Retirement means different things to different people. It’s not a one-size-fits-all lifestyle, and some would bicker it’s not a lifestyle at all. But with a new wave of independent seniors, retirement has been redefined and they are taking different approaches to living their best life during these years. And a newage retirement home is one such welcome choice for these seniors. These are no longer the depressing, run-down old-age homes where the aged, unable to adjust with their family, reside. In fact, these places are more like retirement resorts with luxurious surroundings.
For Hariprasad Krishnan (65), a retired French lecturer and his wife, K Lakshmi (65), a retired Geography professor, the dream was to live in a comfortable and luxurious retirement home where they could peacefully spend their sunset years. “I have been planning for a peaceful retirement life for long but I was not sure whether I would be able to find one that would suit my needs. I gave much importance for a retirement home for the reason that when I grow old I should not trouble my children,” says Krishnan. The search for such a home ended at one of the retirement communities called Aanandam in Kodaikanal.
With rising incomes, longer life expectancy and the rise of nuclear families, more and more elderly with means and wits of their own are on a lookout for such places to reside for a stress-free retirement. These centres provide well-furnished homes with activities of daily living. Facilities in these colonies also include leisure activities like hobby clubs, swimming pools, health clubs, and libraries.