old age home case study

Rethinking architecture of Old age homes

An old age home is a place intended for the elderly where they can live when there is a problem to stay on their own or their children or sometimes destitute. Most of the time senior citizens cannot be alone as they will become dependent and require care and attention for their wellbeing. Old age is an inevitable part of human life and the required care and affection from family may not be given all the time. 

In a lot of cases, aged people who require another person to provide care are often sent to old-age homes. An old age home is a multi-facility centre with housing facilities for senior citizens. It is designed to create a home for the elderly but more often than not due to lack of funds or irrelevant design old age homes become more like a healthcare facility with poor infrastructure. 

Here are some points you need to consider while designing old age homes:

1. User-Friendly Design | Old Age Homes

For people who have lived independently or with families all their lives, living in an old age home could be challenging. Adapting to rules and new people will take time. To make this process smooth and convenient the atmosphere and ambiance of the place play a major role. The design of the old age home should concentrate on comfort and a user-friendly experience. There are several thumb rules and standards followed while designing a space for senior citizens. 

Some common problems with some of the existing old-age home designs are narrow entrances and staircases, which make accessibility with wheelchairs difficult. When stairs are narrow and steep and bathrooms aren’t easily accessible or inconveniently located. Often these possible design oversights do not consider the needs of older people or for people with disabilities. 

2. Landscape Design

A place with a landscape often tends to relax and calm one’s mind. A stroll through a garden or a park is one of the most common activities old people do. This also helps them to keep them active and fit. Slow exercises also help increase the well-being of their physical and mental health and doing them along with fellow residents would add fun to the activities. 

Most of the time senior citizens feel like they are cooped up in their houses. So, introducing landscape design in the old age home architecture would be a key factor that will be a tremendous change in the environment for the elderly. Being close to nature is proven to have a healing effect on people. Adding natural landscape elements will boost their mood and provide rejuvenating energy. 

3. Entertainment and Recreation Space

During old age, people feel like they have a lot of time in their hands. Passing time seems to be a very general issue amongst senior citizens. Boredom leads to lethargy and their presence of mind is seldom lost. Having hobbies is one way of spending time. Making time for lost hobbies like reading books, watching movies or knitting will add to their daily activities. 

For entertainment and recreation, games are played where the senior citizens interact and have fun and relax. Having a common activity for every week is a strategy adopted in old age homes for recreation purposes. When this is considered in the design, the main requirement for this cause to be able to function would be a large gathering space accessible easily from their homes. Multifunctional closed or semi- open spaces must be designed to cater to the needs of the people. 

A few common old age problems are weakness in limbs, vision, and memory loss. Whatever the issue, physical or mental old people tend to become vulnerable and susceptible to danger. Without supervision, they tend to get lost easily. Due to irresponsible design and infrastructure , they often tend to trip or slip which could be a minor issue for young people but could be more dangerous for old people who take longer to recover. 

So, designing spaces with a clear viewing range so that it becomes easy to spot people from across the room or halls. Blind spots and negative spaces must be avoided to reduce confusion. Clear signage must be provided at common spots like gardens and gathering areas in case the senior citizens get lost. Levels and steps are not recommended as a design rule as old people often have weak limbs and it becomes hard to climb up.  

5. Health | Old Age Homes

During old age, it becomes uncertain as to when and what kind of health issue may arise. Medical support becomes essential for the elderly. Sudden and severe health issues require immediate care and treatment. If not a hospital at least the old age home must be equipped with basic treatment facilities and equipment. 

Easy access and sufficient beds must be provided for care. Equipment and medicine must be available to be transferred to the house of the patient in case of emergencies. Wide lobbies, interconnected blocks, and ease of movement through transition spaces become crucial for the design of healthcare facilities in old age homes. 

6. Good lighting 

Good lighting is another essential design feature that has to be introduced in old age homes. An ample amount of light must be provided and the places must be well lit to have free movement and good vision. Lights are often provided in nooks and corners like table tops, cabinets , above switches, etc. 

The lighting provided must be warm colours and nothing jarring to the eyes. Lighting fixtures in lawns are also important during the evening. All the spaces must be well-lit with no shadow areas and glare must be avoided.

7. Personal space | Old Age Homes

Despite living along with several other senior citizens who are strangers and sharing space with them, they must be provided personal space. It is essential for them to feel that the old age home can be their home where they are free to do what they want. 

For this, as a design solution , they can be provided with personal rooms where they can carry out various activities individually and not as a group. A design must aim to reach the people on a subjective level so that they can relate to each space differently and feel as if it’s their own. 

Designing old age homes is a great challenge as the mind-set of the users is not fixed and often requires a fresh perspective. An old age home design must achieve to create a place to instill hope and energy and not just as a shelter for old people who are often abandoned by their families. 

The natural dynamic of the public design must be tweaked to be adjusted to the requirements of the old age home design. Simplicity and dignity in spaces for the design must be followed in an attempt to create a place for the senior citizens to have a better and healthier lifestyle. 

A Plus Topper. (2021). Old Age Home Essay | Essay on Old Age Home for Students and Children in English . [online] Available at: https://www.aplustopper.com/old-age-home-essay/#:~:text=An%20old%20age%20home%20is%20a%20shelter%20that%20is%20home 

Dengarden. (n.d.). Elderly Care House Design for Our Old Age – Elderly Care Home . [online] Available at: https://dengarden.com/safety/Home-Design-Ideas-for-Our-Old-Age.

ArchDaily. (2018). How To Design for Senior Citizens . [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/900713/how-to-design-for-senior-citizens.

JK, B. (2010). Guide to Designing Old Age Homes . [online] Architecture Student Chronicles. Available at: http://www.architecture-student.com/design-guide/guide-to-designing-old-age-homes/.

Spandana is an architecture student with a curious mind, who loves to learn new things. An explorer trying to capture the tangible and intangible essence of architecture through research and writing. She believes that there is a new addition to the subject everyday and there is more to it than what meets the eye.

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Lifestyle Changes and Perception of Elderly: A Study of the Old Age Homes in Pune City, India

Priyanka v janbandhu 1 , santosh b phad 1 , dhananjay w bansod 2.

1 Research Scholar at International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India

2 Professor, Department of Public Health and Mortality Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India

* Corresponding author Priyanka VJ , Research Scholar at International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India

Received Date: 13 October, 2022

Accepted Date: 10 November, 2022

Published Date: 15 November, 2022

Citation: Janbandhu PV, Phad SB, Bansod DW (2022) Lifestyle changes and perception of elderly: A study of the old age homes in Pune city, India. Int J Geriatr Gerontol 6: 138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29011/2577-0748.100038

The increase in old age homes and its residents mandates attention to the living condition of elderly at these institutions. The study is based on the information collected from 500 residents of 23 old age homes of Pune city in India. A multistage random sampling used for the selection of samples. A semi-structured interview schedule was adopted to gather the information from the respondents, the interview schedule was approved by the research ethical board of the institute. To strengthen the study qualitative insights are also gathered using case studies and key informant interviews. About half of the respondents were having issues while adjusting at old age home and similar percent has reported that their life has considerably changed after joining the old age home. Over half (52%) of these have experienced negative impact, such as homesickness, feeling of left alone (abandoned) by family members, feeling of staying at a hostel, follow certain schedule, elderly have to adjust in their daily life, and so on. Due to family attachment, many respondents feel lonely. For instance, 56 percent of the respondents perceive that they are being left out by their family members. While, two-thirds of respondents perceive that other elderly who are staying with their family members are having a better life than themselves. Hence, many respondents would like to go back to their families. Despite the fact that more than half (54%) of respondents know that they will spend their remaining days at the old age home. Whereas, 42 percent of the respondents said they are not certain about their future stay and 2 percent believe that soon they will return to their former homes among family members. Although many respondents experienced positive outcome after joining the old age home. Yet, the issues of uncomfortable living, loneliness, or similar unpleasant feeling is present among some of the respondents. These experiences are mostly due to the absence of family members in surrounding.

Keywords: Adjustment; Living condition; Old age home; Family; Elderly

Introduction

Population ageing is considered to be one of the biggest challenges of demographic transition in the twenty-first century [1-3]. Decreasing fertility rates and increasing longevity have resulted in a higher population of elderly people (aged 60 years and above) compared with the younger and adult population than ever before [4-6]. Although developed regions were the first to witness the phenomenon of population ageing, now the developing regions are witnessing a rapid growth of aged population [7, 8]. The share of persons aged 60 years and above in the world is expected to increase by 56 percent between 2015 and 2030. [9]. As per United Nations Population Division estimates increase the share of old age population from 5.7 percent in 2019 to 7.6 percent in 2030 in lower middle income countries [10]. As per 2011 census [11], India’s older population aged 60 years and above is 103 million and it is expected to increase 319 million by 2050 [12].

Increase in the proportion of older population due to shift in the age structure from younger population to older population create various challenges for policy makers and create burden on younger generation and increase demand for social and economic support care for elderly [13]. Before advancement of demographic transition in India, traditional family system was providing care for elderly especially in joint family system. In the past several years, as a result of advanced demographic transition along with socioeconomic development and urbanization, a large chunk of migration has occurred. As skilled professionals have moved to developed countries and from rural to urban areas for better opportunities, leading to reduction in family size and the erosion of traditional families. It led to growth of nuclear families, reduced socioeconomic support and care for elderly, and increased the demand for old-age homes in India [14].

With increased longevity, many of the elderly would require some form of long-term care, the cost of which needs to be borne by their families. This might result in family members withdrawing from school or employment to care for the elderly member. Hence, older people are viewed as a burden [15,16]. Traditionally, within the familial hierarchy elderly people have enjoyed a high status [17-21]. However recently, with the increase in age, several elderly people experience eroding status. In addition to other factors, it contributes to the behaviour of the elderly towards their families and their living arrangement [22,23].

According to BKPAI report [24] marriage of children is and other reasons such as include death of spouse, family conflicts, and migration of children are reasons for elderly to live alone. In addition, the demand for old age homes increased. Some evidences indicate that the increase in old age homes was seen largely in the southern regions of the country, particularly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, then in the western state of Maharashtra [25-28], due early demographic transition, urbanization and migration led small family norm compared to other states. There has been changes in the social and family structure which affected the culture and norms of the society. The process of modernization and search for better standards of living and job opportunities forced children to move away leaving their parents behind. In This study we assess the lifestyle of elderly and their perception who live in old-age homes in Pune city of India.

Data Source and Methodology

A list of old age homes was obtained from Help Age India, Pune office [29]. This study was conducted in 23 old age homes of Pune city, India. From these old age homes, a total sample of 500 respondents was selected using the lottery method. The researcher used the purposive sampling technique and limited the sample size to 500 elderly respondents from 23 old age homes. The study includes old age homes which have completed at least 2 years of functioning, avoiding all those old age homes which were established or in function not more than 2 years. The study includes only those elderly who were aged 60 years and above, living in old age homes at least for one year. Elderly persons have experience of living in old age home for less than a year are not considered in this study. Those elderly who was unable to respond to the question or who had any psychological issues (diagnosed by a medical practitioner) are not considered for the study.

Participants

The study population was comprised of 500 elderly people, residents of old age homes. Those elderly who are physically mobile and capable of conducting interviews on their own behalf the respondents should have stayed in the old age home for one year so that they can give a better understanding of the facilities provided in the particular old age home where they are staying. A semi-structured interview schedule was developed for the data collection. This interview schedule received approval for data collection from the ethical board of the institute. Data was coded and analysed with STATA (v.14.0) software.

Sample characteristics of elderly population who are living in old-age homes

Table 1 presents the sample characteristics of elderly living in old age-homes in Pune city, Maharashtra. Among respondents, over three-fifths (63%) are women and 37 percent are men. Higher proportion (42%) of respondents are aged 70-79 years, followed by aged 80 years and above (31%) and aged 60-69 years (26%). Percentage of elderly living in the old age homes increases with the up to certain education level. For instance, 13 percent of respondents live in the old age homes have never attended school, whereas 24 percent of respondents have completed 8-10 years of schooling. Share of female respondents is higher with no schooling than the male respondents (16% against 9%). According to marital status, higher proportion (62%) of respondents are widowed/widower compared to 23 percent are never married, 8 percent are currently married and 7 percent are divorced/separated. Share of elderly men who are never married is higher than the never married elderly women (28% against 19%). While, share of elderly women who are widowed is higher than the widowed elderly men (67% against 54%). With regard to social groups, majority (79%) of the respondents does not belong to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) or Other Backward Caste (OBC). While, 12 percent of respondents are belonging to SC and 7 percent are OBC. According to the type of family, higher larger share (73%) of respondents were living in nuclear family and 26 percent came from joint family. Since, women tend to have lower social status compared to men, they are more likely to depend on the male person of the family either father, husband or son. Hence, women are inclined to have lesser significance in the family. In line with other several factors, women are more likely to join the old age home compared to men.

Table 1: Percentage distribution of women and men aged 60 years and above by selected background characteristics, Pune, Maharashtra, 2017.

Lifestyle of the elderly living in old-age homes

Elderly respondents were asked about whether they have experienced any changes in their personal lifestyle and either positive or negative changes after joining the old-age home. The changes in personal lifestyle of the elderly covers various dimensions such as adjusting with the environment of old-age home, feeling loneliness or left alone, home sickness, health issues as chronic and psychological health problems. While, some respondents have experienced positive changes such as improvement in health condition, received good care at old-age home, good social networking as mingling with other old age home residents, peaceful environment, engagement in various activities which is also a part of entertainment for them.

Table 2 shows the percentage distribution of elderly with significant changes in their personal life style. Over half (52%) of the respondents have experienced negative changes after joining the old age home, while about two-fifths (39%) have experienced positive changes and around one-tenth (9%) have neither experienced any positive nor negative changes in their lifestyle at old age home. Share of elderly women with negative changes in higher than the share of elderly men (56% against 35%). Similarly, among widowed elderly more 54 percent have experienced negative changes and 38 percent have positive changes. Whereas, respondents who are from rural areas are more likely to experience negative changes (57%) compared to respondents from urban areas (44%). Share of elderly with experienced negative changes decreases with increase in number of sons (71% elderly with no son to 33% elderly with 3 or more sons). While, percentage of respondents with experienced negative changes increases with increase in number of daughters (48% elderly with no daughter to 81% elderly with 3 or more daughters).

Mr. Singh (name changed) shared - “I could not afford the cost associated with the required health treatment. In order to receive health treatment and basic care, I have joined the old age home. As a result, my health improved after joining the old age home. At old age home, I have been receiving health care services, the availability of care-taker is an additional advantage. Eventually, my health started recovering at old age home.”

Table 2: Percent of elderly with significant changes in their personal life and positive change in their life after joining the old age home of Pune city.

Perception of elderly

The results presented in (Table 3) shows the percentage distribution of elderly’s perception who live in old-age homes about the others (elderly who lives at home with their family) are better-off compared to them and they feel lonely or left out at oldage home, which varies with different demographic and social characteristics. Perception among elderly staying at old age home that other elderly (who are not staying at old age home) are betteroff than themselves is higher among widowed/widower elderly (69%) compared to never married elderly (65%) (χ2 p-value <0.05). According to type of family, perception of elderly from joint family who live at old age homes that other elderly (who are not staying at old age home) are feel better-off than themselves is significantly higher (74%) than nuclear family elderly (64%) (χ2 p-value<0.05). Similarly, perception of elderly whose residence is abroad and lives at old age homes that other elderly (who are not staying at old age home) are feel better-off than themselves is significantly higher more (71%) than whose earlier residence is same district at local (64%) (χ2 p-value <0.05).

Mr. Ganpat (named changed) never married respondent said “Many elderlies have children and still they are staying in the old age home with me. After watching them suffering like this, I feel that it’s better I am not married and I don’t have a family (children). What is the use of having such children who cannot take care of their parents in their last stage of life? Because, in the end, we (never married and ever married elderlies) are sailing in the same boat.”

Higher percent of widower / widowed elderly who live at old age homes perceive (60%) that they feel lonely or left out than never-married elderly (55%) (χ2 p-value<0.1). According to type of family, the joint family elderly who live at old age homes perceive (60%) that they feel lonely or left out is significantly higher than nuclear family elderly (55%) (χ2 p-value<0.05). Other demographic and social characteristics of elderly perceiving those other elderly persons are better –off who are not living in the oldage homes and feeling loneliness who are living at old age homes are not shown significantly.

Radha (named changed) a widow respondent said “An old age home is unable to provide a warm and welcoming environment like home. My family is always on my mind. Being away from them, and the realization that I will never get a chance to return to them, makes me more uncomfortable at old age home. I feel being isolated by my family members, which makes me feel lonely.”

Table 3: Percentage distribution of the elderly perceiving that the other elderly person is better off and the feeling loneliness at old age homes, Pune city.

Future intention of elderly to length of stay in the old-age homes

(Table 4) presents percentage of elderly and their future intention to length of stay in the old-age homes in Pune city, Maharashtra with different demographic and social characteristics. Percentage of elderly and their future intention to length of stay in the old-age homes is significantly associated with educational level. Length of stay in the old-age homes till death is decreases with increasing educational level. More than half of elderly population with no-schooling (55%) have future intention to length of stay in the old-age homes till death compared to graduation and above educational level (46%). The 44% of elderly have no idea about their future intention to length of stay in the old-age homes with no-schooling compared to graduation and above educational level (47%) (χ2 p-value <0.1) The higher percentage of elderly population whose childhood residence is rural and their future intention to length of stay in the old-age homes till death (58%) compared to others (51%) and lower percentage of elderly population whose childhood residence is rural and they did not have idea about their length of stay in the old-age homes (35%) compared to others (45%) (χ2 p-value<0.1). Percentage of elderly people who had no children with them with length of stay in the old-age homes till death is significantly lower (72%) than others who were having children (44.2%) and percentage of elderly who had no idea about their length of stay in the old-age homes is significantly lower (50%) compared to other who were having children (24%) (χ2 p-value<0.001). Other demographic and social characteristics of elderly such as age, sex, martial-status, religion, social groups (SC, ST, and OBC), family type (nuclear and joint family), having sons and daughters have not shown significant association with their length of stay in the old-age homes in Pune city.

Table 4: Percentage of the elderly with future intentions to stay in the old age home, Pune city.

Discussion and Conclusion

The gender difference is quite prevalent in living in oldage homes as elderly women are more likely to live in the oldage homes than elderly men. Majority of widowed/widower elderly and elderly who came from nuclear family live in the oldhomes due to lack of care and support and death of their partners, especially women have prolonged widowhood due to longer life expectancy than men [38]. Previous evidence shows that increasing urbanization and globalization lead toward nuclear family and migration of children for their job leads to unable to care for their aged parents [30]. For elderly persons, without support of their children, caring themselves is very difficult [30,31].

Most of the elderly have experienced negative change in their life after entry in the old age home as they felt home sickness, health issues as chronic and psychological problems, feeling lonely or left alone, need to adjust with environment of old-age homes and responded that neutral as neither satisfied nor felt bad living at old age homes. Many of previous studies have shown similar evidence that elderly who live olde-age homes suffer from Socio-psychological health problem such chronic health issues as stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety and other health and social issues as loneliness and lack of familial relationship. Especially staff of old-age homes lack caring for elderly, empathy, insufficient understanding of aging issue and skill to take care of elderly in old-age home led to worsen the lifestyle of elderly [3236]. Among these elderly persons, widowed/widower and elderly from rural areas have not satisfied much about their life compared to their counterparts. Widowed/widower elderly are forced to join in the old-age homes due to lack care and socioeconomic support, death their partners, and for being from nuclear family. Majority of the women respondents have spent most of their time with family members and taking care of the household chores. While men have played part in both indoor and outdoor activities. As a result, compared to men, women while staying away from home or family members have shown more disappointment [37].

Important emerging finding of this study is that share of elderly who have experienced negative changes decreases with increase in number of their sons, whereas it increases with increase in their number of daughters. Only few of the elderly have experienced positive changes after joining the old age home such as improvement in their health, received good care at old-age homes, good social networks as mingling with other friends and peaceful environment. Old age brings several issues, and health problems and lack of care and support are the key issues for the elderly. At the old age home, elderly receive health services, care and support which are important needs of the elderly. Hence, several respondents stated that their health condition has improved or they received appropriate health services at the old age homes. While many respondents have unpleasant experiences with their family members and old age home avoids such unpleasant events.

Majority of elderly’s perception who live in old-age homes about the others (elderly who lives at home with their family) are better-off compared to them and they feel lonely or left out at old-age home. Of these, perception of widowed/widower elderly and elderly from joint family about other elderly is that they are better-off and they also feel lonely or left out at old age home is significantly higher than their counterparts as never married and nuclear family. A large part of the respondents covers never married elderly or those who never intended to join the old age home. So, this group considers other elderly who are living with their family members having better life than themselves. Majority of elderly’s intend to stay at old-age home till death and some have no idea that how long they will stay at old age home. Of these, the elderly who have no children have more likely to stay at old-age home till death compared to those who have children.

The study mainly suggests that situation of elderly living in old age homes need attention, as several elderly are experiencing homesickness, unable to cope up at old age home, and feel lonely or left out, irrespective of availability of all required facilities at old age home.

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• Indu PV, Remadevi S, Philip S, and Mathew T. (2018). A qualita tive study on the mental health needs of elderly in Kerala, South In Journal of Geriatric Mental Health, 5: 143-151.
• Raj D, Swain PK, and Pedgaonkar S.(2014). A study on quality-of-life satisfaction & physical health of elderly people in Varanasi: An urban area of Uttar Pradesh, India. International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health 3:616-620.
• Viveki RG, Halappanavar AB, Joshi AV, Pujar K, & Patil S.(2013). So ciodemographic and health profile of inmates of old age homes in and around Belgaum city, Karnataka. J Indian Med Assoc 111:682-685.
• Rajan SI, and Kumar S.(2003). Living arrangements among Indian el derly: New evidence from national family health survey. Economic and Political Weekly, 38:75-80.
• Janbandhu PV, and Bansod DW. (2022). A Study on social and psychological conditions of elderly living in old age homes of Pune city in Maharashtra. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India.

© by the Authors & Gavin Publishers. This is an Open Access Journal Article Published Under Attribution-Share Alike CC BY-SA : Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License. With this license, readers can share, distribute, download, even commercially, as long as the original source is properly cited. Read More .

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Architecture Student Chronicles

Guide to Designing Old Age Homes

Design procedure for the old age homes.

But before we start with discussing our design consideration factors, it is very important to know what an Old Age Home is like and what is its purpose of construction…

One important thing to be kept in mind before initiating the design process is that, we should study the purpose of the construction and what they are like.

This will give us a clear idea of what we are actually suppose to consider in the design…

Apart from literature case studies, Live case studies are also very important…

In my previous articles, we have discussed eleven factors to be considered for a successful case study …

Old Age Homes

Old age homes are meant for senior citizens who suffer with a problem in staying with their children at home or are destitute. These homes are for older people who have nowhere to go and no one to depend on… These homes create a friendly and family like atmosphere for the elderly people where they can share their joys and sorrows and live happily. Old Age Homes are pretty developed in United States, United Kingdom and there is recent development seen in the construction of Old Age Homes in India.

These old age homes have special medical facilities for senior citizens such as mobile health care systems, ambulances, nurses and provision of well-balanced meals. So basically, it is a housing project for senior citizens of that country.

Old Age Homes have two main categories:

• Homes providing free Accomodation
• Homes working on a payment basis

Apart from food, shelter and medical amenities, old age homes also provide yoga classes to senior citizens. Old age homes also provide access to telephones and other forms of communication so that residents may keep in touch with their loved ones. Some old age homes have day care centres. These centres only take care of senior citizens during the day.

Location of Old Age Homes

• Studying the location of the structure is the most important factor. This will help us determine the climatic conditions of the place. Orientation of a building with respect to climatic conditions of the place.
• Location of an Old Age Home is of prime importance.
• It could be a part of the urban setting or it could be in a rural area. It depends on the kind of people that are going to stay in it.
• Some people prefer idyllic areas while some would like to live in close proximity to the quick facilities of the city.
• An Old Age Home should be preferably located in a calm, pollution free environment with all the basic necessities that are required for any comfortable housing project.

Design Concept for Old Age Homes

• Design of Old Age Homes depends on the social and economic status of the people who are going to reside in the homes.
• They could be the dormitary type, independent rooms or cottages…
• The rooms should be well-ventilated.
• Designing a ground Floor in an Old Age Home is of utmost importance. Possibly all the basic facilities in the home should be provided on the ground floor. If this is not possible and if upper floors have to be built then a sloping ramp has to be provided for facilitating easy passage of wheel chair and make movement of people with crutches easier.
• The toilets and bathrooms should have rough flooring so that the elders do not slip. Suitable railings should be provided for support.
• Recreation rooms and rooms for medical care should be built.

Working Staff in the Old Age Homes

• An administrator is must for the homes of the aged who will be responsible for the running of the home.
• Supporting staff such as clerks, cashier cum accountant, nursing staff, attenders, maids and a cook are the basic required staff for the efficient running of a old age home.

• A medical officer will be needed to attend to the health needs of the inmates. If the home is very close to a hospital where emergencies can be treated then, it may be enough to avail the services of a Doctor, who works there part-time.
• A nutritionist can play an important role by providing special attention to the nutritional requirements of the residents. At least a part-time nutritionist should be appointed.
• A professionally qualified social worker is an essential member of the team of personnel.
• Wherever possible nursing staff and health care workers trained in Geriatric care should be appointed.
• There is a need for helpers in the Old Age Homes who will take care of the Old people and help them move around…
• After figuring out the staff requirements for the Old Age Homes, we can determine the amount of space required for their offices and construction of quarters where they can stay while on job.

Medical Care Facilities in Old Age Homes

There should be a sterile store room where all medicines and medical accessories that may be needed for treatment of the residents are to stored as per the advice of a general physician.

• There are certain instruments that are necessary for the medical treatment such as Oxygen cylinders, suction apparatus and intra-venous sets should be readily available. Drugs should be replaced periodically, considering their expiry date.
• Transport facilities such as ambulances or any other vehicle that is similarly equipped as an ambulance should be available in case there is a need to rush them to the hospital for intensive care.

Recreational Facilities in an Old Age Home

• Provision of recreational facilities is must. Old people also need entertainment so that their mind does not remain idle. This will help their life become lively and happy and keep them away from any kind of depressing thoughts.
• Facilities such as small reading area, televisions, video players, newspapers and books should be provided.

• Not all old people like sedentary lifestyle…Depending on the extent of the physical activity of the residents other facilities for active sports such as: tennis, table tennis, squash can be provided.
• A small computer room could be provided for accessing the internet which is a must in today’s world. That will keep the residents mentally active and aware of the world outside…

From our discussion we can conclude some of the most important and basic Requirements in an Old Age Home

• Common Rooms
• Single and Double Bedrooms
• Pantry in every Bedroom
• Main Kitchen
• Dining Area
• Television Area
• Reading room
• Praying room
• Computer room
• Offices for the staff
• Common Toilets
• Sports Facilities for Tennis, Badminton etc.
• A Landscaped Garden with a jogging track

A lot of emphasis is being given on the design of Old age homes in the west especially in the UK. The importance of old age homes design has increased with the increase in the number of homes across the world.

35 thoughts on “Guide to Designing Old Age Homes”

Hello, It’s been nice to see regarding Old age homes, could you help any aspect related to Retirement Resorts- free independent houses for retired people

How much area is required to establish old age home? What may be the plinth area of construction? How far it shall be from the city?

what is the total area reqd if one wishes to have old age home for about 100 people

Hello, A minimum area of 2000 sqm would be required in order to accommodate 100 people in an Old Age Home.

Gud..I Appreciate It.. cos Is Our Semester Project.. I Have Learn So Many Things..

Durvankur Starting constriction Old age Home In Thane Maharashtra with Donors support ple Help our 7 guide Ngo.

Hi, Can you/anyone tell us that where can we approach for funds for establishing an Old age Home in our city i.e Haldwani (Uttrakhand). We are working for old aged people since last four years. 63 old aged people have registered them with us. We are providing them day care facilitiestill date. One can go to FACEBOOK/HarishDhondiyal(Photos) to see some of our works done. Photographs are self speaking. We have Pan card, 12A certificate and 80G certificate of Income tax department with us with three years Audit reports and Annual reports. We have 4000 sq ft of land in the heart of the city with map/plan already prepared for it(OAH). But due to paucity of funds we are unable to do so till now. We approached to many but failed in sanctioning the amount. If anybody can help or guide, pls write a line to Secretary- Hem Memorial Society on [email protected] Will ever remain thankful and grateful for the same.We want to establish an Old Age Home for 25 people in first phase.

need some guidelines for setting up old age homes in India. I am looking to setting up in Chennai.

please i want to have a guide on how to design a hospital in your locality. i hope i will have some response

We wish to estabilish an old age home in our own building fo around 25 to 30 people. What are the govt. formalities required for it as we are doing it for the first time. We are not a registered trust or society but we want to help the old age people by donating our building and primary donation fund of around Rs. 5 to 10 lakhs. Please help.

Want to establish a mega old home project at Darjeeling Plain, international standard for multicultured people for joy happiness and liberate. Need your consultancy and advice. I am a Civil and Structural Engineer, M.I.E, F.I.V, AMASCE (USA)

Hi, I have a land of area 10000 sq.ft. I want to build an old age home in this plot- may be for around 50 people. Is it enough?

I have a donated land in west bengal to my trust. I want to get an oldage home. plz get me a full proof design to build it.

Can you plz suggest me some good old age and orphanage home in india for my thesis case study…

Does old age homes come in institutional building category??????

Yes. They could possibly fall under institutional building category.

hi, i want to know if there are any upcoming old age homes in Karnataka.

i wanted a live site for my thesis project..

Hello Shreegouri,

You will have to work on it yourself. I would advise you to get landuse maps of your city and study the scope of your proposal in different areas. Only after you can justify why your proposed building will serve the area in a positive way that you claim it will, your site selection process will be complete.

And also we are open to discussions. You can discuss how things come along with your thesis project. We look forward to hearing from you.

helo , i want to know suitable old age homes required for case study for my thysis project . site area of my project os 2.91 acres and also help me in suggesting the number of people which would be fine for my site area.

The idea of old peoples’ homes in Ghana has not catch up with us in Africa in general and Ghana in particular. This is basically because of our cultural setting where families take care of the elderly at home. Things are changing very fast now because of urbanization where the younger generation leaves the elderly at home to ‘fend’ for themselves. Moreover there are several elder generation who had live outside in Europe and America and would like to settle at home. There is therefore the potential for the development of these kind of homes in Ghana. Our organization has acquired large tract of land at water front which can be developed and are hereby seeking for financial support in this endeavor.

I wish you all the best with this endeavour.

SIR I WISH TO OPEN OLD AGE HOME IN OUR CITY .PRIME LOCATION IS THERE. WE HAVE AREA OF 3 ACRE NEAR RIVER AND MARKET ROAD.WE HAVE ALL STAFF FOR REQUIRED IN OLD AGE HOME. WE WISH TO PROVIDE FREE SERVICE AND FREE FOOD.NEEDY PEOPLE GET EXTRA BENEFIT

Dear Amrita,

I am happy to know of your well thought initiative to construct an Old Age Home. That is for a very noble cause. Let me know how I can help you.

Respected Sir, I want to open old age home in Maharashtra (India) So which things are required to open the old age home. How much investment needed in concern home

We wish to open a old age home in our village near Thanjavur District, Tamil nadu. Please send guidelines for the building design. Sairam. Moorthy

hello sir. I am an architecture student. I have taken my final year project as orphanage cum old age home. please can you tell me where is your site how big is it ?

I’m also architecture student and even my topic is same for thesis so i want to know that did u got any info abt it n where did u do ur case study? plz share some info and ur experience about ur case study and other aspects.

P. Gurumoorthy : Dear Sir. Sairam. We wish to open a old age home in our village near Thanjavur District, Tamil nadu. Please send guidelines for the building design. Sairam. Moorthy

i am going to start a old age home near malavalli, karnataka,if somebody is interested in joinining hands with me, they are welcome,some enterprenaur with ideas matching,

Dear Venkat Ram

I run a paid architectural design service. Let me know if you would like to get it designed by us… I shall send you all the details of our establishment. This initiative is for a good cause and I would be delighted to be a part of it.

sir, I want to start senior citizen/old age home near Dehradun for about hundred couples initially. How much expenditure should we expect. Also the ideal building design for the same.

Hello Ajai,

I would say keep 4 to 5 crores aside for the works…

In Bangladesh this is just start, as a social instability high demand in the old age level. I would like to request, if sent me the building design and others for 100 person and other facilities, will be highly appreciate for me. with regards

We would like to establish OLD AGE HOME. We want to prepare a PROJRCT REOPRT. Can you guide us?

I am going to start a old age home. so what are all requirement to open, how much investment needed and guidelines for building design.

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Elderly Living in Old Age Homes-a study in some Old Age Homes of Manipur, India

Background: Old age was never seen as a problem in India. But recently ageing issues have begun to emerge as a case of social concern. Demographic, socioeconomic and structural challenges are also taking place within the family institutes. India is now facing a unique situation in providing care for the elderly section and old age homes is one of alternate care facilities. Thus studying elderly in old age homes has become a significant area of social research. Objectives: The study aims to examine the socioeconomic profile of elderly who are living in four old age homes in Manipur, India. It also probes into the factors that have compelled the elderly to stay in these institutions as well as examine the facilities available in the old age homes. Material and methods: The paper is based on the study conducted in different old age homes of Manipur by taking a sample of 69 institutionalized elderly. The data was collected using a specially designed interview schedule and observation technique. Results: The study reveals that majority of the respondents are females (75.36%) and are hailed from rural areas (66.66%). Regarding age distribution, more than half of the respondents (52.17%) are aged between 70-79 years and majority (69.56%) of them belongs to OBC category. Majority of them (76.81%) are widowed, follows Hindu Religion (66.66%), 55.07% of them are illiterate. 68.11% of them came from nuclear family and earlier doing business, followed by agriculture. The most common reasons for shifting to old age homes were verbal abuse of daughter in law, financial constraints , verbal abuse of son, nobody to look after, physical abuse, tarnishing self-respect, health issues and many more. Majority of the respondents are satisfied with the facilities provided by the institute but there are rooms for improvements in many ways.

Related Papers

shamsi akbar , Rakesh Tripathi , ambrish kumar

Background: Now-a-days, almost all the old age homes (OAHs) in India are fully occupied with residents. Why Indian elderly have to reside in old age homes? It was explored during the Ph.D. study titled „A Study of Psychiatric Morbidity, Quality of Life and Expectations of Inmates of Old Age Homes in Northern India‟. The object of this study was to explore the factors compelling elderly to reside in old age homes. Methods: This study was carried out on 174 elderly residing in 14 different OAHs of Uttar Pradesh, India. Factors responsible for their settlement in OAHs were explored using interview method. Results: Misbehaviour of son and daughters-in-law (29.8%) was found to be most common reasons for residing in old age home. Conclusions: Many elderly in India are opting OAHs as their place of stay in their later life. Foreseeing the future the government and voluntary agencies in India must make arrangements for institutional support and care for the elderly.

Manjunath S Mokashi

A study of factors compelling elderly to stay in old age home with special reference to Kundapur city old age homes Abstract Government endeavors are expanding quickly in the field of contemporary, social, financial, open interest and different components to lessen abuse against the old age people. However, in the present time, the circumstance against the old people is evolving,individuals have begun despised them, they strongly made them to move from their own particular homes. Because of this they get to be destitute and may move to old age homes. This article depends on the different requests of old age people.The object of this study was to explore the factors compelling elderly to reside in old age homes. This article has been taken from a old age homes of Kundapur city Udupi district.

International Journal of Indian Psychology

shamsi akbar

Background: Now-a-days, almost all the old age homes (OAHs) in India are fully occupied with residents. Why Indian elderly have to reside in old age homes? It was explored during the Ph.D. study titled ‘A Study of Psychiatric Morbidity, Quality of Life and Expectations of Inmates of Old Age Homes in Northern India’. The object of this study was to explore the factors compelling elderly to reside in old age homes. Methods: This study was carried out on 174 elderly residing in 14 different OAHs of Uttar Pradesh, India. Factors responsible for their settlement in OAHs were explored using interview method. Results: Misbehaviour of son and daughters-in-law (29.8%) was found to be most common reasons for residing in old age home. Conclusions: Many elderly in India are opting OAHs as their place of stay in their later life. Foreseeing the future the government and voluntary agencies in India must make arrangements for institutional support and care for the elderly.

QUEST JOURNALS

There has been a rapid ageing of the earth's population and in a few decades, Asia could become the oldest region in the world. In India, due to the reorganization of the family system, the traditional joint family system is on the decline. Due to the emergence of the nuclear family and the high cost of living, family members who previously cared for the elderly need to find employment outside the home. A rapid increase in nuclear families and an exceptional increase in the number of 'older adults' in the country have compelled them to live in old age homes. Literature has accentuated the difficulties and apprehensions experienced by older adults during the ageing process and the need for old age homes in order to create an environment that fosters a meaningful existence for them in their twilight years. India's old age homes are trying to uphold the needs, desires and values of older adults. There is a lack of studies that attempt to give older adults a chance to communicate their experiences in a care home. Older adults are an invaluable resource for younger generations and change is needed in society's attitude towards ageing. This review can help psychologists, social workers and caregivers gain insight into the needs of older adults in terms of mental wellbeing, economic and social security and elder abuse and create awareness among the people.

isara solutions

International Res Jour Managt Socio Human

There has been a progressive increase in both the number and proportion of the aged in the World and also in India over time, particularly after 1951. India has acquired the label of “An ageing nation” with 7.7% of its population being more than 60 years old. The longer life expectancy and their higher number per 1000 males is showing increase in population of elderly females. With an increase in the geriatric population and an expected decline in the Population of the middle aged, the burden of care giving is bound to increase and lead to some unforeseen problems, one of them being institutionalization of elderly thus giving the concept of old age homes. It should be noted that the proportion of 60+ female populations is invariably higher than that of the male population. By the year 2025, the male and female population will be 11.9% and 13.4% respectively, and by the year 2050, the comparable figures will be 20.2% for males and 22.4% for females. This is because of in the higher life expectancy of females compared to that of males.

Journal of Politics and Governance

Hakim Singh

Atlanta Talukdar

IJIRT Journal

With the disintegration of the Joint family system in India to nuclear family system, at both rural and urban levels, the care and the responsibility of the aged in the families has reduced. This lack of personal care and loneliness in the family has led the elderly of the family to constant search for new forms of care. Factors like Urbanisation, Modernisation, Good employment opportunities have altered the traditional roles of elderly in the society and in the family as well. As a result of the same, the provision for the care of the elderly is increasingly being passed on to the institutionalised caring. Thus the concept of Old Age Homes came into existence. Majority of the elderly people who do not have any security or are widowed or are abused or disrespected by their own family members take shelter in old age homes in the hope of getting social and familial environment. There is a large no. of financially and physically fit elderly that find an old age home as their last home for their emotional, physical and psychological well being.

menuka bhandari

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Parkside Retirement Homes / Mindspace

• Curated by María Francisca González
• Architects: Mindspace
• Area Area of this architecture project Area:  3000000 ft²
• Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2018
• Photographs Photographs: PHX india, Mindspace , Mindspace
• Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers:   Saint-Gobain , Jindal
• Lead Architects: Sanjay Mohe, Avinash Ankalge, Sravani Vobilisetty, Gowtham Srinath
• Landscape Designers : Design Milieu
• Services Consultants : Design Tree Service Consultants
• Contractors : Expat Group
• Brigade Group:  Amar Mysore, Ambika Mallela, Sumathi Bhat, Jyothi RN, Sujith SN, Manjunath BR
• Structural Consultants:  S & S Associates
• Clients:  BCV Developers
• City:  Bangalore
• Country:  India
• Did you collaborate on this project?

Text description provided by the architects. Park side retirement homes are a part of Brigade Orchards an integrated township located at Devanhalli. Parkside houses 156 number of 1+2 bhk units with all handicap friendly and wheelchair accessible spaces.

The site has a view towards Kempegowda International Airport on South and an existing temple of worship towards North. As a response to this context podium level is opened up and connected to the temple with wide steps and cascading terraces at higher levels along the South side is created to view the flights take off and land.

Program was to follow standard guide for senior living – a design manual, to address requirements for senior citizens such as wide corridors, doors for wheel chair movement grab bars in corridors and bathrooms, a place to rest tired limbs and a place to keep shopping bag near the door. However the uniqueness of the project lies in reinterpreting the idea of a single club house. Instead of housing all the activities in one place, it is distributed across the floor for easy access and to have a lively atmosphere and encourage interaction across the building. Each of the floors has one activity centre which is visually connected across different levels through a central atrium with a skylight.

Podium level houses common activities like reception, waiting lounge, common dining and kitchen along with landscaped areas and water bodies. An amphitheatre on the podium opening out to the central atrium is provided to enjoy cultural events, with varying natural light, The atrium skylight is designed in a way to bring in eastern light and avoid glare. The varying light quality and animated shadows on wall surfaces further enlivens the space.

From the podium level, a stepped plaza leads to the existing temple.This behaves like a social gathering space to hold bhajans, yoga and meditation activities. The facade is articulated with overlapping double height volumes accentuated with colors to visually scale down the ten floor facade. The spaces in Parkside allow the end users to engage the vibrancy of a close-knit community life.

Project gallery

Project location

Address: nh 207, boodigere road, brigade orchards spinal road, devanahalli, bangalore, karnataka 562110, india.

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• Sustainability

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Growing older, staying at home

In the next 6 years, almost a quarter of Canadians will be senior citizens. Instead of retirement homes, some are choosing to age in place.

Wendy Yacura never spent a lot of time thinking about where she would live as she got older. But she knew one thing for sure.

“I could not afford to go into a $5,000-a-month retirement home,” said the 76-year-old from Hamilton, Ont. 

Yacura ended up moving to an apartment 11 years ago; now, 75 per cent of the tenants are seniors. Two years ago, they got together and brought services to them, like lectures, potluck dinners and exercise classes.

“I can’t imagine myself moving at this point,” she said.

For Yacura, a former business owner, staying in the same place as she gets older gives her a sense of control as well as new friends in the building. She can incorporate activities into her daily routine along with going to grocery stores, banks, and doctors that are in the area.

By 2030, almost a quarter of the Canadian population will be over 65. Like Yacura, they face questions on where to live out the rest of their lives. Scared off by the cost of retirement homes, and hearing stories of understaffed long-term care facilities, many say they want to “age in place,” living in their own homes and communities independently.   

There isn’t one single way to age in place — how it looks depends on an individual’s preferences. And, from buying a house with friends to creating communities together, some seniors are adopting new, experimental ways of living.

I. Aging in place

Retirement homes are getting more expensive, upwards of $3,100 a month, not including extra care. The toll on long-term care residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, when stories emerged of neglect, outbreaks and loneliness, left many seniors terrified of that option. 

According to the 2016 Canadian census, over 85 per cent of aging seniors prefer to keep living at home and pay for support as needed. They want to stay in a familiar environment for as long as possible. For many, aging in place is less costly, has less rules and regulations, and, perhaps most importantly, gives them a sense of freedom.

This, according to Lori Letts, a rehabilitation science professor at McMaster University, is the essence of aging in place.

“I think generally as people age, they do want to maintain that sense of agency or control in terms of making decisions, about where they live, who they socialize with,” she said. 

And, she said, there are other options that are gaining popularity.

II. Co-living

Back in 2018, Phyllis Brady, Barb Coughlin and Mary Townley embarked on a new housing option for themselves known as co-living, where individuals make arrangements to live together, sharing the burden of everything from chores to living expenses. 

“We didn’t like living alone anymore. We didn’t laugh very much,” said Coughlin, who was 70 at the time, and a retired teacher.

The three women, dubbed “the Golden Girls,” pooled their resources and bought a home together in London, Ont. 

WATCH | The Golden Girls in 2018:

When a CBC team caught up with them six years ago, the women, all widowed or divorced and with grown children, had just moved in together. Each of them had their room and carefully made sure the food and maintenance bills were evenly split. 

Above all, they said at the time, co-living meant they were less lonely.

Today, Townley has moved out to be closer to her family. However, Coughlin and Brady are still living together, though they plan to move to a smaller home. According to Brady, a 72-year-old retired hospital administrator, the arrangement has paid dividends, both socially and financially.

WATCH | The Golden Girls talk about how they're aging in place:

“I think that what we expected — as far as supporting each other, looking after each other when we weren’t well, sharing the work and the responsibilities — that’s all come true, and the financial rewards have been wonderful,” she said.

The women still share grocery bills and maintenance costs. A little bowl with their receipts sits in their dining room.

“Anything I spend on groceries, I put the receipt in there with my initials on it,” says Coughlin, adding they sort out the bills at the end of each month. 

Their monthly costs — which include taxes, insurance, utilities, food and other supplies — are around $750 each. When Brady was on her own, rent alone was $1,300 a month.

Kitchen duties are also a shared responsibility.

“The most you would have to cook in a week is twice, because there would be leftovers,” said Brady.

Still, there’s one question Brady and Coughlin get most often: How do they manage to get along?

“I think you can’t be stuck in the way you’ve done things," said Brady. "You need to be open to more than one way to do something.”

III. Co-housing

First developed in Denmark in the 1980s, co-housing is a structured, planned community, where each resident has their own place and amenities are shared. Some co-housing projects are constructed from scratch, but they can also include retrofitted buildings.

The Canadian Cohousing Network (CCN) has 49 such communities in Canada, either built, under construction or forming groups, with a variety of amenities.

Residents of Belterra on B.C.’s Bowen Island, for example, share a vegetable garden and a 3,700-square-foot common house that includes guest rooms and a workshop. 

No communities are currently age-restricted, according to Lysa Dixon, a CCN board member. But at least one, Harbourside Cohousing in Sooke, B.C., has a senior focus. It has a studio apartment in its common house that can be used as a “care suite” in case someone needs extra help.   

A European study published in 2022 on older co-housing residents found a high level of satisfaction, closer social ties, a greater sense of personal security and the ability to manage their own lives longer.

According to Dixon, each co-housing project has its own design based on the footprint of the space. Dixon, for example, lives in a B.C co-housing community made up of four townhouses and 21 apartments all in one building. Yet in another part of the province, a co-housing development is made up of 31 units spread out on a piece of land, mainly a mixture of duplexes and family homes. 

WATCH | Why co-housing is gaining popularity:

The economic savings in co-housing mainly come from what residents share. Many communities have vegetable gardens. Others, like the Prairie Sky co-housing community in Alberta, have a common house with amenities including a kitchen, a children’s play room and an office. 

A shared meal can be a money-saver. But the greater sense of working together and socializing with one’s neighbours is what can really allow seniors to age well and in place. 

Dixon says that if there are more seniors in a co-housing project, they can prioritize other features, such as social programs or an added caregiver suite.

IV. Naturally occurring retirement communities

First started in New York City in the 1980s, naturally occurring retirement communities (NORC) allow older people to age in place by bringing services to existing buildings — or even whole neighbourhoods, where at least 30 per cent of the residents are older adults. 

“It’s a place, it’s a geographic description,” said Dr. Howard Abrams, an attending physician at University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto and the director of the UHN Open Lab, of which the NORC program is one project. 

Abrams’s team mapped nearly 2,000 potential NORCS in Ontario. They looked primarily at high rises, rental apartments, condos and co-ops, totalling about 217,000 older adults. 

As a physician, Abrams sees first-hand the impact of elderly people ending up in hospitals with little or no support. They can become cognitively impaired and physically weakened, making it difficult for them to return to their previous life. 

“We can try to do things within the hospital to mitigate that. But I think the biggest benefit would be to do this in the community, creating supportive communities so that cascade of things doesn’t even start.”

One example of that is home care. Research shows that NORCs can streamline publicly funded services like personal support workers, who could spend less time traveling and more time with a number of clients in the same building. 

The services are completely up to residents. Christine Doyle, 84, has lived in the Stanley Knowles Housing Co-operative in Toronto for decades. Seventy per cent of the building is over the age of 65. Doyle wanted to age in place, so in 2019 she and others in the building created a committee to look at options. That’s when she learned about the idea of a NORC and contacted UHN. 

“They started off giving us a health co-ordinator and it sort of blossomed from there,” she said. 

Today, there are outings and speakers, as well as an onsite co-ordinator who can help with individual issues. At the El Mirador apartment building in Hamilton where Wendy Yacura lives, the residents emphasize physical fitness programs that can be brought to them. They are supported by Oasis Senior Supportive Living, which started with one NORC building in Kingston, Ont., over a decade ago. Now it has 19 sites across Canada.  

Letts, the McMaster professor, is the Hamilton lead for Oasis, and helped develop the programs at El Mirador.

“We had flip charts around the room where people could give us suggestions of kinds of activities they were interested in," she said, which empowered residents with a sense of purpose.

Letts co-authored a study that found NORCs can create an “opportunity for governments to support healthy aging in their communities.”

Both the UNH and Oasis NORC programs get their money through a network of public funding and private donors. Yet it is limited, and they agree this is a model governments should be pursuing. 

“It is very logical that we would bring services to where people are and services that are not necessarily high-cost,” said Letts.  

“I see health benefits across the spectrum,” said Abrams.

V. What’s best for you?

For Wendy Yacura, weekly programs in her Hamilton building, like the balancing and fitness class, offer her much more than just physical health: They give her a sense of independence, and the ability to do things she enjoys. 

And like many seniors, she fears losing that capacity.

“If I couldn’t continue to live on my own, it would probably be a nursing home,” she said. “And I hate that thought.” 

WATCH | How June Southall, an El Mirador resident, benefits from a fitness and balance class:

A rise in aging in place doesn’t mean long-term care homes will disappear. They can serve a need if someone has complex health issues. However, according to doctors like Abrams at UHN, these questions will take on an added urgency as Canada’s population ages. 

“That impact’s being felt all the way through society, both in terms of housing, in terms of health care, in terms of, where are these older adults going to live?” 

The goal for many seniors is to find a living situation that supports them socially, financially, and medically for as long as possible. 

To learn about co-housing, you can contact the Canadian Cohousing Network https://cohousing.ca/ .

If you want to learn how to create a NORC in Ontario, you can go to https://norcinnovationcentre.ca/ . If you’re in another part of the country, Oasis can provide some guidance at https://www.oasis-aging-in-place.com/ .

Related Stories

More older Californians are falling into homelessness. A new study examines why

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Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 28 . Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

A new study examines homelessness among older Californians

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If you’ve been following the news in recent decades, it’s no surprise that the Golden State is the U.S. capital for homelessness . And among the Californians experiencing homelessness, the group rising the fastest by proportion is older adults — defined as anyone 50 and older.

A major study on homelessness in California, released last year by UC San Francisco’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI), includes two notable findings: 48% of all unhoused single adults in the state are 50 or older and 41% of unhoused older adults became homeless for the first time after age 50.

Now a follow-up study from BHHI researchers dives further into that alarming trend, which they note is expected to continue as “the proportion of people age 65 and older experiencing homelessness in the United States [is] expected to triple between 2017 and 2030.”

The new report, titled “ Toward Dignity: Understanding Older Adult Homelessness ,” explores how older adults lost housing, what their lives have been like since, and the barriers they face to get back into housing. The authors also include policy recommendations to address the crisis.

“We are failing our older adults by allowing them to spend their last years on our streets and in our shelters,” Margot Kushel, director of BHHI and the study’s lead author, said in a news release. “The dramatic rise in homelessness among older adults has severe consequences for the health and safety of those who experience it, and for our society at large. Now is the time for investments in real solutions to prevent and end homelessness among this vulnerable population.”

The study builds off what BHHI called the largest representative study of homelessness in decades, which traced the “causes and consequences” of homelessness in the state and challenged myths about unhoused people. Researchers surveyed nearly 3,200 people experiencing homelessness across eight California counties in the state and conducted in-depth interviews with 365 of those participants.

One common misconception you might have heard: Unhoused people are moving to California in droves.

According to the study, 91% of older homeless adults in the state lost their last stable housing in California, and more than 75% were last housed in the same county where they were currently experiencing homelessness.

“Older homeless adults’ lives have been marked by deep poverty and trauma,” the authors wrote. More than two-thirds of those surveyed reported experiencing physical violence and 19% reported experiencing sexual violence — many before age 18.

“People who experience homelessness have higher rates of mental health conditions and substance use than the general population,” the authors wrote, adding that many of those struggles existed before those individuals lost housing.

More than 80% of unhoused older adults said they’d experienced at least one significant mental health symptom at some point in their lifetime. The most common symptoms were related to anxiety and depression.

Researchers included a quote from one unhoused 57-year-old woman, who shared:

“I’ve felt like walking in front of the train every day for the last three years since I lost my house… It’s the first time I’ve ever contemplated suicide ever in my life. I’m always upbeat and I’m such a positive person until I got out here…Everything is so hard, just my age and just physically… I hurt all the time and I’m in pain and everything is just a struggle, just to do laundry, just to, you know, food. The younger crowd seems to do better, but I’m older and it’s hard. It’s just hard…”

Here are a few more key findings from the report:

• According to the report: “Being single is a risk factor for homelessness.” Of the older adults surveyed, 52% were single and never married; 17% reported being married or partnered. More than a quarter were divorced or separated, and 4% were widowed.
• “More than 80% of older adults entered homelessness from housing: 46% from non-leaseholding arrangements and 35% from leaseholding arrangements. The other 19% entered homelessness from institutions, which included time in jail, prison or healthcare settings.
• Poor health is a common reality among older adults experiencing homelessness. More than two-thirds reported having at least one significant chronic health condition. About a quarter of those surveyed said they’d experienced a time when they couldn’t get healthcare or obtain medication they needed.
• While people of color are overrepresented overall within the state’s unhoused population, older Black adults are particularly overrepresented. The report notes that 31% of older adults experiencing homelessness identified as Black, compared with 6% of all Californians age 50 or older. Older adults who identified as Native American or Indigenous and multiracial were also overrepresented, the survey found.
• The majority of older adults surveyed expressed optimism that “well-timed financial support would have staved off homelessness,” the authors wrote. Many believed that a modest monthly subsidy ($300 to $500), a one-time payment ($5,000 to $10,000) or something akin to a housing voucher would have allowed them to stay in their homes.

The study’s authors recommended policies meant to “reduce and end homelessness among older adults.” Those include increasing the state’s dismal stock of affordable housing and removing barriers that older adults have in navigating complex programs and processes.

The authors also called on policymakers to strengthen eviction protections and do more to prevent older adults who exit jails and prisons from ending up on the streets, noting that many in that population are entering homelessness “directly from institutional settings.”

Other recommendations included increasing incomes for older adults in extreme poverty, expanding outreach to older adults experiencing homelessness and prioritizing racial equity within the systems that respond to homelessness.

As we covered in this newsletter last month, those systems are struggling, and lasting solutions are difficult to achieve . And even though the state has poured billions of dollars into programs meant to reverse our nation-leading homelessness, we have little to show for it — and don’t really know how well all that money is being spent .

Today’s top stories

COVID in California

• COVID is rising in California . Here’s how to protect yourself from FLiRT subvariants.
• Early signs of rising COVID in California as new FLiRT subvariants dominate.

Remembering Bill Walton

• Bill Walton, UCLA legend, NBA star and Pac-12 advocate, dies at age 71 .
• Appreciation: Bill Walton’s kindness and wonderful wackiness made us the grateful ones.
• ‘General Hospital’ actor Johnny Wactor’s slaying during L.A. theft sparks shock, anger, mourning.
• A 14-year-old girl out walking on the holiday weekend in Newport Beach is fatally struck by a car .

More big stories

• UCLA and UC Davis brace for strike as union alleges free speech violations in pro-Palestinian protests.
• Hollywood crews in ‘crisis’ : ‘Everyone’s just in panic mode’ as jobs decline.
• A tree-killing beetle is on a death march through Southern California’s oaks. Can it be stopped?
• Ocean technology hub AltaSea blooms on the San Pedro waterfront .
• Mike Tyson is ‘doing great’ after a medical emergency on a flight to L.A.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here .

Commentary and opinions

• Doyle McManus: Trump fans say he speaks his mind. But on some subjects, he’s as slippery as an eel .
• George Skelton: Unaffordable homeowner’s insurance is leaving Californians exposed to the elements.
• Anita Chabria: What I got wrong in the ‘bad built’ blowup .
• Editorial: Metro’s ‘surge’ of police isn’t the long-term solution L.A. needs for safer buses and trains.
• LZ Granderson: LeBron James is the aging icon we all need .
• Jenn Harris: At my favorite new restaurant, the room is red and the chef is a doctor .
• Jonah Goldberg: What’s convincing voters that the economy is worse than it ever was?
• Mark Z. Barabak: Will abortion rights boost Biden and fellow Democrats? Arizona offers a test case.

Today’s great reads

City National is Hollywood’s ‘Bank to the Stars.’ Now a lawsuit says it aided a Ponzi scheme . City National Bank has been sued for nearly $800 million for allegedly bankrolling a Hollywood Ponzi scheme, the latest in a series of controversies involving one of L.A.’s best-known banks.

Other great reads

• How the small screen breathes new life into classic film noir .
• Artists priced out of Los Angeles head to this creative hub in the high desert .

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected] .

For your downtime

• 🏖️ 24 superb things to do around L.A. to kick off the summer of 2024.
• 🥾For your L.A. bucket list: An epic city hike that has it all .
• ⛰️ The 101 best West Coast experiences .
• 📺 Ricky Martin is livin’ the good life back in front of the camera in ‘Palm Royale’ on Apple TV+.
• 🍪 Here are 9 of our favorite cookie recipes for baking right now .
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games .

And finally ... a great photo

Show us your favorite place in California! We’re running low on submissions. Send us photos that scream California and we may feature them in an edition of Essential California.

Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Genaro Molina at Dillon Beach, one of the few communities that will be allowed to grow its short-term rental market under a new Marin County ordinance.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor and Saturday reporter

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Ryan Fonseca writes the Los Angeles Times’ Essential California newsletter. A lifelong SoCal native, he has worked in a diverse mix of newsrooms across L.A. County, including radio, documentary, print and television outlets. Most recently, he was an associate editor for LAist.com and KPCC-FM (89.3) public radio, covering transportation and mobility. He returns to The Times after previously working as an assistant web editor for Times Community News, where he helped manage the websites and social media presence of the Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press and La Cañada Valley Sun. Fonseca studied journalism at Cal State Northridge, where he now teaches the next generation of journalists to develop their voice and digital skills.

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