The Hindu Business Line : Retiring with Dignity

THERE is a whole new world out there for senior citizens who might be agonising about any number of things beginning with the extra time on their hands post-retirement.

Dignity Foundation, an organisation involved in working with the country's ageing population, has now undertaken a project that is designed to give them not just a living space to call their own but also tonnes of value-adds.

Work on Dignity Lifestyle, a 25-acre township built to suit the needs of senior citizens, is located at the foothills of Matheran, a quaint hill station in the outskirts of Mumbai, said Dignity Foundation Chief Sheilu Sreenivasan. On offer, for instance, are cottages ranging from the modest to the luxurious minus the hassles of cooking and housekeeping, yoga and meditation centres, walking and jogging paths, and a fitness centre.

The project is being designed not for ownership deals but lifetime occupancy terms with the ownership of the housing units going back to the foundation after the lifetime of the members.

"Life after retirement is a challenge for the elderly in our society either because of lack of fulfilling activities to keep them stimulated, proper emotional and other support in their golden years or simply because they can't cope with the fact that they have no way of dealing with the changes in their lives and health," said Sreenivasan.

A 100-bed geriatric care centre is coming up at the township for those in need of round-the-clock or specialised care. In addition, healthcare facilities also include resident psychologists, counsellors and social workers trained in the care of the aged. And as for the emotional health of the residents, there are options including meditation centres, lectures, discourses and bhajans, and group therapy. "And as for those who want more out of their retired life, we have a host of village development programmes that they can participate in or even help us run the township," said Sreenivasan.

While this is a pilot project for Dignity Foundation, Sreenivasan said the organisation is already receiving requests from senior citizens groups from cities such as Bangalore and Chennai to set up similar projects there. The Mumbai township is expected to be ready by July 2005, and he adds, "Our decision to go anywhere else with the project will depend on our experiences and learning with the current project."

The price tag ranges from refundable deposits of between Rs 3 lakh for an economy cottage and Rs 8 lakh for a premium cottage plus monthly expenses of about Rs 3,500 for expenses such as food, housekeeping and laundry and use of facilities.