Most of us would shudder at the thought of our parents having to live in a retirement home during old age. But given the modern situation where most children are working away from home, whether abroad or in another city, the best option and sometimes the only option is to keep the parents in a retirement home. I personally know an old lady living all alone in an apartment in Indiranagar while his only son is working in the States. She faces a myriad problems everyday and her son too is under considerable tension regarding her well being. In such a situation a retirement home can act as a perfect solution for both.Let’s see some of the reasons why retirement homes are becoming imperative today:

1. Children are working away from home

Most children reside outside India or in another city for work purpose and the ageing parents are left all alone with no one to look after them. A retirement home offers the opportunity to live as a community giving the feeling of an extended family.

2. Safety is an issue for senior citizens

It has become a common occurrence nowadays of crimes being committed against senior citizens, as they are easy targets. Living in a retirement home gives protection and security to them because of constant screening of visitors. Also gadgets like CCTV offering constant surveillance and video intercom makes sure that it is possible to monitor visitors.

3. A like-minded community

We are social animals and friends are an essential part of our lives. Once people retire from their jobs they miss the daily interactions that they used to have with colleagues who were of the same age group. At retirement homes with neighbours and occupants of the same age group it is easy for any person to blend in comfortably and lead an actively social life.

4. Stress free living

Daily work at home may not be mentally stressful but is physically very demanding, especially for senior citizens. At retirement homes, most of the daily chores and work is taken care by the association offering senior citizens a stress free living. Even chores like daily cooking are taken care of at the community kitchen.

5. Medical attention

A constant cause of tension regarding senior citizens are health related issues and medical emergencies. Since retirement homes are exclusively for senior citizens, medical help is always available and are better equipped to handle emergencies.

6. A constant companionship

The modern dilemma during these times are that even though there is no monetary scarcity, yet due to work pressure and commitments children are often not able to give their parents as much time as they would want to. The result? The senior citizens’ health often ends up being neglected. Isolation is also a huge issue which can lead to mental depression. At a retirement home, the community thrives on companionship and care, hence minimizing any feeling of neglect and isolation.Having said this, we must also remember that there is also a downside to retirement homes. Firstly, a huge amount of money gets locked in as a deposit or a down payment which cannot be retrieved if for some reason the inhabitant decides to quit the home. Secondly, retirement homes lack a mixed age community, which some people may prefer to having only senior citizens as community members.