Are Senior Citizen Homes in Chennai Right for My Ageing Parents?

If your parents are planning to settle down in Chennai after retirement, it’s a great decision. As the city is a cultural powerhouse – your parents can enjoy their time visiting art museums, theatres and galleries. The cultural centres host interesting events and festivals throughout the year. The commercial capital of the state also offers an escape into nature – you can visit nearby hill stations such as Ooty, Yercaud and Yelagiri.

If you are wondering if moving into senior citizen homes is the right decision, then keep on reading:

• A sense of belongingness:
  Loneliness is a big problem at any age, but it is particularly serious for seniors. When people retire, they lose their existing circle of friends. After retirement many find it difficult to create a social network outside work. At senior citizen homes, people find structured activities that help them pursue their interests and make new social contacts, thus giving them a sense of belongingness.
• Life after retirement can be lonely:
  With children being busy with their hectic lives, an increasing number of seniors find it difficult to cope with loneliness. The sense of loneliness worsens with losing spouse. Senior citizen homes such as ours — Serene Adinath and Serene Pushkar — present a good opportunity for seniors to spend time with people of their own age and make meaningful connections.
• Loneliness can adversely affect eating habits:
  Loneliness can lead to either overeating or undereating. Often some seniors use food to soothe uncomfortable feelings by overeating while others refrain from eating. At senior citizen homes, residents often eat together which in a way helps them combat the feeling of social isolation.
• Feeling of social isolation can lead to health-related issues:
  With age comes isolation and loneliness. Not many people realise that loneliness can cause a number of health issues in seniors, including depression, cognitive decline, dementia, high blood pressure etc. People who feel lonely are less likely to take good care of their health. They are likely to stay physically inactive and have eating disorders.

Read More – How Retirement Homes in Chennai are Turning Aging into a Happy Experience