A ‘retirement township’ with lively ambience, good health care facilities, and lots of activities to engage the elders may sound too good to be real. But a three-year pilot project under way at the Government Old-Age Home at Chal in Kannur envisages its elevation to a therapeutic home for the aged.
The home in Kannur, one of the 16 such facilities under the Social Justice Department across the State, is in the process of an image makeover under the project Second Innings Home of the State government which aims to turn the facilities into centres that can provide elderly-friendly services. The project, being carried out by the Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, a unit of Hindustan Latex Ltd., envisages establishment of a model home for the elderly that will provide them shelter, food, medical care and entertainment opportunities.
Spiritual needs
“The project is based on an advance concept of care of the aged that encompasses their health and spiritual requirements and human rights,” said Vimal Ravi, State Programme Manager of the HLFPPT. The idea is to rebrand and reposition the traditional ‘old-age homes’ with facilities that can encourage active ageing and productivity, he said.
The home, with a built-up area of 16,000 sq ft, has already been given a facelift under the SIH programme. The refurbished facilities include three dormitories, 12 private rooms, two guest rooms for short-stay residents, and two sick rooms. Each bed has emergency bell switches and reading lights.
The building can house 80 residents at a time. The new amenities include library and reading room, Yoga hall, cinema and recreation hall, food court for group dining, physiotherapy room, memory clinic, pharmacy, laboratory, walkways and conference hall.
“Service quality will also be increased,” said V.G. Jayakumar, Superintendent of the home. The number of nursing staff would be increased from one to five, he said adding that lift facility would be installed next year. The government has released ₹73 lakh this year for the works, he said.
Presently, the home has 68 residents (31 men, 37 women), all aged above 70. Over the past three years 27 residents could be rehabilitated with their families following an initiative by social worker Farookh Irikkur to get the authorities to trace the residents’ relatives.
“The facilities here are excellent,” said T.P. Gopalan, who has been staying at the home for more than five years.
Helping HLFPPT personnel in their revamp activities, he said he has no family to go to.