Retirement communities ring fence inmates against Covid-19

Limiting visitors and outside visits, stopping group activities and discouraging assembly of residents even in cafeterias, promoting telemedicine, and increasing hygiene levels of the staff, care givers and vendors are some of the precautions taken at retirement communities to ring fence the senior residents against the virus infection, said officials.

With senior citizens more susceptible for coronavirus infection owing to their age and lower immunity levels, retirement community majors are implementing several precautionary measures.

According to officials at the retirement communities, their residents are in the age group of 60-85.

The residents are also not complaining against the preventive measures as they are for a short period of time.

"The way the management has looked at the issue is lot stricter than the way the country as a whole looks at the threat of coronavirus. The risk profile is high for infection in retirement communities," W.V.K. Krishna Shankar, former Director in Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd and residing in CovaiCare retirement community in Coimbatore, told IANS over phone.

According to Shankar, the residents are advised to be at home, avoid visiting relatives and friends or holding group meetings inside the gated community for a month or two.

He also said the residents have been advised to avoid visiting or meeting relatives who have recently come from overseas for some time to come.

For elders with assisted care, entry to their dwelling is banned for all except for the care givers. They will not be in contact with others even when they are taken out to the park, Shankar said.

"There is huge spike in the usage of our telemedicine facility by the community members. That is one of the ways to prevent spread of coronavirus," Colonel A. Sridharan (retd), Founder and Managing Director, CovaiCare Group told IANS.

He said he has to first ensure his staff members do not bring in any disease and started safety measures like providing sanitisers, soaps and handgun thermometers.

According to him, the staff also ask the visitors their travel history and pass the information to the residents via intercom.

At all the retirement communities, common touch points like rails, switches, and lift buttons are sanitised at regular intervals.

The retirement community companies are not planning to pass on the increased cost of maintenance to their members.

"In order to increase the immunity levels of the residents we give 'Nilavembu Kashayam', a herbal drink. We also give juices/soups with lemon extract as one of the ingredients mixed to build up the immunity levels," Commodore M.T. Ramesh (retd), Head of Operations, Colombia Pacific Communities, told IANS.

Ramesh said the company is adopting a three-pronged approach - creating awareness, prevention and promotion - against the spread of coronavirus inside the nine gated communities located in different cities.

"We have requested our residents to request their relatives not to visit them over for some time to come," he added.

Apart from increased cleaning and sanitising operations, industry major Ashiana Housing Ltd has requested its residents not to invite their relatives and friends to their dwellings and also discouraged them from gathering together at the cafeteria within the compound, its Deputy General Manager C.P. Muralidhara told IANS.

Queried about the psychological impact that the seniors have owing to the restrictions preventing them from meeting their loved ones, he said: "We are speaking to our residents frequently. Our staff will also go to their place with tablets so that they can talk to their loved ones via Internet." IANS