INDIA: Dignity Lifestyle is “a Hassle Free Retirement Township

GRENOBLE, France (TheMatureMarket), August 23, 2006: You are Sailesh Mishra, Chief of Project at Dignity Foundation. Could you please introduce the India-based non-government organization? In India there are many Non Government Organizations (NGO) working for various causes. Most of them are not-for-profit organizations and are registered with the charity commissioner. Dignity Foundation, a charitable organization under Societies Registration Act 1860 GBBSD/97C is one of the pioneers in providing care to the Elderly. It was established in April 1995 to cater to the needs of the elderly, starting with the publication of the magazine Dignity Dialogue. In a year's time Dignity Foundation grew to add services in the fields of Geriatrics and Gerontology. It offers structural opportunities to exercise the choice of how to live young in chronologically advancing years. Dr.Sheilu Sreenivasan is Founder President. Under her leadership at the end of eleven years of our existence we have a battery of services: - Dignity Dialogue -- Magazine for Productive Ageing - Dignity Companionship – For lonely senior citizens - Dignity HELPLINE – Social support system for Elder Abuse - Security with Dignity – Network of protection to Elders Who Live Alone - Dignity Second Careers –Job Counselling and Placement - Dignity Computers Skills -- In exclusive learning environment - Dignity Civic Service – A Project with Bombay Municipal Corporation - Walking Patrol - Project with Mahanagar Gas Ltd. - Dignity Lifestyle – Residential Township for 500 Senior Citizens - Senior Citizens Counseling Centre – Financial, Consumer, Tax, legal, Property - Senior Citizens ID Card – Government-stamped Identity Card by Maharashtra Govt - Dignity Enrichment Centre – Daycare with Recreation and Learning - Loneliness Mitigation Project – Fortnightly Bus Trips for Outings to Lonely Elders - Dignity Dementia Care – For people Suffering from Memory Loss Due to Brain Damage One thousand people come into contact with us every day. To 400,000 senior citizens we have issued senior citizens ID cards. Dignity has four chapters - Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Jamshedpur. We have heard of a program set up by Dignity Foundation called "Dignity Lifestyle". What is it? Dignity Lifestyle is India’s first Retirement Township, and a program by Dignity Foundation, India’s premier organization committed to enriching the lives of senior citizens, enabling them to live independently. Dignity Lifestyle Trust has been set up by the Trustees of Dignity Foundation. Dignity lifestyle is “a hassle free Retirement Township. Not an old age home”. It has around 346 cottages and central facilities like Club house, Dining and Medical Ward. Around 600 elderly will stay their when the project is completed. At present we have competed 58 cottages and central facilities. This Township also has India’s first 24 x 7 Dementia Care Center. We believe there is life after 60. And you’ll find it flourishing just 90 km away from Mumbai, in the foothills of Matheran. It is a place where a lot happens. At a pace that’s as easy or as energetic as you like, where you can wind down with yoga and meditation. Or perk up with a brisk walk. Lie back and enjoy an ayurvedic massage. Or work up a sweat at the Fitness Centre. Pot a plant or pot a ball. Deploy your skills at a game of chess, or at managing a village development project. It is a sprawling 25 acre residential township, unpolluted, environmentally healthy and stimulating. The staff relieves you of mundane chores like cooking and housekeeping - and occasionally, your worries. Psychologists lend you their ears. And specially trained social workers, their support. For those who need it, lifetime medical assistance at a 100-bed Geriatric Care Hospital. Dignity Foundation holds an important event in September 2006 in Mumbai. Would you like to talk about it? We are happy to inform you that Dignity Foundation is holding a symposium titled National Symposium on Innovations in Design for Elder Care on September 12 and 13, 2006 at World Trade Centre, Mumbai from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is being organized under the aegis of the Science & Society Division of the Ministry of Science and Technology, India. Though India has progressed rapidly in science and technology, technological and design innovations have yet to reach the area of elder care. While thousands of specially designed products are available to make life easier for senior citizens in most developed countries, not many are aware of their existence. This symposium aims to make a beginning in creating this awareness. This could also lead to development of such senior-friendly products in order to make them affordable to the common man. This is our endeavor to make elder care as easy as possible to care givers. We would like to see every senior citizen live a comfortable and dignified life. We hope this symposium will open up new ideas and avenues in caring for elders. How much do you estimate the elder care market in India? Could you share some relevant data/figures here? Due to medical innovation, better medical facilities and improved standard of living the population of Elderly is increasing. There are around 81 Million elderly in India. We have identified the following five critical areas for technological design innovations to improve the quality of living of the elderly in India in the areas such as: 1 Architectural Layout Designs for state of the art Old Age Homes 2 Financial Models for running such Homes 3 Standards of minimum aspects of Elder Care 4 Innovations to improve Mobility, Communications, Entertainment, Safety, Convenience, Health 5 Innovative Services in Elder Care There is a potential market for elder care products in India in this area. The government has taken note of this growth rate of elderly and started program for providing various services ad products to elderly. TheMatureMarket.com is edited by SeniorStrategic Network © SeniorStrategic