Guardians of grey years

Several homes for the aged dot the city. While some provide just basic facilities, others offer all the luxuries of a plush home. MEENAKSHI ANANTHARAMAN checks them out.

"SEVERE ARTHRITIS made it difficult for me to manage the household work, particularly paying the bills," says Shantabai, a resident of Shanti Sadan, a home for elderly women. Shantabai and her mother were among the first to occupy Shanti Sadan nearly 10 years ago. After her mother's demise last year, Shantabai continues to live there and finds life quite comfortable.

There are several such paid homes or retirement homes for senior citizens in Chennai. Today, an increasing number of well-to-do retired people are living on their own as their children are either working abroad or in transferable jobs. Advancing age and failing health, coupled with the responsibilities of day-to-day life force them to turn to 'homes for the aged'. Living in an old-age home is no longer a social stigma. But it does take a lot of adjustment on the part of the elders. As Shantabai says, "Initially, I felt bad that I had to live in an old-age home. But I gradually got used to it. It was the best and only option available to me."

A retired executive, Chandrashekar has decided to take his 80- year old mother to the Obul Reddy Senior Citizens' Home in the Andhra Mahila Sabha Orthopaedic Hospital campus in Adyar. Chandrashekar is going to the U.S. to spend a year with his son. As there is nobody to take care of his mother, this was the only possible alternative. When asked, how has his mother taken it, he replies, "She is open to the idea of staying in a home. She has met the other inmates and seems to like them."

Most of these homes have single rooms with attached baths and serve vegetarian meals. But it is the clean environment and the peaceful atmosphere that is more appealing to the old people. The officials of the homes take a refundable deposit on admission, besides a monthly fee. The residents are required to have a local guardian to take responsibility in case of emergencies. Regular medical check-ups are conducted. The residents are provided with a common television and telephone, besides books and magazines.

The G.S. Home for Senior Citizens even has a room with fitness equipment. The inmates are allowed to bring their personal television and telephone, if they want to. Shanti Sadan permits the inmates to have their personal caretakers visit them during the day. Family and friends are allowed to meet them only during the visiting hours. Most of the residents have regular visitors, says Pratap Kumar, Honarary General Secretary, Madras Seva Sadan Trust, which runs Shanti Sadan. "The visitors occasionally bring them home-cooked food. We generally do not encourage residents to have food from outside, but it is difficult to be very strict about this. We stick to these rules for health reasons," says Rajalakshmi Sunkavally, vice-president, Andhra Mahila Sabha. While the residents are free to go out, they are expected to inform the authorities about their destination and the time of their return.

"The inmates are our responsibility and we have to take total care," says Girija Subhash, chairperson, G.S. Home for Senior Citizens. While Shanti Sadan is a home for women, the Obul Reddy Senior Citizens Home and G.S. Home for Senior Citizens are open to men and women above the age of 60. The Obul Reddy Senior Citizens Home gives preference to single women and those needing medical attention.

The residents of these homes share a good rapport. However, they also insist on a certain level of privacy. "Seeing the good interaction between them, we thought they would like the idea of a dormitory and built one," says Pratap Kumar.

"However, the dormitories are now being rebuilt into single rooms. I do not know why, but these people seem to prefer single rooms," he says.

Rajalakshmi Sunkavally agrees. She says there are people in the Obul Reddy Home who pay for a double room but insist on living in it alone.

However, there seems to be a spirit of camaraderie among these elderly people, who spend a lot of time together. Says Chittibabu, a resident of the Obul Reddy Home, "We have all sorts of people - retired judges, bankenkenkers, defence officers etc. -- living here. In the evenings, we have interactive sessions and learn a lot from each other."

Both Shanti Sadan and the Obul Reddy Home are housed in large complexes. In the Shanti Sadan campus, there is an industrial school, a home for the destitute and a rehabilitation centre. The residents of Shanti Sadan are invited to all functions held by the Madras Seva Sadan Trust and many of them attend regularly. There are regular interactions between the elderly residents and the school children and those living in the home for the destitute. According to Rajalakshmi Sunkavally, the residents of the Obul Reddy Home are encouraged to offer their services to the Children's Home in the same campus.

They all come from varied backgrounds. Janaki was a housewife, Chittibabu, a retired railway personnel, Shantabai, an advocate, and Lakshmi Kanta, a hostel warden. Now they all have found a new world in these old-age homes.

Rajeshwari Kothandaraman, the residential warden of the Obul Reddy Home, says that even if some of them want to go out for 10 days, they return within four or five days. One cannot muster the courage to ask them if they are happy staying in these homes.

Janaki is very forthright about her views. "We are quite comfortable here. Our children do not mind paying a few thousands of rupees every month. They think their job ends there. But what we desire is their company. There is no substitute for living with your family".

Others seem to silently agree with Janaki. Their eyes seem to convey the message.

Whom to contact

Some of the homes for the aged in the city.

1. G.S.Home for Senior Citizens 18 A, Mylai Ranganathan Street, T.Nagar, Chennai-600017

2. Shanti Sadan, No. 7, Harrington Road, Chetpet.

3. Obul Reddy Senior Citizens Home, Andhra Mahila Sabha Orthopaedic Hospital Campus, Adyar.

4. K.J. Home for Aged Women, 19, Guruswamy Road, off. Poonamalee High Road, Chennai-600031

5. Narbhavi Senior Citizens Home, Lions Club of Nandambakkam Trust, No. 5. Second Street, Balaji Nagar, Chennai-600014.

6. S.V. Home for the Aged, No. 8, Janakiram Colony, near Arumbakkam bus terminus, Chennai-600106

7. Association of Senior Citizens Resorts, 1/72, East Cost Road, P.O. Muthukadi, Chengai MGR district, Tamil Nadu-603112.

8. Satyalok Ideal Home for Senior Citizens, Chettiyar Agraharam, near Tamarai, Porur, Chennai-106.

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