INDIA: It's not an old-age home, but an ideal home for senior citizens....

. CHENNAI, Tamil Nadu (The Times of India), April 28, 2008: V Rajagopalan and his wife Meenakshi greet us at the door and usher us into the living room, which is tastefully furnished, with family photos taking pride of place. There is also a small alcove for puja, a colour TV, fridge and a microwave. The apartment of Rajagopalan (88) and his wife (80) is as comfortable as any other you would find in the city, but with a difference — theirs is an apartment meant exclusively for the elderly, one of the 152 in the Srimathi Sundaravalli Memorial Residency (SSMR). Located at Perungalathur, on the outskirts of Chennai, the Residency is not an old-age home, but an "ideal home for senior citizens." The residents here are all well-educated, upper middle class couples, most of whose children live abroad or far away places. Though there are widows and widowers. And they have chosen SSMR because it enables them to live in a comfortable home of their own without the hassles of city life or managing a household. The apartments, about 510 sq ft each, have a homely feel. Each block has eight apartments on the ground floor and eight on the first — all built around a courtyard. A lift takes you to the first floor. "We were staying in a second floor flat in Besant Nagar but it was difficult climbing the stairs," says Rajagopal, who has been living in SSMR for the past one-and-a-half years. "Also, there was daily tension whether the maid would turn up or not." Lakshminarayanan, who was an assistant director with Central Leather Research Institute in Adyar, agrees. This 74-year-old, a widower, has two children who live abroad and a son who works in IIT, Madras. "This is an upper middle class facility and has good facilities like the library," he says. He has donated 500 of his books to the library where he spends a lot of time. "I’ve been here for six months and plan to spend the rest of my time here," says Lakshminarayanan. He has a house in the city, the rent from which pays his bills in SSM. And he has retained his own car so that he is mobile. At SSMR, residents can opt for single or double unit apartments. Each single unit apartment has a small verandah, living room, bedroom and an attached bathroom. Basic furniture and colour TV with cable connection is provided. All rooms are also stocked with torches, candles and even umbrellas. If the residents want to, they can fix their own AC, fridge and microwave. Breakfast, lunch, tiffin and dinner are also provided. Every morning, except Sundays, maids come in to tidy up the rooms. But not everyone can afford it. For one, you have to pay Rs 6 to Rs 7 lakh as caution deposit. Admisssion criteria is also strict. First, pro-spective residents visit the place. They can also stay there for a day or two on a trial basis, at Rs 750 a day. "Then we visit them in their homes to check their background and see if they can afford it," says S Raghavan, general manager of SSMR. The inhabitants also have to be vegetarians and have clean habits. If all criteria are met, they pay the deposit and a monthly bill of Rs 5,000 per month. SSMR was established by the Sundaravalli Memorial Residency Trust in 2006. "Initially the plan was to start a residential school or college, but we found that there was a demand for apartments for upper middle class senior citizens as they wouldn’t be comfortable in a regular old age home," says Raghavan. priya.menon@timesgroup.com Copyright © 2008 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.