“Rahul, an only child, has been living in the US for over two decade, while he visits India as often as he can, the last time he spent more than a month in his hometown was during his teen years. He grew from a child to a young man and as time passed by his dad retired, his parents aged and have now reached a place where it is getting difficult for them to take care of themselves, alone. Even after repeated requests from Rahul, his parents refuse the leave the home they call their own and shift with him to Denver. Every day when he calls them in the morning, Rahul is scared of getting some bad news, but there is nothing he can do to convince them to live abroad.”
Rahul is not the only one facing this problem, there are thousands of children in the same boat. Having built their lives abroad, they cannot stay with their parents in India and at the same time are unable to answer the question, how will they take care of themselves in this advanced age?
Today we tackle this delicate issue of a long distance relationship between and elderly parent and their children abroad.
Let’s start off with the basic question, what do elderly in India really need?
Though nothing can ever replace the presence of their children beside them, there are a few other worldly requirements which can be arranged for, even from abroad such as, healthcare, finance & companionship.
Health Care: which includes routine check ups, house calls, in house nursing and specialized care where needed. You can get them on a health plan that ensures that they have regular health check-ups and the doctors make house calls.
Financial Security: Adequate money to live a decent lifestyle, which may not be catered from the monthly fixed pensions that elderly, have to rely upon.
Companionship: Includes fellow elderly people and other sources of entertainment and engagement on an ongoing basis. This can be arranged for in a senior living facility such as The Golden Estate, where the elderly live in the company of similar people and share both their pains and happiness.
Along with these, there are also some basic requirements of the elderly, which can be catered to from abroad. Sometimes, professional help is much better than relying on siblings or other relatives to take care of the elderly. Some of these services have been exclusively designed keeping NRIs and PIOs in mind, ensuring that a small portion of their earnings from foreign shores can help their parents lead a comfortable and satisfying life.
Some of the services that are offered include:
- Monthly and Quarterly assessment by a Physician
- Free on-demand visit by the Physician even without any emergency
- Daily/ Weekly visits by nurses as per requirements
- Provision of in house nurses for special requirements
- Periodic outings and gathering of elderly people from similar backgrounds
- Organizing parties and entertainment programs for elderly
- Organizing transfer of money, handling of letters and other couriered items and catering to daily household requirements
- Organizing functions to celebrate festivals and occasions with the elderly
- Establishing and ensuring a regular communication between the NRIs and their parents either through telephone or video chatting via the internet
- Provide detailed feedback and reports on the health and other issues of the elderly to their children abroad
- Payment of bills, taxes and other recurring expenses. Collection of rents and depositing the same in the designated accounts
- Arrangement of security for the elderly residing in their own house
The rates of these services may vary according to the requirement; however, it is always a small price to pay for peace of mind and care of your parents.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on these matters and also do share any personal experiences you have had with these service providers.
