On some days, when she is travelling on account of work, Ashok Nagar resident Nandhini Rangarajan is reassured her octogenarian mother stays in a “creche-like” atmosphere away from home. Thanks to a daycare cum residential facility for senior citizens in T Nagar, Nandhini, a busy professional, need not curtain her work-related travel.
“My mom is 86 years old, mobile and independent, but has borderline dementia. She is faced with instability while walking and tends to fall back, and therefore, I prefer sending her to ‘Samarpan’ to calling a nurse home, when I have to travel on short-duration work trips,” says Nandhini.
Across India, Tamil Nadu is among states with a sizeable percentage of senior citizens. As per a report ‘Elderly in India 2021” released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, senior citizens accounted for 13.6% of Tamil Nadu’s population in 2021. It is projected that this figure would go up to 18.2% in 2031. Therefore, it is not surprising the ‘elder care’ market is growing in Tamil Nadu, with a particular presence in Chennai.
Bengaluru-based Kites Senior Care, Samarpan by RMD Group of Hospitals and Helpee Lifestyle by Helpee are among the new entrants in the market. The first two have set up centres in T Nagar, and the other, in Anna Nagar.
Geri Care; Srina Healthcare; Aayushka and Athulya Living are among the other players in the assisted living segment.
They specialise in offering post-hospitalisation rehabilitation, palliative care and dementia care. They also open their doors to those who do not have any major medical condition that calls for assisted living, but who want to be in the company of people their age.
What is on offer
Social well-being
Dr. Republica Sridhar, founder and medical director of RMD Trust, says social support and safety are the two main challenges faced by senior citizens.
“The more the elderly are withdrawn on account of a medical condition, the more lonely they become. So, continuous holistic care is offered at Samarpan with brain gym exercises, music therapy, yoga, a stroll on the beach along with good nutrition,” says Dr Republica, a family and palliative care physician.
Some seniors opt for short-stay residential care not necessarily because of a medical condition but because their working children do not want them to be lonely at home, say geriatric physicians.
Samarpan gets enquiries for both — children asking for a caregiver to be sent home as there is none at home or for a short stay at the centre.
“Enquiries are on the higher side before a long weekend or when a family is leaving abroad and when the elderly person has dementia or urinary infections and cannot fit in, even in a relatives place,” says Dr. Republica. She cites the example of a senior citizen who slipped in the bathroom and sustained a ligament tear. Her working children opted for a two-week stay at the centre, she says.
Suman Choudhary, CEO and founder, Helpee, says this kind of assisted living is certain to gain ground as it is more economical than hiring a stay-at-home or part-time nurse.
In Anna Nagar, Helpee Lifestyle has converted a bungalow into a six-bedroom house that will accommodate people based on their requirements.
“Some need care but not serious care and we look at providing them with a healthy and happy environment,” says Suman, adding that they plan to expand to other neighbourhoods, but have a cap on the number of people in each unit.
Process of evolution
VS Natarajan, senior geriatrician who inaugurated VH Elder Care (backed by Venkataeswara Hospitals) in Mylapore last year, says geriatric care services have to evolve depending on the feedback from users.
Some years ago, people relocated to retirement homes far from city limits.
“When I helped start the centre in Mylapore, the idea was that a beneficiary who joins the centre can stay there from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day and also seek medical help when needed but that model was not very successful,” says Dr. Natarajan. Now, the geriatric care centre offers short stays ranging from two to three weeks; continual care for three to six months; and assisted living that could extend to years.
Dr. Natarajan adds, “Many NRIs are opting for such facilities where social well-being of the parents is also taken care of.”
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