Retirement is a time to enjoy the fruits of your labour and indulge in the things you could not do before. Many seniors in India are moving to senior living communities to enjoy their golden years to the fullest whilst keeping their highly valued independence. Here we discuss a few important factors like the cost of senior living communities and lifestyle offered to help you select the right facility: Identify what you need: Are you looking for senior living communities because you are tired of managing the house? Do you want more social opportunities to make new friends? It’s important to understand what you are looking for and the opportunities offered by the facility. Senior living communities like ours cater to seniors who require minimal daily assistance but want to stay active, socially and physically, while freeing themselves from the routine household chores. We offer accommodation options that range from one BHK to independent villas. You get the comfort and privacy of your own place and at the same time, peace of mind and a sense of togetherness offered by a community environment. Create your checklist: Once you understand your needs, the next step is to make a checklist of amenities that you think are important to you. the next step is to make a checklist of amenities that you think are important to you. This helps you stay focused as you are not overwhelmed by too many choices. Dining, housekeeping, maintenance, exercise and wellness are usual offerings in senior living communities. Make a list of nice-to-have features and the non-negotiables. This will make it easier for you to select the senior living community that offers the retirement lifestyle you have always wanted. Know the cost of senior living communities: Cost certainly can’t be ignored when you are selecting a senior living community. Get to know the cost of the amenities you have zeroed in on your checklist. Some facilities may have an upfront cost or charge a monthly maintenance fee. Evaluate your choices based on your budget. Visit the facility: Once you have prepared the list, it is important to know the level of services offered. For that, schedule visits to the selected facilities. Ideally, visit more than 2 to 3 senior living communities as it will help you make the right decision. Ask questions: While you are visiting senior living communities, it is important to ask relevant questions. Is the place you are planning to live after retirement include emergency care? Is it located close to medical facilities? What does the social calendar look like? If there i’s any particular request you have, would it be accommodated? If you have the opportunity, talk with residents about life in the community. We hope you find these tips helpful. Many seniors have recognised the benefits of moving into our seniors living communities. Don’t just take our word for it. To book a tour of our senior living communities, call us at +91 8884555554.

Launches hashtag #LoveBeyondAge for Senior Citizens One is never too old to celebrate love. Holding steadfast to the belief, India’s largest senior living community operator, Columbia Pacific Communities launched a unique initiative #LoveBeyondAge, amplifying the voice of the elders on Valentine’s Day and dismissing age-old ideas of senior citizens being too old to find, express or enjoy romantic love.   Often Valentine’s Day is associated with the young, and love is marketed and celebrated as a young person’s thing. Meanwhile, seniors are deemed to have grown out of love and romance. Breaking such stereotypes, Columbia Pacific Communities released a vox pop video showcasing the perspectives of both seniors and millennials and their ideas about love, romance and celebrating the day of love. Speaking about the initiative, Piali Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Columbia Pacific Communities, said “We tend to have an ageist attitude towards love, almost adjudicating that one loses the ability to express and celebrate love as one grows older. These beliefs cannot be farther from the truth. The #LoveBeyondAge initiative beautifully shows how the expressions of love become stronger and more real as one ages. Seniors have lived a lifetime of love, conflict, and finding love again. In matters of true love, it is they who have a lesson or two more to teach the Gen Y and Z and therefore should not be excluded from the mainstream/pop culture depiction of love.” Society at large seems to have a cringe element associated with seniors displaying affection and eschew such narratives as much as possible. Even on celluloid, there’s rarely any story on elderly love. However, the vox-pop video proved that love has nothing to do with age and showed the most romantic and graceful expressions of love by seniors. It also featured elderly social media influencers sharing their views on love. Companionship, love, and togetherness continue to play an important role in the lives of seniors and love transcends the majorly materialistic and physical urges, while becoming more emotional, pure, sensual, and graceful amongst seniors. The core brand purpose of Columbia Pacific Communities is to popularize the concept of positive ageing and shatter all age-related stereotypes. Love is an important element of positive aging. The initiative does not just celebrate love amongst seniors but also demolishes false notions about seniors shying away from celebrating Valentine’s Day. This is not the first time Columbia Pacific Communities has encouraged the expression of love among seniors. Last year, the organization’s initiative ‘#ExpressionsOfLove’ on the occasion of Valentine’s Day saw a collaboration with Taj Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru for an elaborate, 100 dishes lunch for three couples to celebrate love in all its myriad forms and glory. This year with #LoveBeyondAge, Columbia Pacific Communities has raised a pertinent question on our comprehension and view of love and its expressions amongst seniors in our society.

One of the objectives of Columbia Pacific Communities is to help our residents stay fitter and healthier – so that they can maintain their independence and ability to pursue their chosen retirement lifestyle. We have a holistic approach for health that rests on three pillars, namely – physical, psychological and social well-being. Over here we discuss the physical benefits of exercising regularly. Let’s take a brief look at some of the simple and fun exercises that help seniors improve their strength and balance: 1. Walking: “Walking is man’s best medicine”, said Hippocrates 2000 years ago – and a growing number of modern-day studies suggest that he wasn’t wrong. For seniors, walking has many benefits: it reduces their risk for coronary heart disease; it may help lower their blood sugar levels; and it eases joint pain. Also, walking brings big benefits for seniors who have weak ankles or knees or suffer from arthritis. At our retirement communities in India, we have senior-friendly walking and jogging tracks that have anti-skid tiles. These tracks are well-lit and promote safe and stable walking. 2. Yoga: More and more seniors are practicing yoga for the benefits it offers. With low-impact movements, yoga enhances flexibility, mobility, strength and balance. The good thing about yoga is that one doesn’t need to exert too much pressure on the joints. Also, yoga requires no prior fitness experience, and there are several easy beginners poses that are perfect for seniors who are just starting to learn yoga. At Columbia Pacific Communities, we offer various wellness programs that include daily stretching exercises, yoga and pranayama. All the fitness plans have been designed by our physiotherapists. 3. Swimming: Retirement homes in Columbia Pacific Communities have swimming pools so that seniors can regularly enjoy a swim and stay physically active. Swimming is a great form of aerobic exercise. It doesn’t exert pressure on the joints and builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. 4. Stationary cycling: Cycling has many health benefits for seniors. It strengthens their legs without exerting stress on the joints. Stationary cycling is a safe way to exercise as it reduces the risk of fall. Columbia Pacific Communities have fully equipped gyms that have stationary bicycles, treadmills and other senior-friendly exercise equipment, offering residents a safe and secure environment for daily workout.