Mohan L Melarcode, 57, who has lived abroad —for almost three decades across the UAE, the Netherlands, and now at Gilbert in Arizona — already has his retirement planned. By this year end, he will move to the Nirmala Nilayam Retirement Community (NNRC) in Theethipalayam, 15 kilometres from Coimbatore city.
“It is surrounded by farmland. There is very little noise and air pollution... it’s like a cul de sac that ends at the foothills of the Western Ghats,” says Mohan, who currently works for Edupoint Educational Systems in the US as a senior data services architect. He says he considered Pune and Bengaluru too, then zeroed in on Coimbatore because of its green environs. “I hope to volunteer for a good cause, trek, cycle, read, walk, visit temples, and travel around Tamil Nadu and India,” he states, adding, “If you live close to Nature, you will have a life that is well lived.”
According to recent reports by several leading real estate services companies, South Indian cities are increasingly popular for senior living projects with nearly 65% located within the region. Prominent senior living hubs in South India include Puducherry, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kodaikanal, Mysuru, and Kochi, with Coimbatore being at the top with the maximum number of ongoing projects.
Thrust on healthcare
Says Dhinakar Perumal, owner of NNRC, “With as many as 13 projects at various stages of completion, the city is indeed a hub.” Most projects are developed at picturesque locations including Pollachi, Thondamauthur, Dhaliyur, KNG Pudur and Vadavalli. The residences are designed with special attention to features such as wheelchair access, anti-skid tiles, and an emergency button at a reachable height.
“We modelled the villas as per the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards of the US. Then we increased the ceiling height to 11 feet to ensure that interiors are airy and incorporated traditional architectural designs such as sky-lit courtyards that let sunlight filter in.” He adds that they get queries on specific traditional structures as well, like t hinnai (a raised platform at the portico, a traditional architecture design in South Indian homes where people sit and chit chat) and o onjal (swing).
Globally, senior communities are a sought-after service, especially in the US and Europe. The demand is expected to pick up in India due to factors such as an increase in life expectancy and the breakdown of the joint family system. “We have been getting enquiries from Maharashtra, Kerala, and Karnataka. They want a lifestyle where they can go for long walks in the sunshine, consume pesticide-free vegetables, and breathe pollution-free air,” says Dhinakar. “Over the last two years, the sale of apartments has increased by 20%,” says Colonel A Sridharan (retired), founder of Covai Care. He has developed 18 projects in the segment across Coimbatore, Mysuru, Bengaluru, Chennai and Puducherry.
At Covai Care, retirement homes come with a price tag of ₹50 lakh onwards (for two BHK depending on the size and location). “The idea is to make the homes affordable,” says Col Sridhar. “There is additional service and a care component that works up to ₹ 40,000 including three meals a day, medical services, and house keeping, electricity, plumbing etc. At Puducherry, we are developing 1BHK homes with a budget of ₹22 lakhs.”
For new projects, for example CovaiCare’s upcoming one with 234 units in Chennai, the wait period is 30 months. “About 20% of them, especially those above 80 and without a partner prefer to rent homes,” adds Sridhar.
Developers pay attention to special requirements of senior citizens and ensure that there is easy access to social and spiritual events, restaurants, convenience stores, libraries, parks and spaces like, for example, a pottery studio to follow hobbies. More importantly, each unit is equipped with emergency switches and availability of doctors-on-call to take care of medical emergencies.
“Infrastructure, good connectivity by road, rail and air and a centralised location between Karnataka and Kerala is a big plus.” Col Sridharan says there is also added focus on assisted care, especially for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. “We offer care, comfort, and companionship. I like to call it senior care inclusive of living,” he says adding one has to make a wise decision taking into consideration budget and investment, and other aspects like lease and rental modalities.
“Infrastructure, good connectivity by road, rail and air and a centralised location between Karnataka and Kerala is a big plus.” Col Sridharan says there is also added focus on assisted care, especially for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. “We offer care, comfort, and companionship. I like to call it senior care inclusive of living,” he says adding one has to make a wise decision taking into consideration budget and investment, and other aspects like lease and rental modalities.
Eating local
Uma Maheswari, joint managing director of Ananya’s Nana Nani Homes, which launched in 2010, says they are currently readying their sixth phase with 400 homes at Vadavalli, 10 kilometres from the city.
Uma Maheswari, joint managing director of Ananya’s Nana Nani Homes, which launched in 2010, says they are currently readying their sixth phase with 400 homes at Vadavalli, 10 kilometres from the city.
“The elderly want a secure place. We have a vegetable farm and a dairy farm, and all the kitchen supplies come from here,” she says, adding that there is a demand for spacious three-bedroom homes complete with a garden, especially from people in Mumbai and Delhi.
All these homes make an effort to curate activities for residents: there are lessons in music and dance, as well as spaces for yoga and meditation. Through the week, there are movie screenings, satsang, tambola, cultural events and festivals to keep the occupants busy. Sreedher Ramamurthy, 74, who moved to Tapovan Senior Citizen’s Foundation in Madhampatty, started a podcast by and for senior citizens, on the audio streaming platform I-Radio. It features performances of devotional songs, mono acts, debates, storytelling and interviews, all by residents. There are also interviews with mental healthcare counsellors and palliative care providers.
Retirement communities abroad pack in a lot of fun, says Dhinakar. “I frequented some in the suburbs of Malden, Massachusetts, during my stay in Boston. I have watched the community play pétanque, basketball, croquet and frisbee. That’s the kind of retirement home, a place buzzing with energy, that I want to create here.”
The demographics of residents are also evolving. What started as a domain of the NRIs, now includes many retired professionals, bureaucrats and businessmen. “All my research shows that Coimbatore is a balanced city in terms of weather and the people”, says Sreekumar Nair, an investment consultant in Mumbai who scouted for properties in Dehradun, Bengaluru, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. “ I was googling for best cities to live in the world, I chose Thailand, but my wife preferred a location in India, and so Coimbatore it is.”
