HYDERABAD:There is a great need for elderly homes with proper medical facilities as the youth of today are moving to distant destinations due to career requirements and are unable to personally look after their parents in the old age, Supreme Court judge Justice J Chalameswar has observed.
Justice Chalameswar inaugurated Vijaya Homes for Elders at Nagaram here on Sunday. The home has 45 units and can accommodate about 90 persons.
“Many changes have occurred in the past 20 years and family structure has undergone a change. Even those who want to look after their parents in the later stages are unable to do so due to various constraints. For people like them, homes for the elderly, attached with nursing and medical facilities are very useful,” he said.
Spread over four acres on the outskirts of city, Vijaya Homes for Elders is attached with a nursing and medical college. The home also provides ‘assisted living facility’ for the bedridden who cannot carry out daily activities on their own. With a library, recreation centre, temple, Yoga and meditation centres, the home aims to provide quality life to the inmates.
“Though there are many old age homes, they do not provide geriatric care and do not have medical facilities. It is medical support that is the most needed in one’s later years. Vijaya Homes for Elders fills that gap,” explained Dr Vijayalakshmi, who set up the home.
‘Youthful India is Also Greying’
With nine million elderly people (aged above 60 years) in India, there is a great need for geriatric care in the country, former president of Geriatric Society of India Shankar Patil has said.
“Many say that India is a youthful nation with youth forming about half of its population. On the other side, it is also a greying nation with about 9 percent of its population aged above 60 years. With about 4 per cent increase, the elderly population will grow further. But there are no facilities for them,” he said.
“The changing societal needs and compulsions are isolating elderly people from their children which is unfortunate. Even in families where the elderly stay with their children providing health and personal acre when bid-ridden is difficult. Properly managed elderly homes, with assisted living and geriatric care facilities, are essential to fill this void in health care. Not even one percent of the homes meant for elders at present have geriatric care facilities,” Patil said.
Former director of NIMS K Subba Rao, former president of Geriatric Society of India Shankar Patil, former bureaucrat K Madhava Rao, Viswayogi Viswamji Maharaj, Brahmakumari BK Kuldeep Behn attended the function.