that operates Ananya’s Nana Nani Homes in Coimbatore, says, “Nowadays, people in the 50-55 age group are making the purchase. People nearing 50 start investing. They rent the house for some time, shuttle between the two places to experience a retirement community before deciding whether to move in.” Achal Sridharan, founder of CovaiCare, says, “Earlier, investors were looking at medical and dining facilities. Now, people are looking at activities because they want to live an active life.” With average life span on the rise, senior citizens are doing everything possible to make the most of the 30 years ahead of them post-retirement. What is a retirement community? Is it just a fancy name for an old-age home? With the population of citizens over the age of 60 in India crossing 10% of the total population (approximately 150 crore), and the number expected to grow in the coming decades, conversations about retirement communities are common. The Hindu set out to find answers to these questions by visiting retirement communities and interacting with the residents. Simply put, a retirement community is a residential complex for senior citizens where the services include food (at home or in a dining hall), housekeeping services (home and common areas), and medical care, if and when necessary. A retirement community is nowhere close to the old-age homes that are associated with being the final refuge of destitute people and parents abandoned by their children. On the contrary, it is a place where senior citizens shift to in a bid to lead a life of quality independent of their children while acknowledging the need for some sort of help in view of their advancing age. When did old-age homes make way for retirement communities? Dr. Uma Maheshwari Yuvaraj, Joint Managing Director of Ananya Group that operates Ananya’s Nana Nani Homes in Coimbatore, credits former UNICEF official A.V. Ramaswamy for setting up the first retirement community. Its success led to more such communities, and the concept spread to other parts of India. But, even today, Coimbatore has the largest concentration of retirement communities in India. Achal Sridharan, founder of CovaiCare who was among the first ones to follow in the footsteps of A.V. Ramaswamy, believes that the growth and popularity of retirement communities was partly due to the Y2K problem. “Just before the year 2000, a lot of well-educated youngsters got jobs abroad helping the world deal with the Y2K problem. While they got an opportunity to settle outside India, they did not like the idea of their parents not being looked after in their old age. The solution came in the form of retirement communities. The children were at peace knowing that their parents were cared for in retirement communities and did not have to deal with daily chores,” he explains. How did the concept take off? This initial thrust ensured that the first round of retirement communities were packed. After that, the sector picked up momentum because of word-of-mouth. Many of the residents told The Hindu that they had heard of retirement communities from either former colleagues or relatives. They had visited friends and relatives in retirement communities, at times stayed with them for a few days, before taking the plunge themselves. Sharada, who has a home in south Bengaluru in a multi-storey apartment complex, says, “As we are getting old, managing the household becomes a problem. We bought a house in a retirement community to see if it is better than our existing living arrangement.” Their decision was aided by the experience of her brother-in-law who has been living in a retirement community in Coimbatore for 13 years. “He had been telling us to buy a house in a retirement community.” Shekar, her husband, says, “We can’t predict the future and thought we should have this option. That is why we bought a home in a retirement community.” Concerns about the future were a big factor in Ashish and Dipasri taking the decision to invest in a retirement community. Ashish says, “In 1997, my father fell ill. He was in coma for 55 days. That made me think of our future. What would one of us do if the other were to fall ill? That’s when we looked for options, and decided on a retirement community.” Dipasri says, “Initially, our children were skeptical and opposed to the idea. But, once we shifted here, and they visited us a few times, slowly they changed their mind about our decision. We do not expect our children to be looking after us the way we looked after our parents. Their career and responsibilities towards their children will not allow them to. Also, we would not want them to because, having done that ourselves, we know how difficult it is.” The medical care aspect of retirement communities was highlighted when the corona virus struck and restricted people to their homes. Push during covid-19 pandemic Some people moved to a retirement community when covid-19 began sweeping the globe. The combination of fear of infection, lockdowns, and need for medical care were a bit too much to handle. Padma says, “Earlier, we stayed in a multi-storey apartment complex in south Bengaluru. We shifted to a retirement community five years ago. At that time, my mother was staying with us. She was in her 90s. We often travel abroad to spend some time with our children. We shifted here because we knew that she would have all the help she would need, and was in safe hands when we were travelling. It started like that. But, during covid, we were locked down here. At that time, we were looked after very nicely by the team here. That convinced us to shift here permanently. Actually, we had hospitals in the neighbourhood of our previous home in south Bengaluru. But, you are dependent on your neighbours to get you there. But here, you are not dependent on anybody. There is a dedicated team here to take care of your medical needs.” Role of medical facilities Many in the current generation of senior citizens had moved out of the homes of their parents to pursue a career in a different city, or even country. They have been used to living independently. And, they are not willing to give up their independence. However, aging comes with its own set of problems. It comes with a decline in physical and mental abilities, and is often accompanied by health problems, which pose challenges to the pursuit of an independent lifestyle. Cooking and upkeep of the house are a challenge, and aging diminishes your energy to deal with this challenge on a daily basis. Medical problems are inevitable, and it appears that retirement communities offer a smoother way to deal with them. Shekar says, “Our retirement community has a dedicated team that monitors the health of residents who need such a service. Others can avail the service if and when they need. An ambulance is stationed in our premises to attend to any emergency.” Boon for women But, a retirement community is not for people who are very picky. Take the case of food, which is a big part of our lives. Food is prepared in a common kitchen. Residents have the option of 1. Having meals in the dining hall 2. Food delivered to home 3. Cook at home The quality of food is monitored to ensure that it is suitable for senior citizens. For example, less oil is used. But, food cooked in a common kitchen many not be palatable to everyone. What some people expect is food cooked to their liking, and catering to their taste. While demands like these may appear reasonable, most people may not be aware of the effort that goes into producing such food. And, the work is un-ending. To put this in perspective, men retire at the age of 60. After that, they have nothing to do. But, even when they have nothing to do, they require food. Even after the men retire, the house needs to be dusted, cleaned, swept and mopped. Who does all this? In most cases, it is the women. When does a woman get to retire? Sharda says, “My friends envy me. They say I am lucky to have got rid of the task of cooking. Now, I can devote time to other tasks and hobbies that I am interested in.” Thus, shifting to a retirement community requires a major change in mindset, and the willingness to compromise and be open to a new way of life. Making new friends The transition may appear to be daunting to many, if not most people. First, moving out of familiar space to unfamiliar terrain, and lifestyle. Second, change in food habits. Third, unfamiliar faces. However, some residents insist that once people actually move into a retirement community, the perceived barriers come down way sooner than they might have expected. Dipasri says, “Actually, it does not take long to make new friends. We made friends as soon as we moved in.” The popular perception is that your best friends are the ones you make in your childhood, and that it is difficult to make new friends as you age. But, that does not seem to be the case in retirement communities. A resident says, “Making new friends here was easy. We are in the same age group. We bond over common interests, and common problems.” One of the factors that speeds up the bonding process is the activities in a retirement community. All the residents of retirement communities, who The Hindu spoke to, said the number of activities arranged by the management are so many that they are unable to participate in all of them despite wanting to. Activities include yoga, laughing club, bhajans, lectures on various topics, hobby classes, cultural events, games, festival celebrations, and tours. The management ensures that residents are aware of all such activities where they meet their neighbours, and friendships are struck. Jaya Ravishankar, a resident of Nana Nani homes in Coimbatore, says, “The best part here is every time you go to the dining hall, we meet people. We may not always talk, we may just greet each other. But that itself creates such a positive environment. You feel so good. You are not confined to your house.” In this context, Ankur Gupta, Joint Managing Director of Ashiana Housing Limited, says, “Seniors who join a retirement community in their 60s easily integrate with the other residents, and make the most of this lifestyle.” There is a reluctance on the part of some people to moving to a retirement community due to the broadly homogenous profile of the residents, and the absence of children. While children do not stay in retirement communities, they are never far away. Jayaraman, who lives in a retirement community near Bengaluru, says, “This place is packed with children during summer and winter holidays.” Besides, children and grandchildren of residents often organise various activities in the retirement community. During such events, they make it a point to involve all residents. For example, children who have learnt Bharatnatyam or Kathakali may perform for the residents. Or, children may celebrate their birthday in the retirement community. In case of retirement communities located near mixed communities, families come together to celebrate festivals and other events. Padma says, “Last Christmas, all the children in the neighbourhood celebrated the festival with us. And, it was not a one-off event. Sometimes, we go over to their building, or they come over here for various events and festivals.” The focus on seniors Mixed communities too do not fall short in terms of activities. But, there is an important difference vis-a-vis retirement communities. In mixed communities, multiple groups of people – youngsters, women, seniors and others – are vying to be at the centre of various activities. What eventually happens is that seniors end up at the end of the queue. The focus is on youngsters, and people who are in the peak of their active life. Put bluntly, seniors are relegated to giving their blessings to various events. Some seniors confide that they feel ignored even while living amidst people of all age groups and a vibrant community. This is a small price to pay, they say, for the pleasure of living among people of all age groups. In contrast, all activities in retirement communities are focused on seniors. Besides, there are subtle differences in the way activities are conducted. Padma says, “All activities, including celebration of festivals, end at 7.30 pm. This is not the case in other communities. As we age, our tolerance to noise goes down. We need some quiet, which we get in a retirement community, but cannot expect in a mixed community.” Subramaniyan S., who moved from Bengaluru to a retirement community in Coimbatore, says, “As we grow older, the need for a social life that is different from that in a mixed community becomes imperative. The needs and aspirations of people of different generations are not the same.” The needs and aspirations began diverging when joint families started making way for nuclear families. Origins of retirement communities Retirement communities are a direct outcome of the transition from joint families to nuclear families, and the high level of mobility enjoyed by the modern-day work force. Before people started migrating to cities in huge numbers, they used to work close to their homes and lived in joint families. The migration to cities led to joint families making way for nuclear families, which also allowed people to pursue careers different from the family occupation. The new careers took people to various parts of the globe, and strengthened the nuclear family concept, which was a tacit endorsement of the line of thinking that every individual should get the freedom to pursue his or her aspirations. This translates into children moving out of the parental home as soon as they are able to. But, while farmers, entrepreneurs and businesspersons often work until their health permits, salaried persons have a fixed career span. Towards the end of their career, they are the seniormost employee in their workplace, but one day, (on retirement) they are out of a job. This is a difficult period for people. Ankur Gupta says, “When people retire, they lose their identity and are kinda lost. When they move into a retirement community, they actually find an identity of their own. Pursue their passions, and figure out what they like. I think that’s the biggest driver of senior living. Plus, they find great friends, which is a big emotional quotient they are looking for.” With people living longer, senior citizens are looking at a life span of 30 years post-retirement. Even if they wanted to dedicate every one of these years to looking after their grandchildren, assuming that children become independent at the age of 20, the seniors would still be left with at least 10 years in their hands. Naturally, they feel a need to do something meaningful with these years. Viji says, “The biggest need of seniors is to feel useful.” In fact, higher life expectancy is going to bring in some unusual situations, which some people are already experiencing. Subramaniyan and Shanti live with his father Shivaraman who retired about 41 years ago. In future, more families are likely to face this scenario. Anand, who lives in a mixed community in Bengaluru, says, “We are reaching a stage where even before our life comes to an end, our children are retiring from their jobs. In fact, we are yet to contemplate what the living arrangements should be when my children retire, which will happen in a few years.” Who is a retirement community best suited for? But, that does not mean that everyone who has retired or has crossed the age of 60 needs to move into a retirement community. The Hindu asked residents who they believe would benefit most from retirement communities. Shanti says, “A retirement community is very convenient for people living in independent homes where security is a concern.” Shekar, who shuttles between a multi-storey apartment in south Bengaluru and a retirement community in north Bengaluru, says, “Best suited for a lone senior citizen who will struggle even in a multi-storey apartment complex.” Yashwant Singh, who stays in a mixed community, says, “Retirement community is best for seniors whose children live abroad.” Viji, who stays in a mixed community, says, “We have visited and even stayed in a retirement community for a few days. It was great. But, I don’t see a lot of benefit for seniors staying in a multi-storey apartment in shifting to a retirement community. In a mixed community, neighbours are always ready to help at any time of the day or night. Plus, being around children makes you feel young.” The general consensus was that seniors living in a multi-storey apartment complex get the least benefit by shifting to a retirement community. Such people are amidst a vibrant community comprising people of all ages. They get to interact with people from various age groups. They can seek help from neighbours if and when needed. Their major challenges are cooking and upkeep of the house. The upkeep of common areas is taken care of by the RWA. In case of a medical emergency, they either call a nearby hospital or engage the necessary help they require, for example, a physio or labs for various tests, as and when the need arises. While Yashwant Singh is all for a mixed community in a multi-storey, he says that seniors can reap the benefits only up to a point. “Even in a mixed community in a multi-storey apartment complex, people are okay up to the age of 70-75. After that, most people need some sort of help,” he explains. Comparatively, people living in independent homes would benefit more from shifting to a retirement community. In independent homes, they need to cook and clean the house. Besides that, they need to maintain the property for which they might have to engage electricians, plumbers, and gardeners. Apart from these, they need to keep in mind their security needs. Eshwar, who stays in a retirement community, says, “In an independent home, security is a major challenge. You need to close every window and door at night, without fail, every day.” Shanti says, “In a mixed community, the day-to-day operations of a home are challenging. Maid not turning up, looking for good plumbers or electricians. We do not have to worry about these things in a retirement community, which frees up our time to pursue our interests.” What happens with the time they save? Air Vice-Marshal (retd.) Dr. N. Natarajan, a resident of Nana Nani homes in Coimbatore, says, “Everyone here is very interested in sports. Soon after lunch, people rush to the games room. We have pallanguzhi, carrom, cards, billiards, and a swimming pool. They even organise tournaments here.” He added mischievously, “I told the management to introduce riding and set up a small nine-hole golf course.” With time at their disposal, people seem to turning to personal growth. “People who led a quiet life up until they retired open up after coming here. They address the residents here, talking on various topics. People here compete to participate in drama and other cultural events,” Natarajan told The Hindu. The positive feedback appears to be drawing more seniors to retirement communities. The demand pattern In the initial days of the concept, the people who moved into retirement communities were people over the age of 65. In many cases, their children had settled abroad. They had discharged all their responsibilities, and were only looking forward to a peaceful retirement, freed of the daunting tasks of cooking and upkeep of a house. But, the scenario is changing. Uma Maheshwari says, “Nowadays, people in the 50-55 age group are making the purchase. People nearing 50 start investing. They rent the house for some time, then shuttle between the two places to experience a retirement community before making a decision to move in.” Achal Sridharan says, “Earlier, investors were looking at medical and dining facilities. Now, people are looking at activities because they want to live an active life.” Ankur Gupta says, “People look at whether they are going to get a different lifestyle from the one they already have before making a purchase.” While people did say that maintaining an independent house becomes difficult as you grow older, Uma Maheshwari revealed an interesting factor in the demand pattern for retirement communities. “We thought people want smaller houses, but NO. Earlier, people were looking for a 2BHK. Now, they want bigger houses, gardening, more parking space. In fact, people coming from Mumbai want villas.” Going back to what Natarajan said, instead of simply sitting back and relaxing post-retirement, seniors seem to be trying to make the most of the 30-odd years ahead of them.