“It would be my last choice,” says octogenarian Air Commodore Minoo Vania (retd.), from Coimbatore, when asked if he would willingly go to an adult daycare centre. He qualifies that with, “But I find it comforting that there is a place available if I ever need it. A place that assures me security and is not regimented.” Vania and his wife Bulbul are physically fit and fiercely independent. But, as he observes, “We live in a gated community and have many friends, but not everyone has that.”
Vasantha Murthy, 77, who is a part of Nightingales Elder Enrichment Centre, in Bengaluru, though, finds that it provides a great deal of emotional support. Her husband passed away a couple of years ago, and she feels that it’s a good space for people of the same age to share their thoughts and opinions. “The sense of freedom we missed in our younger days, we have here,” she says.
Peer interaction
Often, especially when a spouse is no longer living, loneliness is a problem the elderly face. “It’s a bigger issue than we care to admit. If people are mobile, then a daycare centre is like a club, where they meet, play indoor games, watch TV together and maybe have a nap,” says Chitra Andrade, from Mumbai, who has cared for elderly relatives and understands the isolation.
Gerontologist Dr Rahul Padmanabhan, Medical Director of Grand World Elder Care, Coimbatore, feels, “Adult daycare centres are the way forward. The elderly need social interaction. And centres such as these can help.” Because they are a new phenomenon, adult crèches have a stigma attached to them, like daycare for kids did a decade ago.
That’s changing, says Dr Sheilu Sreenivasan, founder-president, Dignity Foundation, Mumbai. “The stereotype of neglected parents is falling away because the elderly are opting for support,” she says. The foundation supports 30 centres across the country, catering to the needs of about 1,700 people. Most are in the age group of 65 to 67, when they are still active participants at home during the day, but find time hanging heavy in the evening.
Dr Padmanabhan agrees that with both husband and wife working and the children off at school and college, the elderly who live with their offspring are increasingly lonely and insecure, and often depressed. A World Health Organization report, released earlier this year, pointed at community-based studies that showed that the prevalence of depression in the elderly “ranged from 3.9% to 47%, with higher rates among female and urban residents. Living alone, stressful life events, lack of social support systems, recent loss of a loved one, lower socio-economic status and presence of comorbid medical illnesses are some of the risk factors for depression in the elderly”.
Family-friendly
A daycare centre can be a boon to families as well, and can fill the gap between hiring help at home and assisted living. With everyone out of the house for much of the day, the elderly are often home alone, leading to resentment and guilt on both sides.
It doesn’t help that 12-hour house-help isn’t always reliable. “That is the challenge,” says Andrade. “There should be a way where we can care for our parents and still manage to get some time to ourselves. For many, having stay-at-home domestic help is not an option.”
This is why Tinu Sunil started a facility she calls Vetezens’ Abode in Coimbatore. “Everyone I knew looked after an elderly person or two, and was trying to juggle careers, relationships and life. It takes a toll on relationships. Caregivers often sit out weddings, movie outings or picnics.” Sunil feels the option of asking older parents if they’d like to stay a while, whether a few hours or a weekend, at a centre, is a boon. Children know that their parents are in a happy environment and will be well taken care of.
Sunil has two trained attendants to look after her guests, administer medicine, even insulin. “But Vetezens is not a medical facility. We serve vegetarian meals, taking into account special diets and allergies (caregivers have to fill in a personal detail form).”
Nightingales Medical Trust, in Bengaluru, that runs the sort of centres that Murthy goes to, focusses on preventive health. Its three pillars of keeping people physically active, cognitively engaged and socially interactive, have got its members organising talks and activities for each other. They do a healthcare screening before the person joins, and once every three months. The group also runs dementia-care centres, where teams of doctors and other healthcare professionals play vital roles, says Dr Radha S Murthy, managing trustee. Grand World Elder Care also does something similar.
Having a choice
Daycare centres such as these are common in the West, says Dr Padmanabhan. “They needn’t be run by a medical practitioner. Just someone with empathy, can understand needs and has recourse to medical help in an emergency.”
However, he cautions that the decision to go to one should lie with the elderly person. While there’s no harm in introducing the concept and providing them access to one, “it defeats the purpose if they are forced into something they are not comfortable with,” he says.
Col Sridharan’s just-launched Covai’s Day Care Centre in Coimbatore is more club than crèche. It is a watering hole where seniors hang out. “We tell them about FaceTime, Skype and teach them how to make the best use of their smartphones! They can enjoy cricket matches, movies, play cards or just nap.”
“There are so many seniors living with their children. They need to have a life of their own. The Day Care Centre provides them this platform. We have trained staff, and guests have access to medical consultation and check-ups, besides fitness routines.”
It is beneficial for the caregiver too, says general practitioner Dr Sutapa Pal from Haldia, West Bengal, who has seen many caregivers struggle with stress. “I counsel them to get away for the weekend and assure them that nothing will happen in the meantime.”
Knowing that their loved ones are in good, safe hands is a great support system in itself.
How to pick a daycare centre for your loved one
Ensure the centre has elder-friendly spaces, furniture and equipment
The staff are trained and dedicated
There is a cognitive-enhancing and secure environment
Elder-friendly transport to pick up and drop participants
They have an emergency handling protocol
There is a structured routine and programme to keep the elderly engaged
Day Care Centres in Coimbatore have several offers. To know more call:
Grand World Elder Care: 7667711111/0422 4337090
Covai Day Care Centre : 0422-4364455/ 99407 00003
Vetezen: 90803 57289/89032-83411
Adult daycare centres around the country: Varista, Mumbai; Nightingales Elders Enrichment Centre, Bengaluru
