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Luxury haven for aged parents
of NRIs
By
Azera Rahman
New
Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) Medical help, security at the push of
a button, a spa, a golf course and even spirituality...Such
safe and luxurious housing for the elderly is coming up, perhaps
for the first time in India, targeting in particular the parents
of NRIs.
The
first such neighbourhood under the Impact Senior Living Estates
(ISLE) will be established in Amritsar in the next two years,
keeping in mind the predicament of NRIs who constantly worry
about their aged or ailing kin back home.
Located
close to the Golden Temple, the colony will mainly target
Sikhs who would like to spend the last years of their lives
close to a religious place.
Vinay Singhal, director of the project, said such housing
projects are already there in Britain and Canada, but India
is yet to explore such retirement options for the elderly.
"The
need for a project like this was dormant earlier. But with
joint families breaking up and the children of nuclear families
moving away, aged parents end up alone in metros, fending
for themselves.
"Not
only will this colony be just three kilometres away from Fortis
hospital but the residents will also have 24-hour on call
medical help, security at the push of a button, housekeeping
on request, and there will be regular tours to the Golden
Temple. Thus almost every need of the residents will be taken
care of," Singhal told IANS.
A
physiotherapy centre, a hydro-pool to cure osteoporosis problems,
a meditation centre, laundry service, a club and regular health
check-ups are some of the other features of the colony.
"There
will also be a food court in case someone wants a change in
the palette. Then there will be a salon, a spa, a library,
a golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool and other facilities
for indoor sports. Also, there will be a regular shuttle service
to the city for anyone wanting to go out," Singhal said.
But
how viable is the idea of asking an aged person in the last
days of his life to leave the place he has lived all along?
"We
are trying to encourage people to come in groups - friends,
relatives. And the trend in the bookings have been like this.
When groups of friends come to stay in the colony, they would
feel at home," he said.
The
prices vary with the size of the apartments. For a one bedroom
apartment, one has to pay Rs.500,000 as admission fee and
another Rs.2.5 million as a refundable deposit. Thereon one
has to pay Rs.10,000 per month.
"The
colony will formally be opened in the first half of 2010.
The bookings have already begun. We are also working with
the ministry of overseas affairs and the British high commission
to get better access to the NRI population," Singhal
said.
Indo-Asian
News Service
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