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Living in a Retirement Resort (Senior Citizens home)

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by sushi, Apr 3, 2014.

  1. sushi

    sushi Silver IL'ite

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    My dear friends,
    Some months back I had posted an article about a retirement resort (Senior Citizen’s home) where I visited and stayed for two days. Many had shown interest over the living in a retirement resort and I had then decided that I need to write about the living if I ever live in such a retirement resort. Now myself and my hubby, have been living in this retirement resort for more than 7 months, and I feel I am competent to give ‘horse’s mouth’ view on living in a retirement resort. One warning : My views can be biased too because me and my hubby are both fun loving people and adjust to most of the environment due to undergoing many transfers and living in different cities. Moreover, our food needs are jain foodish with no masala and hence the food supplied at the resort suits us very much. But I have heard some grumbling about the blant food supplied. So don’t go by my words alone.

    See, we have come here just by chance - let me tell you a glimpse of whatever happened that made us take up to retirement resort life. We had a three story row apartment in chennai with a privete terrace. When we purchased the same we were young and had lot of plans like terrace garden, having terrace gettogethers etc. But when we got little old, the house became a burden on us particularly when we return from a long stay abroad. The maid even though we pay for the time we were abroad still will ditch us on the day we return and chennai being a dusty city, the whole day we will spent cleaning the dust from nook and corner, jetlog or no jetlog.

    So when our sons suggested to shift to bangalore, we readily agreed and disposed off the chennai one and booked an apartment in Bangalore As the apartment completion was to be in April 2014, we were looking for a rental accommodation as we needed to keep our own household goods somewhere which will not fit in our son's home.

    But chance had it that I met someone in a train journey from Bombay to bangalore, she told me about this retirement resort and how nice they feel to stay in there. She also promised to get us an apartment on rent as her friend who is abroad wanted to let her apartment on rent.

    Voila !! we thought, this is what we want. Instead of Shelling out more than Rs. 30000/- as rent and maintenance for a two bed room apartment with 11 month’s rent as deposit and also lots of stringent conditions for a bangalore apartment, why not we temporarily shift to the retirement resort where we are given

    1) Two bedroom hall, kitchenette apartment with 24 hours electricityRO water/security for Rs. 11000/- (Rs. 7000/- rent + Rs. 3800/- maintenance)

    2) Food from morning coffee, breakfast, lunch,evening coffee with small snacks/biscuits and night one tiffin and curd rice costing Rs. 125/- per person (Now increased to Rs. 150/- per person) total as of today coming to Rs, 9000/- per month per couple.

    3) No servant problem, total security, walking space coving more than one KM per round/GYM/ Temple/Recreation hall with carom boards, chess boards, card playing /Meditation hall which converts into movie theatre or function hall/ a temple / 24 hours nurse with a manager who lives in the complex in case of emergency, doctor visits every day-

    4) Ironing facility, tailoring, beautician etc coming to the dorr

    5) Fruits and day to day grocery/personal requirements come to the resort weekly and there is Nilgiris Mall at walking/or Autoing distance.

    My first question to my train friend was ‘only bhajans or anuthing else also available – her reply ‘we have total fun –playing carom/ cards/ gappa maraoing (chitchatting) – Moreover one is not required to compulsorily take food in the mess.. they can have five days break when proportionate discount is given, a couple can take one dabba and prepare something at home..

    So life is total fun for ladies who have got rid of the myth that ‘Kitchen is my Kingdom and I enter my hubby’s heart through his mouth”.

    This is one place where you can see ladies gappamaaroing (chit chatting) while hubbies take the wet clothes to the terrace to hang them for drying. I can write and write about the good things but all is not rosy too.. Sometimes food gets monotonous, sometimes people grumble, we see more sick people than we see outside, we see more deaths too.. But if everything is taken in the stride it is really great. As one resident put it
    "
    இங்கே வந்தாகல்யாணமும்சீமந்தமுமாபார்க்க முடியும்.. உடம்புசரியில்லாமல்தான் போகும்.. சாவு வரத்தான் செய்யும்.. நாம்பஇன்னிக்குநன்னா இருக்கோம். அதை நெனைச்சு சந்தோஷப் படுவியா?
    Even our sons and dils when they come here and saw how we are enjoying accepted our view point. We came here to stay just for 6 months but now we want to continue further. Just to show how we are enjoying I am attaching herewith one video and some oictures too. '. (the one in blue t shirt is my hubby Krishnamoorthy rope walking at 18ft above ground level and me down below clapping and encouraging outwardly but heart of heart afraid)

    I can go on and on writing how we are enjoying..Moreover, we have started feeling younger and have time to do whatever we wanted to do too.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OuB7FPJz1pw

    https://picasaweb.google.com/108845607494881874334/Fcamp1516March2014?authkey=Gv1sRgCOjBx_mYv7HwhQE

    sushi

     
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  2. kanaka Raghavan

    kanaka Raghavan IL Hall of Fame

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    good post thanks for sharing.Reality of life.
     
  3. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Can I have some more details of the Home?
    1. Is it available on rent or it has to be necessarily bought?
    2Address, locality. phone number. & mode of contact.
    3. Is there any waiting list?
    4. Any advance to be paid? Is it refundable or treated as donation?
    5.Is there facilty to attend an inmate if he/ she becomes totally dependent.?
    Jayasala 42
     
  4. sushi

    sushi Silver IL'ite

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    Thanks for showing interest. Though I will be able to reply general questions, I don't want to give the name of the senior citizen home lest it may termed as I am doing publicity marketing for that particular home. But if you can send me a PM I can give you my mobile number and can give you all the details.

    Now to the general queries :

    1) Some apartments are available on rent (even we stay on rent only) but of late they say there is some restriction and the apartment are given on rent to only those who book an apartment from the upcoming next phase.

    2) the apartment is available for sale at the next phase as in the present phase where we stay all apartments all sold out.

    3)No waiting list as such.

    4) 5 months rent was taken by the owner as deposit which is refundable at the time of vacation after adjusting any dues

    5) Management does not take the responsibility to attend an inmate if he/she becomes totally dependent. However there are some inmates who need 24 x 7 care and they are looked after by self appointed attendants = Those who are partially sick, food is delivered at their doorstep at a monthly cost of Rs. 500/- All said and done, I find if one is sick, other inmates try to make him/her comfortable , even the management tries to help but no one would take responsibility of the well being of a sick inmate.

    Hope I have replied all your queries and one more thing I want to say, there is a mushroom of senior citizen homes in cpoimbatore and all the senior citizen homes give almost the same amenities, May be food is little more tasty, dishes are more depending on the cot.

    Please be free to ask any more questions if you want to know more.
     
    sindmani, manjubashini, Kamla and 2 others like this.
  5. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sushi,
    Thank you very much for the spontaneous response.In case of need, I shall get in touch with you.
    Jayasala 42
     
  6. bhucat

    bhucat Platinum IL'ite

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    Hi Sushi aunty.....

    I can see thorough enjoyment in the faces of all youngsters (yes ofcourse they are!)

    Wow, rope walking is something very good...i liked that!

    Finally the song, "roja malare rajakumari" sung by an uncle was simply superb! :)

    Inbetween i could hear some one saying about the story of "aattukal", "Sai Baba" etc, if you could remember can you pls share it with us...

    Thanks for sharing....
     
    1 person likes this.
  7. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sushi Aunty,

    Wonderful job! :-D Am so glad that you have shared all self-ascertained facts in a very objective manner here. Seems to be good fun. What is the minimum age for a person to join?

    Looking forward to retirement! :-D The lush greenery is so amazing. Hope they don't go and chop it all off some day. This is indeed a rarity.

    Wish you a lot of fun and good times.
     
    sindmani and bhucat like this.
  8. sushi

    sushi Silver IL'ite

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    Dear bhucat Beti,

    Thanks ..Yes all the ascertained facts - no masala added as I don't have any hidden agenda to propagate the place where I live in. that is the reason I don't even the give the name of the senior citizen resore in my article.

    But one thing I have to tell Bhucat. I have seen from my point of view. I am a fun loving person. become friends quite easily - that is the reason I find this place quite nice. But there are some cons too. Sometimes you tend to get depressed too when you see so many oldies walking with walkers/sticks et. As my hubby puts it sometimes you get bored with 'mani adicha saappadu' (you have to take your meals at the stipulated time) etc etc.

    Regarding the rojamalar rajakumarii, that song was sung the CEO of NALS which took us for the outbound program at Coonoor. Incidentally he is the son of one of our residents and he took four couples including his parents on trial basis just to find out whether we can adhere to the bunk bed rough life.

    That Aattukkal, saibaba words you hear are my voice. It so happened that myself and organiser were waiting for others to come and that moment I saw one round stone at the entrance. When I asked about it, he said it is the practice at Coimbatore that even though mixies and grinders have come and being used , they don't throw away the 'aattukkal' traditional grinding stone. They just bury the same at some place near the house. He also was telling me that he would like more visitors to the place. Then I told him jokingly that ' just spread the rumour that Saibaba when he was alive came to this place and sat on the aattukal.. then many would visit to see the place"

    that is it.. my dea bhucat beti.
     
  9. sushi

    sushi Silver IL'ite

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    Sushi Aunty? sounds too odd to me.. I am just Sushi to one and all.

    Minimum age is 55 years but sometimes they accept youngsters too depending on the condition. There are some parents who have differently able children who have been admitted. But those are on compassionate grounds.

    Yes Sachidananda it would be nice staying in this resort and going to office, you just dress up, come and eat the breakfast, take the same breakfast as lunch or come in the afternoon to take lunch, if your office is nearby. Evening you just relax after coming from office and then take dinner and relax. Nice to hear na?

    Don't get fooled by the greenery. That greenery belongs to Coonoor where we went for a outbound sort of trekking program.

    thanks for your good wishes.
     
    sindmani and satchitananda like this.
  10. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sushi,

    This snippet of your's comes like a breath of fresh air!

    You write with enthusiasm. The tone of the snippet is nothing but cheer and joy. Yet, it is about an Old Age Home that you are writing!!

    In our IL pages, there are many posts where we have discussed the subject of OAH in detail. Every time one supported it, there were ten against it! Nothing wrong with that, goes to show how much we love our parents and want to protect and take care of them in their old age. But the fact is times are changing, children are not always near to their aging parents even if they wish to be. Besides, many want to maintain their independence and not want to live with their children. Of course there are also those who are forced to live in such homes. Whatever the reason, we need good and cheerful alternative options for senior citizens and the more the better.

    Hence, I consider this post extremely useful and informative too. It also gives confidence to many people who may be considering such options. I think your post was very well written and informative. Thank you!

    I watched the video and it was obvious that you were all having a great fun time! All the best to you and your husband and wish you both many many happy years ahead with your various endeavors!

    Your post was nominated to the Finest Post of the Month by Bhucat, congratulations! :thumbsup

    L, Kamla
     
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