Columbia Pacific Communities Articles

Many of you must be looking forward to your retirement years. Not having a 9-5 schedule will give you all the time in the world. But once the initial excitement gets over, it can get pretty boring. But if you move to a senior citizen housing facility, there are a myriad of activities you can participate in to keep yourself engaged and busy. There’s never a dull moment in our senior citizen homes in India. You can explore how our residents are enjoying a fulfilled and content life, making new friends and filling their time with new hobbies. Over here are some entertainment ideas for seniors, pick what you love the most: Plan a day trip: A day trip to a nearby town or taking a pilgrimage tour can open a whole new world for seniors. At our senior citizen communities, we help our residents organise trips and facilitate booking. We also help them hire vehicles for impromptu trips. All our communities in India are located in prime locations which makes it easy for residents to go out shopping, catch the latest movies and eat at their favorite restaurant. Watch a movie: Sometimes, there is nothing more entertaining than watching a movie, whether it is the latest one or a classic. At our senior citizen homes, we provide concierge services that will help you book movie tickets and hire vehicles if you are planning to step out. You can also host a movie screening for your friends and family members at the community. In our Wi-Fi enabled clubhouse, you can watch your favourite movies and shows on your laptop or tablet. Take part in performing arts: Participating in theatre, dance, and music is not just entertaining and fun but it also helps in improving your quality of life and well-being. These activities reduce stress and are good for better cognitive function. At our communities, we organise various activities including performing arts. Recently, we also organised an inter-housing competition that was held virtually owing to the pandemic. Play games: Playing games is a wonderful way to stay engaged and feel a sense of accomplishment. Indoor and outdoor games can be healthy pastimes as they are good for physical and mental health. Our senior citizen housing communities have arrangements for indoor and outdoor games. We also organise friendly matches to keep the community spirit alive. If games are not something that interests you, you can join fitness classes like aerobics and move to the musical beats.

Premium retirement homes in India are gradually gaining popularity. With more and more seniors wanting to live life independently, people are looking for senior-friendly homes that offer convenient services, recreational facilities and medical support. If you are looking for a luxury retirement home without letting go of your taste for the finer things in life, here are some trends you should be aware of: Urban locations: While the idea of having a retirement home on the hills sounds tempting, the reality is that today’s seniors want a city life along with a serene life. Retirement homes at urban locations give them calmness and easy access to main city areas where they can shop, catch the latest movies, dine at their favourite restaurant and hang out with their friends. All our luxury retirement homes are conveniently located with easy access to the main city. High-end amenities: Fully equipped gyms, swimming pool, yoga and aerobics studio, banquet hall and restaurants are just a few of the upscale amenities that you would expect in luxury retirement homes. At our luxury care homes, we have paid close attention to ensure that architecturally the retirement homes are beautiful and safe. Our amenities are designed to cater to an active and independent lifestyle of seniors. You can stream your favourite TV show on your iPad at our Wi-Fi enabled clubhouse. You can order food whenever you want. Concierge services and booking assistance are available. Our luxury retirement homes like The Virtuoso Club And Serviced Residences in Bangalore are compliant with the NBC (National Building Code) standards for accessible housing as well as ADA ( The Americans with Disabilities Act 1990) guidelines for structure and facilities. Independence: Retirement homes maintain a fine balance between community life and independent living. This is why, at our premium homes, there are various accommodation options available. You can choose to stay in a villa or an independent apartment. You can dine with others in the spacious dining halls as well as order in food. The calendar has plenty many activities that will ensure you always find something that interests you.

When you think of your retirement home, the picture of a secluded cottage nestled in a storybook setting, overlooking a river flowing through the misty mountains conjures up. Though beauty and weather are important, access to healthcare, ability to go to the nearest malls and an active social life are things that are also important in the long run. Here are the key amenities that a dream retirement home should have: Make sure your dream home is senior-friendly: With retirement comes freedom as well as certain limitations. Make sure your dream home is fit for your current and future needs. The rooms, bathrooms and common areas should be designed in a senior-friendly way. Our retirement homes are among the best rated senior living communities in India. Independent apartments have bathrooms with grab bars and anti-skid tiles. There are elevators so that residents avoid the staircase. Common areas have non-slippery flooring. We have independent apartments and villas available. The cost of retirement homes can vary from Rs 30 lakhs for a small one BHK apartment to over Rs 1 crore for a larger three BHK apartment in the same community. Ensure easy access to medical care: Access to health care is the most important factor. It is not a good idea to have a retirement home in a place where you have to drive for hours to access medical facilities. Our retirement homes have partnered with nearby hospitals to give our residents round-the-clock care. Emergency care is available within our retirement homes. Periodic wellness workshops and awareness lectures are also conducted. Thriving social life: As they say, a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved and a joy shared is joy doubled. When you have an active social life, there is no feeling of loneliness and alienation. Make sure your dream house encourages you to lead a socially active life. There should be ample opportunities for you to keep yourself busy doing things like yoga, dance, art or playing a game of carrom with your friends.

Bangalore is emerging as one of the most preferred cities in India for retirement. The city has a great social life and offers seniors ample opportunities to do the things they enjoy the most – whether it is visiting a theater, learning something new or enjoying relaxed evenings at the city’s famous parks. Here’s why you should consider spending your golden years in the Silicon Valley of India: World-class healthcare: The city is home to some of the best hospitals in the country. For those planning to spend your golden years in Bangalore, this can be quite reassuring. Our retirement community in Bangalore, Serene Urbana by Columbia Pacific Communities, is away from the hustle and bustle of the city and has all the modern amenities. With Columbia Asia Hospitals as the Healthcare Partners, be assured of round-the-clock healthcare. Good infrastructure: The amazing infrastructure and pleasant climatic conditions make Bangalore an attractive place for development of several new-age retirement communities. The Virtuoso Club and Serviced Residences in Bangalore is India’s first independent senior living community designed to international standards. You can find more details about the project here Social life: Known for its amazing weather, the city offers a lot to its senior residents. You can spend the early morning at Cubbon Park, eat at your favourite restaurant on MG road, and shop at UB City Mall. You can make day trips to Nandi Hills and Bannerghatta Biological Park. You don’t have to worry about booking cabs as retirement homes like ours have dedicated concierge services that takes care of all of this. We help you hire vehicles for your impromptu trips and provide booking assistance.

Retirement homes and birthday parties? Aren’t retirement homes supposed to be grey and lifeless? If you thought so, then let us first dispel a few myths, retirement homes are not old age homes. From hosting movie screenings and music concerts to wellness workshops – today’s retirement homes in India help you stay young at heart. Now let’s look at some interesting ideas to help you host a memorable birthday party. Host a dinner or luncheon: A simple birthday luncheon or dinner feels delightfully wonderful. Having your favourite people around you while relishing your favourite delicacies is a great way to count your candles and blessings. Many retirement homes like ours offer banquet service to help you host a grand party or dinner. Our banquet halls are spacious enough for you to enjoy dining there with your friends and family. For special occasions, we can design the menu as per your preferences. Decorating the banquet hall with streamers, balloons and birthday decor items will make your birthday bash super fun. Host a movie screening of your favourite movie: If you are a movie buff, then celebrate your love for cinema on your special day. You can design your invites to look like movie tickets. Have your guests dress up as their favourite movie characters or just catch the latest blockbuster on the big screen at your retirement home. At our retirement home facilities, we can help you host movie screenings of blockbusters as well as classics so that you can enjoy with your family and friends. Follow the movie up with a nice lunch or dinner. Plan a birthday outing: Visit a museum or a monument, go to your favourite restaurant, attend a music concert, throw an amazing birthday picnic or plan a birthday getaway, there is a lot you can do on your special day. If you are worried about booking tickets and arranging vehicles, many retirement home facilities, including ours, have concierge services for residents. We help you hire vehicles for your impromptu trips. We also provide booking assistance. Fun games equal fun parties: Who said indoor games are only for kids’ birthday parties? To ensure everyone is laughing, engaged, and entertained, host indoor games. Treasure hunt, ping pong, musical hoops, and karaoke can liven up any birthday party. If you’re worried about organising these fun parties, trained and dedicated staff at our senior living communities can help you with this and a lot more. We hope we have given you enough ideas for your birthday bash and you must now be eagerly waiting to blow out the candles and unwrap the gifts.

Leading premium retirement homes in India like ours are dedicated to supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of new age retirees. With facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, bistros, lounges with chef-prepared meals and a spa – premium retirement homes in India operate like five-star resorts that radiate homely vibes. If you are planning to move into a premium retirement home in India, here is a checklist that will help you narrow down your choices – Amenities: Many premium retirement communities in India are ensuring that their retirement homes have upscale amenities that one can expect to find in a five-star resort or hotel. Designed to provide the residents with a dynamic, fun-loving, maintenance-free lifestyle, many premium retirement home communities like ours offer concierge services, maintenance support to handle electrical and plumbing work and supervised staff for household chores like dusting and mopping. With a fully-equipped geriatric gym, air-conditioned library, sprawling courtyards and multi-purpose hall for parties – our premium retirement home in Bangalore promotes a sense of community and belonging. Dining: Gone are the days when dining options at retirement homes were associated with bland and tasteless food. Nowadays, trained chefs and dieticians are hired to ensure that delicious and healthy food is served at retirement communities. Food preferences of residents are taken into account when the menus are designed. At Columbia Pacific Communities, there are regular review meetings between the food and beverage team and residents to ensure that the team accommodates all the special needs of the residents due to dietary restrictions or health concerns. Premium services: There are little luxuries that make premium retirement home facilities like ours welcoming. We understand that for some people, it is not just a new home they are seeking, but a whole new approach to life. Our premium retirement communities in Bangalore have been meticulously designed to create a place of well-being that nurtures one’s body, mind and spirit. From beautiful landscaped gardens and yoga decks to spa and massage services – our community is committed to making every day meaningful and fun for our residents. Privacy, dignity, respect and independence are at the heart of our services and we seek frequent feedback from our residents to ensure that we get every single detail right.

Holistic wellness means taking care of one’s spiritual, mental and emotional needs alongwith the physical ones. The best retirement homes in India like ours have joined hands with wellness and fitness practitioners to ensure that the residents achieve optimum health through an integrated approach to wellness.  Let’s take a brief look at how wellness programs conducted by retirement homes in India like ours fuel the mind, body and spirit of our residents-  Physical wellness: Many retirement homes in India have a structured physical activity and fitness program. Our physical wellness programs include: Daily stretching exercise  Yoga classes  Continuous preventive care and check-ups  Meals made to suit nutritional needs of the seniors  Salons to keep the residents looking and feeling their very best (at select communities) Emotional wellness  Human beings, regardless of age, need meaningful personal connections to have a sense of belonging. However, as people age, the risk of social isolation can increase. At our retirement homes in India, we have a packed calendar of social events to ensure that our residents enjoy an engaged and active lifestyle. Here’s a list of some of the activities that we conduct regularly –   Educational and informative workshops and lectures  Well-stocked libraries with active book clubs  Art classes to encourage residents to pick up new hobbies Movie screenings  Musical concerts  Birthday celebrations  Day outings    Common areas like clubhouse are Wi-Fi enabled so residents can stay in touch with their friends and family.  Spiritual wellness  We conduct yoga classes and meditation exercises to help our residents improve their fitness level and connect with their spiritual side. From bhajans and Bhagavad Gita recitations to hosting spiritual talks – our programs are aimed at helping our residents feel spiritually rejuvenated.

When Anand’s parents broached the subject of moving to a senior citizen home, he was taken aback. He wanted them to come and stay with him. But his parents didn’t want to lose their sense of independence. He took a week’s leave and travelled to Chennai to convince his parents to change their mind. However, his parents were convinced that moving to a senior citizen home will be the best decision for them. His parents had already scheduled a tour with one of the communities and wanted him to accompany them. He unwillingly went with them but when he saw the premises, he was surprised by the state-of-the-art facilities such as a senior-friendly gym, swimming pools, restaurants, craft rooms and a well-stocked library.  After checking the premises and meeting with the team and the residents, Anand changed his mind and was happy with his parents’ decision.  Just like Anand and his parents, many people are warming up to the idea of moving to senior citizen homes. Change in perception Sending your parents to a senior citizen home in India still remains a taboo. But with retirement homes getting a facelift, senior living in India is no longer a dull and boring experience. Senior citizen homes in India like ours offer upscale housing experiences with unrivalled hospitality and facilities. From senior-friendly infrastructure to emergency care with 24*7 ambulance service – we ensure that our residents enjoy a comfortable, safe and secure lifestyle.  Senior citizen homes in India offer services like housekeeping, maintenance, power backup and security which help residents enjoy a long and happy retirement that is free from worry. At Columbia Pacific Communities, most of the day-to-day stress of home ownership and maintenance is taken care of by our supportive team. With ever-ready concierge services, residents face no problems while booking vehicles or organising trips. There are banquet services, movie screenings, hobby classes, yoga and meditation classes, community rooms and regular social gatherings to help residents achieve a sense of wellbeing and connect with their neighbours.  We believe in living life to its fullest. To know more about our senior citizen homes in India, visit here.

Gone are the days when retirement homes were considered old age homes and were associated with bland food. Today’s retirement homes in India are offering their residents not just meals but dining experiences. They offer a social atmosphere as all of us have grown up with social events that have always involved food. If you are looking for the best retirement home for yourself or your loved ones, do check out these latest dining trends: Healthy meals with a range of options: Some of the best retirement homes in India are offering menus that include fresh and nutritious ingredients. Inspired from different cuisines, delicious and healthy meals are offered. As many people miss home-cooked food, at our retirement homes, delicious and sumptuous meals are prepared home-style. It is ensured that meals are in accordance with the nutritional needs of the residents. Dining flexibility: Retirement homes these days provide a variety of dining venues. There are spacious dining halls as well as restaurants. You can also order in, to your doorstep. All this flexibility allows seniors to eat what they want and whatever time they wish. A catering staff who listen: With so many residents to please, today’s luxury retirement homes take feedback from the residents. The dieticians and staff work with residents to come up with different menus. Food allergies or special needs are taken care of. At our retirement homes, review meetings with the food and beverage team are scheduled between the team and residents, for direct feedback. Social atmosphere: In every part of the world, food is an inseparable part of celebrations, be it birthdays, anniversaries or get-togethers. Seniors today expect healthy and upscale food options and menus when they are throwing a party or celebrating an event. Our banquet service helps you throw a memorable party. Skilled catering staff: Retirement homes have upped their game when it comes to the kitchen. They are focusing on hiring employees who can strike a balance between healthcare and hospitality. We have some of the best staff members cooking for our residents. These delicious meals are recommended by qualified dieticians to ensure that the food is healthy and nutritious.

Fun and recreational activities are an important aspect of the new-age senior living communities. With more and more seniors wanting to live life independently and actively, senior living communities   in India are coming up with innovative and stimulating activities. From group exercises and art classes to swimming and meditation classes – the best senior citizen homes in India like ours offer plenty of opportunities for seniors to enjoy a healthy and exciting lifestyle.   Here are a few fun activities that senior citizen homes can organise –   Dance class: Dancing is a universal form of human expression that’s known to relieve stress. It is also a great cardiovascular exercise. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that frequent dancing improves cognitive skills. At Columbia Pacific Communities, dance classes conducted for residents help reduce feelings of isolation and boost happiness. Swimming: For active retirees, swimming is an ideal exercise. It’s not only relaxing but also has numerous health benefits. A 2016 study found that swimming can improve lung capacity. It’s also good for cardiovascular health. Research conducted on seniors suffering from insomnia found that swimming improves sleep and quality of life. Indoor games: Indoor games are fun and social ways to improve flexibility and balance. Our retirement communities have activity centers that are always buzzing with games and sporting events. Reading: Reading helps seniors stay mentally alert and in touch with the world. Our retirement homes have well-stocked libraries and reading clubs where residents can discuss and share their opinions with others. Yoga: The health benefits of yoga are numerous. It improves balance and stability and has a calming effect on the mind.  Yoga also relieves pain caused from stiff joints. At Columbia Pacific Communities, residents actively take part in yoga/pranayama exercises to improve their flexibility and overall mindset. For many residents, these classes are also a great way to make new friends. Art classes: From watercolor and acrylic painting to sketching – pursuing art can open one’s eyes to unseen possibilities. It also helps seniors improve their fine motor skills. Many senior citizen homes in India conduct regular art classes where residents create  art in a group and find an enjoyable way to connect with others.