NEWS of Columbia Pacific Communities

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.”

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.