Things you should know about care homes in India

What are Care Homes?

A Care Home is a residential care facility that provides assisted living services to people who need it – either due to old age or disability. It is not, however, the same as a licensed nursing home facility.

Care Homes are independent living accommodations where elderly or disabled people can live their life with full autonomy, dignity, privacy, and safety – and at the same time have their day-to-day needs looked after by trained caregivers, along with family and community involvement.

What services can I expect at a Care Home facility?

Some of the services you can expect to receive at a Care Home facility are:

• Assistance with daily living and grooming activities, such as taking a bath, dressing up, eating, using the toilet, etc.


• Common dining facility with three meals a day


• Organized recreational activities


• Wellness programs


• Exercises to suit varying medical conditions


• Educational activities to keep residents occupied


• Emergency call systems in private and common areas


• Health services and medication administration


• Housekeeping, laundry and maintenance


• Social services and religious activities


• Arrangements for transportation


• 24-hour security

What quality of life can I expect at a Care Home facility?

Most people living in assisted Care Home communities will tell you that their life is a whole lot better at the Care Home than before they moved to it. Some of the most common reasons include:

• You feel like you’re living in your own home, with the same sense of independence and familiarity
• You enjoy a sense of belonging when you’re with a community of like-minded individuals
• You and your loved ones feel safer, more peaceful and comfortable with round-the-clock professional and medical assistance at hand

A film on the stories of Resident of Utsav Care homes, Bhiwadi

Planned Activities & Programs

Good Care Home communities will typically provide a variety of activities within the community to keep you fruitfully engaged. These activities can range from planned outings to yoga clubs and more.

The better Care Home facilities will go the extra mile to assess your leisure needs and interests and create activities and programs around them.

Wellness and physical fitness are also part of a well-planned activities program. Good Care Home communities provide fitness rooms and trained staff to help develop fitness plans that suit your needs. Special classes typically offered include yoga, chair exercises and walking.

As a Care Home resident, you can expect your own semiprivate or private apartment comprising a fully-furnished bedroom, kitchen area and bathroom. Most assisted living facilities will typically allow visitors during the day (and night) but at your discretion.

How much does it cost to live in a Care Home facility?

The cost of living in a Care Home will typically depend on your service provider. High-end facilities can be very expensive. However, middle- and upper middle-income Care Homes can cost anywhere between ? 20,000 to1 lakh per month, depending on the level of care involved. The difference between a high-end facility and a regular one can be mostly attributed to location, extra services and fancy décor.

What should I look for when choosing a Care Home facility?

When you visit a Care Home facility, watch the interaction between the staff and residents. Do the care givers look overworked, impatient and irritable? What are staffing levels like, especially at night?

Are the care givers properly trained? What are the credentials of the Care Home provider? If the Care Home provider has delivered successful projects in the past (or continues to maintain them), you will most likely get good services from them in the future also.

We recommend that you find out whether the Care Home provides the following:

• Trained staff (good Care Home facilities provide additional in-house training to their staff)


• Fully furnished rooms with functional toilets, fans, lights and other furnishings


• Three meals a day and snacks between meals, with special emphasis on dietary care according to the medical condition of the resident


• Doctor-on-call, an OPD with pharmacy and 24×7 ambulance station within the premises


• Tie-ups with pathology labs for regular tests and speedy results


• Housekeeping services within living units


• Assistance with bathing, dressing mobility (wheelchair), lavatory use, medicine administration, etc., as required


• Laundry and personal grooming services


• Regular physical therapy


• Regular liaison with close relatives

What kind of medical care can I expect at a Care Home facility?

Medical services provided at a good Care Home facility will generally include:

• Medication management
• Medical record maintenance
• Tie-ups with nursing homes or hospitals (if specialized medical attention is required)
• Doctor-on-call, an OPD with pharmacy and a 24×7 ambulance station in the premises
• Tie-ups with pathology labs for regular tests and speedy results

Additional services can include:

• Round the clock staff assistance for reminders to take medicines, etc.


• Specialized professional assistance to residents experiencing memory, orientation or judgment loss


• Memory care and innovative therapies for people suffering from Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia or other such mental conditions


• Regular medical checkups

Good Care Homes also have a clear procedure for responding to medical emergencies.

What is the state of elderly care in India?

There are currently about 98 million elderly people living in India today, and the 60+ population is expected to reach 240 million by 2050—one of the fastest-growing demographic segments in the world.

About 27 million senior citizens in India need specialized medical care, and this number will continue to grow, but specialized housing that caters to seniors’ needs is largely absent in India.

Ashiana Senior Living at a Glance

Why are Care Homes becoming so popular in India?

The social stigma associated with assisted living facilitiesor old age homes – i.e. parents living away from their children – is fast vanishing from India. Nearly 100 million Indians are above the age of 60 today, who realize the need for Care Homes – both now and in the times to come – on account of:

• The fast decline of the traditional joint family system


• Increase in the number nuclear families


• A changing mindset


• A growing sense of independence among financially sound retirees


• Less time on part of younger generations who due to professional reasons may find it difficult to care of their parents

It is for all these reasons that Care Home facilities are gradually becoming so popular in India.