NEWS of Columbia Pacific Communities

With changing social patterns and the growing number of nuclear families, the demand for homes designed for seniors is bound to rise. A massive senior population will require homes designed especially catering to the needs of the elderly. Communities designed with seniors’ needs in mind are increasingly becoming the lifestyle solution of choice, as well-managed communities serve the current and future needs of their residents. The senior population in India, which stood at 116 mn in 2018, will reach 158 mn in 2025. In four years from today, seniors will constitute 12 percent of the total population of the country. Of these, a staggering 67 mn seniors will be living in urban India. The overall population of the country is split 70 percent in rural India and 30 percent in urban India. The ratio for seniors is skewed more towards the cities, with 42 percent of seniors residing in urban areas. Over the past couple of decades, especially in urban India, family sizes have reduced, income levels have increased, and parents have taken pride in giving their children access to the highest quality of education that they could afford. Globalisation and rapid domestic economic development have given this young, well-educated demographic the opportunity to travel away from their home cities to different parts of the country and the world in pursuit of their careers. The senior demographic, in turn, has taken pride in their children’s growth and being financially independent, wish to retain their personal independence and not be either tagged to or become dependent on their children. As a consequence, an increasing number of parents are living away from their children – not out of compulsion but as a matter of choice. Instead of living alone in their homes or in apartments in mixed-family condominiums, senior living communities offer a lifestyle that takes away the headaches of daily living, as the service provider takes care of all needs such as security, common-area and in-home housekeeping and maintenance requirements, dining and cooking. Furthermore, the on-site medical support attends to the residents’ existing needs and are geared to evolve as these needs change over time. A combination of the daily services and medical support give residents the sense of security they need and their children the peace of mind that their parents are in good hands. A CII report of 2018 on demand for homes in senior living communities pegs the number at 2,40,000. The number of homes that are either available or are in various stages of development is less than 20,000. In the years to come, there are several additional factors at play that will cause a demographic shift in the population mix. Reducing birth rates, increasing life expectancy, and improved medical facilities will see senior citizens (over the age of 65) outnumber children (below the age of 5) for the first time in the recorded history of humankind. Traditions and social practices see parents supporting and caring for their children, and then, in turn, children support and care for their parents in their old age. It is for this reason that the unfortunately named “old age homes” carry with them the totally undeserved stigma of residents being “abandoned” by their children. However, the changing social realities of independent-minded parents and children, a changing world where parents and children pursue independent lifestyles not out of compulsion but as a choice, will see exponential growth in the demand for communities designed for seniors. Given the long gestation periods in the building of real estate projects, the gap between the demand and supply is only going to increase in the medium term. It will require visionary developers and service providers to understand the changes that are occurring and move rapidly to create the solution for the needs that already exist and which will only increase over time.

20 years ago, when Daniel R. Baty ­ the legend who established Columbia Pacific Group in Seattle in 1989 and championed the concept of senior living ­ visited India, he found that the country wasn’t ready for senior living communities. 17 years later when Daniel visited India again, he still felt that the country was not culturally ready for the change, but socially it had opened up to adapt to the global shift. Hence, he decided to offer senior living communities that are world class, safe and secure, giving peace of mind to seniors and their kin. “Social and demographic changes coupled with increasing wealth is leading middle-class Indians to live as nuclear families. Today, parents are willing to let their kids live free, grow, and be global citizens instead of clipping their wings. On the other hand, their children want their parents to live in a community that is supporting and letting them stay away from early aging ­ a community that steals their loneliness and provides them the opportunity to live a life they always wanted to,” explains Mohit Nirula, CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities. He continues, “What makes a senior living community successful is the way it is designed, run and managed which makes seniors live healthier, far longer because it is an extremely healthy, engaging, and active environment. So, the thought of removing loneliness and making them live longer and healthier is why it is the right time for us to think of senior living communities.” With this concept, Daniel and Mohit established Columbia Pacific Communities ­ India’s largest senior living operator. The company is a full service and solution provider in India, providing a range of services to its senior clients, starting from relocation services, valet parking, guest services, concierge services, Wi-Fi, health, and wellness centre, housekeeping, library, food, spa, technicians team, legal and administrative help, technology assistant, courier and postage services, religious rituals and ceremonies, horticulture, event planning, evacuation drills, and several others. What more? To ensure top class services without compromising on the quality of its offerings, Columbia Pacific Communities has divided its business into three sections ­ the first is real estate where it ensures acquiring land at the most suitable location, designing and constructing the building, and then selling it to future residents. The second section is based on hospitality and services. Mohit explains, “The reason why people buy homes in communities for seniors is not much for the home but for the services that they need from the day they move in and the services they require at the growing age over time. Hence, our services at the hospitality context are essential and integral to senior living communities.” The third section of the business is built on the foundation of healthcare. Columbia Pacific Communities understands that as people age over time, there needs to be a community to stand by them in terms of their medical needs, whether it is today or tomorrow. “Columbia Pacific Communities is an amalgamation of real estate, hospitality and healthcare. We stand strong by our promise of world class healthcare and our healthcare partner Columbia Asia Hospital empowers us to do so. We and the hospital are promoted by the promoters of Columbia Pacific Group. We are glad to have the four decades of international experience of the Group that is acting as our guiding light,” explains Mohit. In essence, this is what Columbia Pacific Communities is. The future residents of the communities get a home, world class services and healthcare, all under one roof. To ensure `no compromise’ on its level of services, the company sometimes partners with real estate developers to take advantage of their experience, whether it’s bringing in land in great locations at a reasonable price, or the ability to get approval or the economies of scale that comes in construction, cost and others. “And we bring in the design aspects because of our four decades of legacy in understanding the senior living community design, sales and marketing, and operations in healthcare. Between both the companies, the person who benefits the most are our future residents,” explains Mohit.   The JOURNEY, the GROWTH and the EXCELLENCE The world is a strange place! People, culture, food, taste and almost everything differ from country to country. But in India, this difference can be noted from region to region. With thousands of languages, cultures, dialects, food habits and more, it is difficult to paint them all with a single brush. Hence customization/personalization becomes more important. So, Columbia Pacific Communities followed a differential approach to ensure they meet every client’s needs. Mohit asserts, “The very first step post establishing a base in the country was to acquire companies which allowed us the privilege to serve nine communities. And all of these in just two and a half years ­ serving 3,000 seniors in 1,600 homes spread across nine communities in five cities of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Puducherry. This proved as a learning lesson for us as well, where we got to know what works well and what works better while serving and looking after our residents, and putting the experience into use, we have started looking into designing our own communities.” The company has recently launched its 10th community called The Virtuoso Club and Serviced Residences, in Bangalore. The project is under construction and is likely to get completed by October 2022. Columbia Pacific Communities has also entered into a 50-50 joint venture with Embassy Group in Bangalore, one of the region’s finest developers and with Nyati Group in Pune. The company will shortly add projects in Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Mohit feels that there is a lot of growth and excitement within the company and the organization is really keen on fulfilling its vision of being the country’s largest, best and most preferred developers for community living for seniors. While the world was still fighting the pandemic, Columbia Pacific Communities experienced a considerable growth. “It’s been a busy two and a half years because of the good work done by our team. Remember we are still fighting a pandemic which has impacted seniors in the worst possible manner. However, our team’s hard work is ensuring we remain busier for the next two and a half years”. He continues, “Especially in the past 10 months, ever since we realised that we have to be acutely watchful of what the pandemic can do to our community, we have ring fenced our communities completely to isolate from the external environment and provide our residents all the services they needed within the communities without having them to expose them to any external threat.” Going a step forward, Columbia Pacific Communities took cognizance of the fact that social distancing doesn’t result in social out-passing or loneliness for their community residents. It had every protocol in place to ensure senior citizens live actively engaged social lives without putting them at risk.   The Three PROMISES Standing strong on the three pillars of zero-headache lifestyle, positive aging, and a community standing with you, Columbia Pacific Communities walk each of them, literally. From security needs to housekeeping needs, both in the community and inside the house, from daily and monthly cleaning to preventive cleaning, from watering your plants to taking care of your dining needs including special food requirements due to medical or health reasons, seniors get every facility within the boundaries of the communities. This ensures zero-headache, and they have all the time to themselves to spend walking, playing, listening to music, visiting friends, or watching movies. `Positive aging’ is a special brand promise of Columbia Pacific Communities. It’s not just two magical words but it actually creates magic by de-linking one’s physical age with the concept of aging. “Just because you are 60 doesn’t mean you have to act like you are 60. We would want you to be physically fitter, mentally more alert, intellectually more stimulated and spiritually more enlightened in a social environment,” Mohit highlights. Hence, Columbia Pacific Communities has a packed resident engagement programme that gives people the opportunity and space to engage with like-minded people in their pursuits. This keeps one healthier for longer because one is not sitting idly on the couch staring at the TV and holding the remote. Mohit underlines a very important aspect of aging. He says, “With aging, the radius of your ability to interact with people gets smaller as you have to depend on various factors including a driver, a car, traffic, parking space and more. These hassles might confine your thoughts to go out to any function or meet someone staying at the other corner of the city. Hence our programs ensure that our senior residents spend a lot of time outside in the common areas, thus ensuring they age positively. Built on the foundation of healthcare, Columbia Pacific Communities stands with its residents. Hence it offers 24/7 nurse, driver availability, and 24/7 ambulance on standby. The communities also have doctors visiting on a daily basis, while the premium segments have doctors available throughout the day. This ensures the residents’ needs are addressed instantly. The company also has relationships with nearby hospitals and offers residents the `Golden Hour’, during which a resident can be shifted from his/her bed to a hospital bed within 60 minutes in case of any emergency. Mohit asserts, “We have arrangements with the nearest hospitals whereby there is a seamless entry of the patient in the hospital as the patient’s medical history and data is already shared. This ensures the shortest possible admission in the hospital and one has the best chance of recovery. “Obviously, these don’t happen overnight or on their own. These are practiced, drilled down the legacy line, checked and audited to ensure this happens seamlessly,” he adds.   Giving you the PEACE of MIND Families in India are strongly bonded with love, care, and empathy. Despite all the facilities that their parents might be receiving at senior living communities, kids always have one corner of their brain engaged thinking about their wellbeing. To give them peace of mind, Columbia Pacific Communities is developing a software which will provide all the necessary updates about their residents to their kin. Whether it is their daily walk, health checkup, medial test reports, or others, the software will instantly update the children about their parents’ day-to-day activities. Not just this, the residents can do a lot using the software. They can connect the residents with the community operations, their neighbours and should they wish, it will also be accessible to their friends and family. “They should be able to use the technology platform to do everything they wish to, whether it is booking a seat for a film, sending an invitation to another friend in the same community asking to book his/her seat, while also notifying their children about it. The idea behind developing this technology platform is to reduce distances while ensuring our resident’s privacy,” explains Mohit. “The world is a strange place! People, culture, food, taste and almost everything differ from country to country”   The team that makes it POSSIBLE Great work isn’t possible without a great team, and Columbia Pacific Communities is proud of its members, whether its doctors, nurses, drivers, housekeeping staff, cooks, service personnel, operations teams and others. Hence it ensures that people offering the most critical services stay within the communities. But where the costs are much higher, the staff stays at homes near the community rented by the company. “Our teams are generally led by Resident Managers and are divided into departments like security, housekeeping, engineering, nursing, gardener and others, mostly staying within the community for easy access,” says Mohit. To ensure utmost safety, Columbia Pacific Communities does the background verification of every employee at the community level. “Families in India are strongly bonded with love, care, and empathy. Despite all the facilities that their parents might be receiving at senior living communities”   The VOID that needs FILLING Having all the necessary licenses required to operate senior living communities in India (RERA, food safety and sanitation and basic clinic license), Columbia Pacific Communities has footed its roots at the right place. However, unlike the West, the ecosystem in India is not highly regulated and there is much that needs to be done to promote senior living communities in the country. Hence the company and few others together have created Association of Senior Living in India (ASLI). ASLI engages with the government on various issues pertaining to senior living, whether it’s allocating a land for the community within the city, or higher pay to the maid and cooks in the structure form due to the inclusion of GST, which they wouldn’t have paid in the unstructured manner. “There is a concept of reverse mortgage, where 90 per cent of our residents know that the house they are living in will not be used by their children. So why not allow them to take advantage of this through the reverse mortgage model,” questions Mohit, adding, “There are many such things that can be done to make senior living a little easier and happy. Hence, we try to reach out to the government through ASLI.” Columbia Pacific Communities is not just appealing to the government to make senior living a breeze but is also engaged in creating awareness among citizens. It sees a huge opportunity and demand for such communities in the coming days and hence is working on adding 20 more communities at the rate of four every year for the next five year in various stages of design or possession. Mohit signs off by saying, “Bricks and cement will finish, but the demand for senior living communities in India will not.”. And if the United Nations Population Fund and HelpAge India’s report is anything to go by, Mohit has more than a point because India’s elderly population will grow to 173 million by 2026.   Mohit Nirula, CEO Having a great career spanning over three decades, Mohit has largely built his career graph at The Oberoi Group. Within a decade of his role in the organization, he took leadership roles across various brands of The Oberoi Group and across geographies. At Columbia Pacific Communities, he uses his learning of the past three decades to build a world class senior living community to provide a safe, secure, and engaging lifestyle in an environment of genuine warmth and care.

Well-being of senior citizens or elders around you – be it medical, physical or emotional support, should be taken care. In fact, 25% of seniors over 60 years may suffer from mental or neurological disorders. In a world turned upside down by the pandemic, a change in the perception of mental health has taken place, bringing to the forefront our ageing population and their mental well-being. With a significant increase in this demography, isolation from family members, physical, and often financial problems are some of the major reasons for many seniors to not be in a “good place” as they grow older. In fact, 25 % of seniors over 60 years may suffer from mental or neurological disorders. Mental health problems common among seniors include isolation, anxiety disorders, dementia and psychosis. Many suffer from sleep and behavioral disorders, cognitive deterioration or confusion as a result of physical disorders or surgical interventions. Community and mental well-being Being social beings, humans are not meant to live in isolation.  A community is critical for us to thrive and survive. The simplest, most important element of a community is connection. It is what gives meaning to people’s lives. A community provides a sense of belonging. A community will embrace and accept their unique qualities and help them adjust to the qualities of others. A feeling of belonging helps mental well-being exponentially. Support Be it medical, physical or emotional support, a community will help them through difficult situations that might make them feel desolate. Purpose A community with a vibrant and connected environment is perfect to ensure that seniors are content and can age gracefully. There is help for the physical aspects of their health as well as activities to help them stay engaged socially and stimulated mentally. Safe and yet independent A safe community helps seniors keep their independence, relieves mental stress and creates an atmosphere of positivity. How can you contribute to the well-being of elders around you? Helping seniors with mental health issues is quite simple. All you have to do is reach out to show your concern and support. – Listen to them, ask questions about their concerns, assure them that help is available, mental illness is treatable and not a taboo. – Include seniors in your plans without being overbearing, even when they resist your invitations. – Educate other people on the facts about mental health problems. – Treat people with mental health problems with respect, compassion, and empathy. – Be a friend by finding time for them and their needs and giving them a sense of purpose. – Make their homes a safe place to live in (for e.g., by installing anti-skid tiles and grips in toilets, security devices on main doors).

FINANCE MINISTER NIRMALA SITHARAMAN PRESENTED HER THIRD AND NARENDRA MODI GOVERNMENT’S NINTH BUDGET ON FEBRURARY 1, 2021. INDUSTRY LEADERS FROM VARIOUS SECTORS LIKE REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, RETAIL, COWORKING, DEVELOPERS AND BUILDING MATERIALS EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS AND OPINION ON THE MOST CRUCIAL AND IMPORTANT BUDGET OF THIS UNPRECEDENT TIME. The government has played a tough balancing act between providing demand impetus and keeping a watch on fiscal deficit. Though real estate has not got anything directly from this budget, there are announcements that will indirectly help the sector. Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, National President NAREDCO, commenting on the Annual Budget, said, “It is a get well soon type of Budget, the ‘V’ shaped recovery being powered by the Covid-19 vaccination program. Given the challenged scenario, the proposed annual budget has been largely positive, no major taxation enhancement is something that is welcome. As the Prime Minister pointed out last year saw mini budgets across the pandemic impacted time frame; the unsaid thing for most industries across the economy is that similar steps may happen with more positives in the offing. Continued focus on ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ will enhance ‘ease of doing business’, this government spending will provide stimulus for GDP growth, and is laudable.” Jaxay Shah, National Chairman CREDAI “The Indian Government has proved its mettle by presenting a landmark Union Budget 2021–2022, which majorly focuses on post-COVID revival of the Indian economy. It rightly prioritizes Healthcare, Infrastructure, MSME, Renewable Energy and Start-ups as the key drivers of India’s economic growth and prosperity. The key announcements have been wellreceived by most industry experts and thought leaders. The Budget is pro-citizen as the Indian Government has not levied any COVID cess despite the humungous Government spending to mitigate the impact of pandemic.” AFFORDABLE HOUSING To boost housing demand, the budget has proposed to extend the date of availing an additional Rs 1.5 lakh tax deduction on home loan interest by one more year till 31 March 2022. Furthermore, to keep up supply of affordable houses, an announcement that affordable housing projects can avail a tax holiday for one more year till 31 March 2022 will help real estate developers, and in turn, NBFCs lending to the real estate sector. A one-year extension for developers till March 2022 to claim a 100% tax deduction for affordable housing projects and for affordable rental housing projects benefits will also benefit the developers and the housing finance companies and NBFCs lending to the real estate sector. Sankey Prasad, FRICS, Chairman & Managing Director (India), Colliers International said, “The government continues to focus on affordable housing by extending income tax benefits to both the demand and supply side since this is the most underserved segment in housing. Further, the budget is aimed at unlocking capital tied up in stressed assets, inefficient public sector undertakings, and bank reserves against bad debts. At the same time, there is an opportunity for investors, with the priority to attract large volumes of institutional (including foreign) capital by providing more flexibility to REITs. Hence, we expect this year’s budget to have a steady and meaningful impact on the real estate sector’s fortunes over the next two years.” The real estate expects enhanced ease of doing business for the developers and is optimistic that with green shoots in the economy in sight, the real estate sector is ready for explosive growth. Manoj Gaur, CMD, Gaurs Group & Chairman, Affordable Housing Committee, CREDAI (National) offered another perspective, “Though the number of announcements regarding the real estate sector were few, the sector is all set to gain from the measures taken to strengthen the economy through job creation and asset management. The players in affordable housing segment will get encouragement from tax holiday being extended for one more year; we would see more developers entering the segment in the coming year. The buyers also got benefit when the government extended Rs 1.5 loans to purchase affordable house by one year. But, the long standing demand of giving industry status to the sector has again been ignored.” Achal Raina, COO, Raheja Developers added, “The developers needed measures that can help them in developing the projects on time such as help in loans from banks, single-window clearance, ITC benefit, etc. These topics were not touched upon by the FM and we expect that the government will take care of these soon. The FM has announced measures that might streamline the funds; the real estate sector need financing for incomplete viable projects, and we hope that banks will extend help to the realty sector.” Sushil Mohta, Chairman, Merlin Group and President, Credai West Bengal, satetd, “We welcome the big picture of boosting the FDI, Ease of doing Business on the Tax administration and compliance. We expected necessary sops to the real estate sector to revive like reduction of GST on under construction projects and bringing back Input tax credit. We expected more liquidity to buyers to boost the consumption by raising the ceiling of the rebate on the home loan interest from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakhs. This could have proved to be a helpful measure to attract more and more customers to invest in properties. .” The extension of one year on the additional deduction of affordable housing and the extension of the tax holiday on affordable housing is a right step towards ‘Housing for All’ initiative.  INFRASTRUCTURE BOOST This Budget focuses on augmenting infrastructure with a special focus on expediting urban infrastructure projects which will act as a strong catalyst in driving real estate in urban areas. There is also a continued thrust on the agriculture sector which is likely to result in higher incomes and drive consumption. Another important initiative is the allocation for the improvement of the urban transport system, which can be a booster dose for real estate and housing sector. Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) will also be enabled to debt finance REITs and InvITs after necessary amendments to the law. “The emphasis given on urban infrastructural development through the expansion of the metro rail network will help in seamless connectivity in Tier-II cities along with other prevailing announcements like RRTS, freight corridors will give thrust to the realty sector,” said Santosh Agarwal, CFO and Executive Director, AlphaCorp “Debt Financing of InVITs and REITs by foreign investors will be made seamless through required alterations in the applicable law. This would ease and increase the funds channel for real estate sectors. Additionally, tax benefits to be extended and an increase in the current ceiling on property value are expected. Furthermore, the government is looking at implementing strict regulations for delayed or deferred payments timely payment regulates the momentum of the industry.” Amit Goenka, MD & CEO at Nisus Finance. FISCAL INCENTIVES Setting up of Development Finance Institution to address funding gaps, highest infrastructure spending, recapitalization of banks, boost to divestment, and monetization of government assets will surely ensure an increase in the growth momentum. Portal to maintain information on gig workers and construction workers is a welcome move. As also the the major proposal for the road, rail and airport infrastructure for a robust public transport. This will ease the mobility and now people will also think about property investments outside the city. Senior citizens above 75 years will not be required to file income tax returns provided they are earning only from pension and interestFor senior citizens above 60 years income up to Rs 3 lakhs per year is not taxable while for those above 80 years income up to Rs 5 lakhs is not taxable. Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Group commented, “The Budget’s high focus on public capital expenditure, relaxing fiscal deficit targets and concrete plans to support financial markets through recapitalisation of public sector banks, and an asset reconstruction company for bad loans will provide the necessary impetus to restore economic growth. While the Budget is cognizant of the country’s immediate economic needs, it also lays out a medium term vision of 3-5 years. Furthermore, the introduction of a Development Finance Institution (DFI) to fund long term projects will complement the high focus on infrastructure. With banks remaining evasive towards long term institutional exposures, the DFI is expected to ensure availability of credit for projects with long gestation periods.” Alok Saraf, Associate Partner. Grant Thornton Advisory Pvt Ltd was of the view that FM had a very limited elbow room for any big bang announcement given the over looming fiscal deficit. “On an overall basis the budget 2021 was pragmatic. Markets have cheered that there was no new introduction of additional income tax cess which means the personal tax regime remains unchanged.” “The proposed easing of restrictions on leverage by InvITs/ REITs will attract more REITs listings and thus higher investments into real estate. The announced monetisation of surplus land of government and government bodies is a welcome move; however, the implementation will need to be monitored,” added Dr. Samantak Das, Chief Economist and Head of Research, JLL India.  Real estae’s unfulfilled demands include, allowing FDI in ready to move in inventory to improve liquidity in the market, granting industry status, extending the tax benefit from affordable to mid housing and allocating additional capital for distressed funds. Sharing his opinion, Mohit Nirula, CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities on union budget from a senior care perspective said, “Senior citizens constitute 9% of the population.  This number will progressively increase to be 20% by 2050.  Our seniors are currently battling high inflation, dropping interest rates, increasing medical expenses and the second highest GST slab rates on in-home services.  We are not sure if relief from filing returns on income tax is adequate recognition for a lifetime of service to the nation.”

While two-thirds of India’s population is under 35, the country’s senior population is rapidly growing: By 2050, India will be home to more than 300 million senior citizens. Mohit Nirula, CEO of Columbia Pacific Communities (CPC), believes the country currently has insufficient infrastructure to support its aged population. Traditional Indian culture mandates that children take care of their parents in their golden years, bringing them home to live with them. But globalization has changed cultural norms. “Children are going where their career takes them,” Nirula told India-West, noting India’s rapidly developing economy and opportunities for Indians abroad. “Children are happy to be achieving success, and even happier than them and taking more pride are their parents,” he said. But India’s seniors are remaining home, often in isolative settings, which accelerates the pace of aging. Columbia Pacific Communities is part of the Seattle, Washington based Columbia Pacific Group conceptualized by Daniel Baty, founder of the one of the foremost developers of senior living communities in the U.S. CPC is attempting to mitigate the isolation and loneliness many Indian seniors are facing. The company has built senior living communities in five cities in South India and has set its sights on Pune. CPC is India’s largest provider of senior living communities. In Bengaluru, the company has one existing community, and another is under construction and open for early buy-in. A third community in Bengaluru will be launched this fall in collaboration with the Bengaluru-based Embassy Group. There are two CPC communities in Chennai, one in Kanchipuram, four in Coimbatore, and another in Puducherry. Each site is close to the city, so that seniors can continue their active lifestyles. “These are not ‘I have given up on life and I now want to sit down and pray’ kind of communities. These are very vibrant active people,” Nirula told India-West. For its upcoming signature project in Bangalore, The Virtuoso Club and Serviced Residences, seniors can choose from one-bedroom homes — which start at Rs. 46.03 lakh — or options up to three bedrooms, which run about Rs. 1.24 crore. While the facilities provide meal services at Rs. 125 – 150 per meal, residents can also cook light meals in their own kitchenettes. Importantly, each community is equipped with 24-hour nursing staff and an ambulance, and partners with Columbia Asia Hospitals to provide regular doctor’s visits for each resident. At the upcoming Virtuoso Club and Serviced Residences, residents also will pay a supplemental monthly fee, ranging from Rs. 16,000 – 37,000, for the Positive Aging program, which offers a variety of daily activities and outings. Children living abroad can check in on their parents’ activities and well-being via apps. “Sitting in the U.S., you will know that your dad has booked to go and see a movie at the theater on the first-floor day after tomorrow. You will also know that Mr. Khanna has been sent an invitation by your dad to join him, and that he has walked 6,500 steps already.” “So, the day you see that he’s not walked, you can call him and ask: ‘What happened? You didn’t go for your morning walk,’” added Nirula, quipping: “Obviously, the technology is built in a manner that gives your dad control. He may not want you to see he has been lazy today.” The average age of a new resident is 67, but people are also buying at a younger age, said Nirula. Indian nationals residing abroad can buy a unit, while Indian Americans with OCI cards are also eligible. Columbia Pacific Communities do not offer memory care — needed for those with advanced Alzheimer’s or dementia. But Nirula pointed out that it is only in the last stage of both illnesses that people must be moved into memory care facilities: those in stage one, two, or three can live in CPC’s independent senior living communities. Stigma still abounds for seniors moving to an senior living communities. “It’s amazing how sensitive parents are about moving into a senior living community lest people tell their children, ‘you have not looked after your parents.’ It’s almost as if they need permission from their children to do right for themselves,” Nirula told India-West. “They will continue to live alone in a home, fight with maintenance people, be afraid of stepping out in the dark, but not talk to their children to say, “Listen. I’d like to move into this community. It’s got everything that I need.’” Nonetheless, the concept is taking hold. Each of the existing nine communities have a waiting list. The units can be sold by the next of kin or rented out. “There’s been a paradigm change in the way senior living communities are viewed both by children and by their parents,” said Nirula. “Parents need a solution which looks after their day-to-day needs and they don’t have to depend on six different resources, but just one service provider. They need the peace of mind in the assurance that comes with medical support that is available to them 24/7, and they need to be able to be with friends where social life is just an elevator ride away.” “Senior living communities are now the preferred way to live rather than staying alone in a home or being part of a mixed family,” he said, adding: “For children, it gives them peace of mind that their parents are in a good, safe place where all their needs are being looked after.”

The elderly population in India is expected to grow from 116 million in 2018 to 158 million in 2025 in just four years from today.  This demographic will account for 12% of the total population. Jump forward another 25 years and the elderly population in India will grow to 300 million by 2050, almost a fifth of the country’s population. 2025 will see a staggering 67 million seniors living in our cities. While the senior population as a whole will grow by a third from 2018, the urban senior population will increase by 75% from 39 million in 2018 to 67 million in 2025. This dramatic increase in the urban senior population needs to be seen in context of some evolving sociological paradigms. The urban seniors in India are now faced with the specter of loneliness – the fastest accelerator of ageing and age related illnesses. This is not on account of any cultural change whereby children and parents prefer to live independent of each other. Instead, the reasons lie in a combination of smaller families, better access to quality education and career opportunities that are not limited by state or country borders in a globalized world. This has meant that more and more children and their parents are living in different cities – many times in different countries. Increasing life expectancy (now at 72 years for India, and higher for Urban India), dropping birth rate and better medical facilities is also rapidly altering the dependency ratio (the ratio of older dependents to the working age population). There has been a steady increase in the dependency percentage from 8% in 1950 to over 13% in 2016. What this means is that more and more seniors will need to live their life independently, for longer. These interconnected strands of a changing society have created a massive gap between the demand for and supply of homes in communities especially designed for seniors. As per the CII report of 2018, the demand for senior homes is in the range of 240,000 while the total number of homes available and in different stages of completion are less than 20,000. When one juxtaposes the ongoing increase in the number of seniors staying alone with the long gestation periods of creating communities, the demand-supply mismatch, unless something changes in the near future, will only increase over time. One of the factors that prevents entrepreneurs from moving quickly to address this opportunity is the unfortunate stigma that is attached to communities for seniors.  It is very unfair that such communities are seen by society as the last resort for the destitute and the abandoned like a place where one ends up when there is no option.

Growth. Hope. Continuous connection. Innovation. Frugality. Purpose. To me, the marketing and communication landscape in particular, and business in general will be marked by the above six words in 2021. Allow me to elaborate. Hope. And a little growth: A gloomy year necessitates hope and positivity. Therefore, brands would adopt “hope” as the key emotion for their communication strategy in 2021, as the world welcomes the vaccine. “Hope” will be followed by a hunger for growth, which would be fuelled by the pent-up demand of consumers. For instance, in H2 of 2020, we saw tremendous spurt in domestic tourism, as a result of pent- up demand. And the same is likely to be seen in categories such as retail, F&B and real estate as well. Marketers would craft their storytelling around hope and positivity and build forward-thinking, future facing narratives. The recent Facebook campaign More Together, is a great example of incorporating both “hope” and a promise of “growth” in a narrative. 2021 would be about such narratives, because that’s what consumers are desperate to see. The age of continuous connection: The age of a few marquee big ticket/seasonal campaigns while being largely dormant through the rest of the year for brands ended with COVID-19. Brands have to prepare for a brave new and more connected world, where brands can’t afford to go off the radar ever. It is about continuous and meaningful communication with consumers in order to keep them engaged and ensure high mental availability. That’s a big contributor to brand growth. With its on the ball, timely, topical and extremely shareable content and storytelling, Swiggy is a brand that has managed to maintain a continuous connection with its consumers without ever coming across as annoying or intrusive. Innovate. Innovate. Innovate 2020 was all about rapid innovation at scale. From retail to e-commerce, hospitality to real estate, F&B to BFSI, there wasn’t a single industry that did not innovate. A lot of the innovation in marketing and communication has been possible because of quick digital adoption and investment in future-forward technology, and COVID-19 truly was the key catalyst to India’s digital transformation making the country the second fastest digitizing economy in the world. The “stay at home economy” is here to stay. And that means that brands would have to work on product and service innovations that are tailor made for this economy. While the vaccine would result in more people willing to step out, it won’t be available to all till the end of the year. And the habit of staying home/working from home that has been formed will not be eroded so quickly. As more people continue to spend time indoors, time spent on consumption of content across channels, mediums and devices will keep soaring. And therefore, marketers will treat content as the king and the fulcrum of their marketing strategy. Content will find myriad expressions. It won’t just be limited to being a brand storytelling tool. It would be used widely to engage consumers and build recall. Towards this, marketers will use tools such as gamification to engage consumers and talk about their product features or services in an interesting way. Brands such as Reebok, Domino’s and Pepsi have used gamification beautifully on platforms such as Facebook to create reward-based games that have engaged their customers and made them share the games as well. Being frugal Although the economy is bouncing back faster than expected, according to Investment Bank Goldman Sachs, India will see the worst decline in GDP in FY 2021. Hence, brand would be cautious about spending, and there will continue to be budget cuts across marketing functions. More importantly, to make up for lost time, marketers will focus on bottom funnel marketing activities and doing more with less. They will be extremely ROAS-focused, planning their investments in a way where there is almost guaranteed, measurable returns and impact on business. In terms of performance marketing, there will be increased focus on cost of acquisition of customers and ARPU (Average Revenue Per User). In terms of top funnel channels, brands will rely on PR and earned media, UGC, micro influencers and social media marketing to raise awareness and build salience. At Columbia Pacific Communities, a great deal of importance is attached to being frugal. Whether it’s our focus on earned media, our keenness to create maximum impact with minimum resources or produce multi-award winning work on a shoe-string budget with very limited media spends, we believe in working very hard to save every marketing penny. Particularly in a category such as senior living, great marketing is one that bridges the mental gap between the customer and the purveyor, and is not necessarily a result of top dollars spent. A large part of our creative productions including newspaper ads, is done in house, to keep costs low. And moving creative production in-house, and working with an integrated agency are practices that a lot of brands are likely to adopt in 2021, to ensure agility as well as frugality. Purpose will prevail: By now, every marketer has seen enough reports and pie charts that state that brands with purpose grow 2x more than those without it. But 2020 is the year where this truly got tested. Customers stayed with brands that had a purpose. Consumers of the future, and particularly the millennial consumer, is uber-aware socially and politically, and want to consume brands that not only have a larger purpose but are also transparent and accountable. Intelligent marketers are aware that customer engagement and retention is more crucial than customer acquisition, because it’s proven that customer acquisition is about 7x more expensive than customer retention. And retaining customers and focusing on building a long term, valued relationship with them starts with having a purpose that goes beyond a product.

With the demographic shift indicating a steady increase of the elderly population and the lessons taught by the Covid-19 pandemic, now may just be the best time to combine senior care with the optimal use of new technologies. It is an excellent opportunity for the senior citizens to move confidently towards positive and graceful ageing. For centuries, the care of seniors has been routine and standard involving a doctor (who diagnoses and maintains medication needs) and a caregiver (a family member or a nurse who looks after their daily needs). They may then require assistance due to a variety of issues, which include lack of mobility (because of physical or neurological issues), loss of memory, vision and hearing or just plain and simple loneliness. With the advent of the smartphone, Wi-Fi and GPS, the thought process of senior care providers has changed and the services improved beyond imagination, bordering almost on the realm of science fiction. Technology benefits for seniors can be summed up by the impact they make on the day-to-day living of the elderly. Communication Communication has been the major contributor for positive ageing with its impact on all aspects of health – physical, mental or social. Notably, the smartphone has been the leader in this field. A device small enough to fit into your pocket can connect the user with anyone across the world. Ease of access to communicate with loved ones has become more efficient with popular video conference apps such as Zoom or Skype. More and more apps are appearing everyday giving seniors more confidence as they stay connected with their friends, family and caregivers, and making collective decisions on simple issues to complex lifesaving ones. Depression and isolation is reduced and they spend their time at home with dignity and a sense of pride derived from their retained independence. Security and safety Security and safety is an important concern for senior citizens and developments here are invaluable for many reasons. Seniors who are living alone can protect themselves from harm with security systems, electronic data monitoring systems and medical alert systems. Seniors can monitor their home when they are out or on vacation. Vulnerable adults can safely remain in their homes avoiding physical contact with potentially dangerous and unwanted guests. Cameras protect the elderly from abuse as a caregiver or a family member can remotely monitor all activities. Medical alert systems have been developed to alert caregivers or emergency personnel when an elderly person needs assistance. A senior has to simply press a wearable call button and can be connected with a dispatcher who can summon emergency help, or contact a family member. More than 60 per cent of those with Alzheimer’s or any form of dementia will wander from time to time. If not found within 24 hours, up to half of these will suffer serious injury or death. The advancements in GPS technology are tremendous. A wristband, a ring, a pendant and now even clothing can be fitted with a GPS a device. Technology has produced GPS trackers that can be ironed into clothing, placed in soles of shoes or put in handbags. And if the sensors pick up on changes in activity, they can send an automatic notification (via text, phone, or email) to the care provider or family members. Health benefits Personal health technology has evolved in the field of personal health as well including medication, device management and monitoring. It provides vital data and trends enabling doctors to develop the best individual plan of care. Limited contact during the pandemic has revolutionised telemedicine. Healthcare facilities now offer telemedicine wherein the patient can virtually consult the doctor and discuss medical problems from home, reducing infection, transportation, language and geographical barriers. Medical technology advances have restructured the health care system to document, diagnose, and continually monitor health concerns electronically. Technology, by working together with modern medicine has aided research, formulated cures and remedies for illnesses to save lives. Entertainment Technology provides endless hours of entertainment in the form of television, videos, games and much more. It also offers additional features and improvements constantly. Seniors can access their favorite books on an e-reader, with audio books as an alternative. Music is accessible from any decade and by any artist with millions of songs available to listen to on smartphones, computers, car audio devices, portable speakers and televisions. Boredom can lead to depression in the elderly. Fortunately, senior-friendly games and apps are available online to help sustain physical and mental well-being, for e.g. solitaire, scrabble, tennis, bridge, apps for religious activities.   These apps encourage interaction with new people, friends and family. Seniors can actually challenge their grandchildren now physically and mentally over virtual platforms. Conveniences in life For seniors who do not have access to transport or have mobility challenges, technology brings day-to-day living conveniences to their doorstep. These conveniences can also be used for financial requirements such as banking, accessing pensions, making utility payments, to name a few.  There’s no risk to health, no facing inclement weather, no standing in lines. Caution in this area is necessary as data breaches are costly, and scammers often target seniors. Those who enjoy getting out and shopping can use apps for transportation services and safely get from one place to the other. Physical disabilities no longer pose a challenge when using a computer. State-of-the-art technology can be modified to fit the physical and cognitive needs of the user. Internet of (medical) things The internet of (medical) things is a simple concept. It is the connection of medical devices and data via the internet allowing sharing of data in the medical world. The entire medical ecosystem – caregivers, patients, payers and providers will be on a new level of engagement to remotely connect and maintain devices, provide monitoring of regimens, medical, nutritional vitals or for various implants which may have been used by the senior. Virtual or robotic assistants Devices, many of them with automated voices, are available that allow seniors to get help, receive a better understanding of their medical duties for the day such as taking medication, exercising, nutrition, etc. There will be robots that seniors can have in their homes to remind them to take medications, browse digital content, listen to their favorite music, connect with family, and discuss world issues. Emergency response services (ERS) Some of the biggest worries faced by senior citizens are addressed through ERS. These systems will notify the family, the care provider or the hospital immediately to ensure timely assistance and save lives. Medication assistance Almost 40 per cent of seniors take five or more prescription drugs adding to the problem of medication errors and polypharmacy. While polypharmacy is a problem by itself, there are solutions that recent advances in technology have created to help seniors manage their current prescriptions. There are pill boxes with alarms that allow seniors to know what pill they need to take and when they need to take them. Technology is developing in these areas with refined smart pill bottles, better connection with their doctors and pharmacies which send signals (like a text message or phone call) for safe medication management. Patches, implants and prosthetics Most of us are familiar with cardiac implants like pacemakers, defibrillators and heart valves, glucose monitoring and medicine dispensing systems. Not too far away is the technology of tomorrow bringing in artificial hearts, stem cells for organ replacement, robotic surgery, advanced limb bio-prosthetics, etc. The changing world of seniors has accepted that life by app has become a way of life, that convenience services are not just for the millennials, that video chats are not only for the teens, that online education is available to learn new skills at any age, and home delivery is no longer just a convenience, it is a necessity. High-tech is not a substitute for the human touch. The help of a virtual home assistant does not provide the same warmth of a loved one’s visit. Likewise, the efficient delivery of a meal is not the same as a home-cooked meal delivered by a smiling neighbour. As the generation gap narrows, technology will continue to improve lifestyles in every capacity. Medical, social, entertainment, cognitive, and physical advantages will become undeniable parts with our day-to-day routines. Bits of science fiction have already caught up with us and more technological advancements will create wondrous things such as commercialised space travel opportunities, flying cars, robot companions, or perhaps, cure for cancer. The world will be healthier and safer, and seniors will become a completely independent demographic. (Author is advisor, Health and Wellness, Columbia Pacific Communities)

Senior women across the world face the dual prejudice of AGEISM and SEXISM in their daily lives. That’s more than 400 million women across the world. Columbia Pacific Communities, through its digital film, conveys to senior women that the only thing they SHOULD NOT be doing, is living life on others’ terms Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmSFQaQ6mPg About Columbia Pacific Communities: Columbia Pacific Communities is India’s largest and most experienced senior living community operator with close to 1600 residential units under management in 5 cities and 9 communities across south India.  Recently, they launched ‘The Virtuoso Club and Serviced Residences’, India’s first senior living community designed to international standards. As the pioneers in this category, the operator is committed to redefine the concept of senior living in India and create world-class practices that exceed the expectations of its stakeholders. It is part of the Columbia Pacific group, one of the foremost developers of senior living communities and hospitals in the United States and South East Asia. Founded by Dan Baty, Columbia Pacific Group has more than 40 years of experience and expertise in designing, building, and managing senior housing communities around the world. The team, with the expertise of their directors in the United States and their partners in India, brings together rich experience in senior housing design, development, and management.

Srinivas and his wife are in their late fifties. Their son is settled in the US, while their daughter is married and settled in Chennai. Srinivas and his wife are experiencing difficulties in maintaining their house and catering to their household needs, especially post COVID lockdown. Srinivas researched and found the concept of senior living communities interesting, convenient and affordable. Hence, both of them have now decided to spend the rest of their lives at a senior living community. Now, they are on the lookout for a senior living community either in Bengaluru or Mysuru. Population of senior citizens increasing in India According to a census by TriBeCa Care, around 15 million senior citizens live alone in India. Of them, almost 75% are women. The UN Population Fund and HelpAge India report suggests that the population of elderly persons is expected to reach 173 million by 2026. Currently, 1/15th of India’s population is above 65 years of age. By 2050, one in every seven people will be a senior citizen, i.e., above 60 years of age. Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) says that by 2050, the population of senior citizens in India will have increased considerably. As per him, we need to take care of their habitat, health, source of income/financial security and special care. He further added that the government of India has taken several legislative measures to make the lives of senior citizens easier. This includes the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act 2007 and the National Policy for senior citizens, 2011. Many big builders are venturing into the senior living community sector  Tata, Embassy and many other big brands are entering the senior living community sector. According to Ankur Gupta, Chairman of Association of Senior Living India (ASLI), 30 to 50 new senior living community projects will be coming up in the next two years. A zero headache lifestyle i.e., positive ageing, nutritious food, geriatric medicine, groceries, housekeeping, safety and security is the main aim of these senior living communities. Some interesting facts about senior living communities    * 80-85% of the project cost is borne by senior citizens * People between 50-60 years prefer such communities * Friends want to stay together in their old age * Enquiries are more from the younger generation Average cost of senior living communities The average cost of a unit in these communities is anywhere between Rs 35 lakh to Rs 1.50 crore. However, the velocity is in the Rs 40-60 lakh segment. A zero headache lifestyle Speaking on the amenities offered by these senior living communities, Mohit Nirula, CEO, Columbia Pacific Communities says that the security, housekeeping and maintenance of the house & garden is taken care of by them. While the residents are living in the community or when they are out of town, everything is looked after. Engineering requests are catered via regular checks, even before a problem arises. Food requirements, shopping and groceries are all taken care of round the clock. He further added that there are various levels of security depending on the type of community that you choose. Increased enquiries post COVID lockdown Nirula explains that they have a separate sales vertical that takes care of rental and resale of homes in ready communities. As per him, this vertical has never been this busy earlier. They now have a long list of waiting applicants. He makes two interesting observations – one, their sales are better post CORONA than pre-CORONA and two, post CORONA, the demographics looking to buy these homes have become younger. 4 important trends to watch out for  Ankur Gupta, Chairman, ASLI contemplates four important trends in the near future. One, many products and services catering to senior citizens will be launched; two, there will be standardisation with respect to senior living communities in India; three, increase in the number of educated seniors who are aware of various products available in the market; and four, emergence of a new model of PPP. Conclusion The warmth, love and care that a family provides is unmatched. But if the elders want to stay independently and away from family pressures or the situation is such that external support and security is inevitable, then these communities are the ideal options.