MP’s first paid old-age home can hold 56, but has only 2 lodgers
Premium Care, Empty Chairs: Monthly Cost Of Over 45k Citied As Key Reason For Poor OccupancyBhopal: Madhya Pradesh’s first paid old-age home has everything — spanking new interiors, air-conditioned rooms and upscale furnishings. But it does not have nearly enough occupants.But for two elderly residents, the facility, built in the heart of the city, has been going near-empty for almost the last six months, raising concerns over viability and demand.It has 34 rooms that can accommodate 56 senior citizens. The choice ranges from single rooms to suites, designed to offer varying levels of comfort and privacy for elderly residents.The rooms in the paid facility were to be given on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, all but two of these rooms have been vacant since its inauguration, failing to find any takers despite being fully ready for occupancy.Inaugurated this January, more than a year after being readied due to delays in leasing its operation to an NGO, the paid old-age home continues to struggle to attract desired lodgers.It is alleged that the poor response to the facility, which sprawls over 5.25 acres on Bhopal’s Link Road No. 3, is largely due to the high cost one has to shell out to rehabilitate a senior citizen — in excess of Rs 45,000 per month for a single person, which many consider unaffordable.Taking note of its poor occupancy, the state govt has now proposed to run the shelter for the elderly through its department of social justice and empowerment of persons with disabilities, which developed the sprawling old-age home at a cost of Rs 24 crore.The govt plans to run it on a no-profit-no-loss basis, which would bring down the occupancy cost per person and attract more senior citizens, a senior official from the department said.The shelter offers air-conditioned rooms, entertainment and recreational spaces, a paved pathway for walks, physiotherapy centre, laundry, a modern common kitchen, basic medical assistance and dedicated caregiving staff for residents’ daily needs.According to officials, the proposal was first mooted in December 2017, with a 12-acre plot identified in Gandhi Nagar area. However, it was later shifted to Link Road No. 3 to ensure better accessibility and convenience for senior citizens.
Premium Care, Empty Chairs: Monthly Cost Of Over 45k Citied As Key Reason For Poor OccupancyBhopal: Madhya Pradesh’s first paid old-age home has everything — spanking new interiors, air-conditioned rooms and upscale furnishings. But it does not have nearly enough occupants.But for two elderly residents, the facility, built in the heart of the city, has been going near-empty for almost the last six months, raising concerns over viability and demand.It has 34 rooms that can accommodate 56 senior citizens. The choice ranges from single rooms to suites, designed to offer varying levels of comfort and privacy for elderly residents.The rooms in the paid facility were to be given on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, all but two of these rooms have been vacant since its inauguration, failing to find any takers despite being fully ready for occupancy.Inaugurated this January, more than a year after being readied due to delays in leasing its operation to an NGO, the paid old-age home continues to struggle to attract desired lodgers.It is alleged that the poor response to the facility, which sprawls over 5.25 acres on Bhopal’s Link Road No. 3, is largely due to the high cost one has to shell out to rehabilitate a senior citizen — in excess of Rs 45,000 per month for a single person, which many consider unaffordable.Taking note of its poor occupancy, the state govt has now proposed to run the shelter for the elderly through its department of social justice and empowerment of persons with disabilities, which developed the sprawling old-age home at a cost of Rs 24 crore.The govt plans to run it on a no-profit-no-loss basis, which would bring down the occupancy cost per person and attract more senior citizens, a senior official from the department said.The shelter offers air-conditioned rooms, entertainment and recreational spaces, a paved pathway for walks, physiotherapy centre, laundry, a modern common kitchen, basic medical assistance and dedicated caregiving staff for residents’ daily needs.According to officials, the proposal was first mooted in December 2017, with a 12-acre plot identified in Gandhi Nagar area. However, it was later shifted to Link Road No. 3 to ensure better accessibility and convenience for senior citizens.
