THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATION - International Indian

[ FROM USA ]
develoopment, a community for older people.
Eight town houses circle a courtyard. There
will be a common house comprising of a
shared kitchen and dining area, a living area
and a studio apartment that will be rented
to a skilled nurse. At meetings decisions are
made weekly, visiting speakers are invited to
talk on a variety of topics and a book club has
been inaugurated. There’s an idea for Indian
American seniors.
Seniors who cannot afford such retirement
homes may qualify for federal or state
funded low income housing or multi family
government funded housing. Public housing is
owned by a housing authority and you qualify
for an apartment. Subsidized housing is owned
by a private landlord who rents to low income
seniors. Or you may receive a rental voucher
and you find your own apartment. The rent
is calculated as a percentage of your income,
varying from state to state. It is usually around
30 percent of your income. There are different
eligibility requirements but generally speaking
the criteria for eligibility depends on age
(you must be over 62) household size, income
and immigration status.
I worked in a senior housing project for 14
years in Los Angeles where we housed 240
residents in 192 apartments. Sixteen languages
were spoken in this facility. I interacted
with Indians, Iranians, Caucasians, Hispanics,
American blacks, Russians, British, Filipinos,
Fijians, Scottish, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese,
Irish, Germans, Scandinavians, and Sri
Lankans. They lived in one/two bedroom
apartments which came with a kitchenette,
bathroom as well as a communal dining plan.
Seventy five year old Narasimhan, a financial
analyst who lived in the UK for many years
has now settled in Los Angeles, in a retirement
home. He has been voted the President of the
facility for three years and edits the monthly
newsletter. He loves his independence, travels,
performs Harikatha, drives, volunteers and
enjoys his visits to his daughter’s home where
he baby-sits his grandson from time to time.
He recently performed in the acclaimed play
In Search of Vishnu and at Redcat, Walt Disney
Centre as well as in two TV pilot projects.
This is the time when we have to seriously
think of retirement homes for Indian Americans.
These homes will have a special attraction
for vegetarians who can cook their own
food in the kitchen.
In California, Dr Ulhas Bala, a former gynecologist
is envisioning such a community
If seniors wish
to return to India
and are able to live
independently or have
help they can be useful
to the community in
many ways
and has already called it Vaanaprasti. She
plans Cottages with 1,600 sq feet of ground
floor, a two car garage, a swimming pool, tennis
courts, a shopping center, gated security, a
pharmacy, a spiritual place of worship and a
community center. “I already have 18 people
interested in the project,” she says. “These
are people who have worked professionally in
America and are looking forward to staying in
a secure, comfortable environment independently.
They all own homes and their children
are settled. They plan to sell their homes and
use the money to buy the new property in the
senior community.”
Raj Mohan an engineer working with the
US Government has been abroad for the past
35 years. Settled in his own home in Los Angeles
with his wife Prema and living near his
two daughters, he has no intention of either
going back to India or entering a retirement
home. “This is my home and I am not moving
anywhere. My children and grandchildren
live here and I need to be near them.” he states
firmly. The government is encouraging a few
programs where seniors can ask for home sup-
“
”
port. An aide visits a few times a week and
helps in cleaning and grocery shopping or
visits to the doctor. This service is sponsored
by the government and is free for those with
limited income.
Some Indian communities are determined
to lessen these hardships and burdens by organizing
senior citizens groups. Such agencies
address Social Security, Medicare, citizenship,
job opportunities, senior housing, living
wills, nutrition and health care. One such is
the National Indo-American Association for
Senior Citizens (NIAASC) which provides
information and referral. In Long Island in a
population of 60,000 people of Indian origin,
there are 7500 Indian seniors.
When I visit adult day care centres and retirement
homes as a volunteer, I tell them,
reinvent yourself. To seniors reading this article
I have suggestions. Start a book club or
a discussion group in your home or temple.
Become a member of a travel club. There
are many deep discounts for hotels, cars, bus,
rail and cruise packages with lower rates
for seniors. Join a reading club. Get a few friends
together and read from your favorite books or
pick up books from your library. Discuss issues
in the newspapers both American and Indian
and why confine your group to only Indians?
Invite senior neighbours from other communities.
Browse the internet. There is a slew of websites
which will exhilarate you every day and
keep you up to speed. The need for information
is always unending. Internet use by those
over age 55 constituted the fastest rising demographic
age group of all according to Jupiter
Media Metrix. Grow old and it may be the
best life yet. If seniors wish to return to India
and are able to live independently or have help
they can be useful to the community in many
ways. Indo American organizations invite
you to volunteer in education and health care
projects. Now here’s a different spin on senior
issues. An American from mid-west, sent his
90 year old parents to Pondicherry to live in
an independent home near the beach where
they would be taken care of by Indian servants
while he worked in a software office nearby.
The reason why he sent his parents to India
was very practical.
Care giving in America is very expensive.
He would have to pay the nursing home (his
mother had Alzheimer’s) almost three thousand
dollars every month for the care of his
parents and Medicare nor his salary would
not be able to cover that. India offered a solution
where the dollar went quite far and a
friend who lived in Pondicherry set up the
family once the decision was made. How
long the parents will remain there is something
their son has to consider. For now,
his dad takes long walks on the beach, talks
French to his neighbours, and the mother
is in the hands of a loving caregiver who
combs her hair gently and massages her with
loving kindness.
Prem Kishore is a freelance writer
based in California, USA.
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THE INTERNATIONAL INDIAN