Most Elderly Care Homes in Gurugram are running on rental or leased properties, which were probably not made for Assisted Living, High Dependency, Dementia Care or Rehabilitation Care.
While it's good to get into the business of Eldercare residential projects, a few important questions need to be validated and verified by consumers before signing the cheque:
1) Was the building made for the Care Home project and is it Elder friendly in the true sense?
1A) If not, then what was the original approval taken from the Town and Country Planning department?
2) Under what approvals are the operations running or registered? Old Age Care, Guest House, Hostel, Nursing Home etc?
3) What are the special fire safety provisions installed in the project for older people?
4) What aspects of the National Building Code (NBC) have been adopted and is there a refuge area to take older people in case of fire or natural disaster?
5) During flooding in Gurugram which seems to have become a regular affair, is there an in-house Ambulance?
6) During rains the Golden Hour turns into Golden days which can be critical, hence are there any backup plans?
7) Are the facilities registered under the Clinical Establishment Act, Nursing Home Registration Act, Mental Healthcare Act and with the local District Social Welfare Department?
These are extremely crucial elements which families should consider before shifting their dependent parents into a Care Home especially in low-lying and water logging prone areas.
Paying 1.5-2 lakhs of rupees per month and assuming everything is well, may not be the reality. Customers should ask the management for the necessary approvals and the last audit report conducted by the local monitoring agencies.
Pankaj Mehrotra
