The elderly need specialized care as they age. It is important for the family members to seek professional advice for their loved one; whether it is care at home, or care in an assisted elder care facility.
It has never been an easy decision for children to move their parents to an elder home, or assisted living especially in India, where this has been against the traditional value of Indian culture and a big taboo. For some elderly, those who are staying with their children, it is neither easy nor desirable to depend or encroach on their children. Though the elderly normally plan to always stay near their family, friends, which fulfill their emotional and social needs, there is also increasing interest in acceptance of assisted living.
An assisted living refers to a home which caters the need of elders who need support in activities of daily livings, and also for conditions such as dementia, which require specialized care. Here is where Epoch plays an important role as an assisted living home, which gives an elderly ‘home away from their home’. Epoch gives support to the families who find it difficult to take care of their loved ones, as the care requires specialization.
Epoch works towards removing the taboo that the elderly are moving to an ‘old age’ home. First and foremost, the need of the family to shift their loved one to an assisted living is identified. The Epoch team digs deep into a resident's life to know each and every phase of their life. For this the team works very closely with the family to understand even the smallest need of the residents. The team works on building the care plan for the resident along with the family on the identified details. The aim is to provide clinical care in a home like environment as well as providing holistic Person Centered Care.
A smooth transition from their home to the new home (Epoch) is the key ingredient. Well focused plan is created to provide residents a homely feel by recreating their own space as they wanted in their own home. A study table, a pooja place, a beautiful book rack all are fixed as per the likes and requirements of the elderly, even before they reach Epoch home. This gives a feeling of satisfaction and happiness to the elderly. The kitchen team is prepared to welcome the new resident with their choice of cuisines in their way of cooking and flavour of spices.
The stigma of leaving the parents in an assisted living is reduced for both the parents and children, because the family is always involved in the entire decision making. From selecting the furniture, to the choice of hospital and physician is discussed with the family and resident. The family is in constant touch with their loved ones through video call and voice calls. There is an open door policy. The family can visit any time as they would do in their own home. A get together party or any celebration is always encouraged in the resident's own room or in the open space, like they would have done in their own home.
Epoch is constantly working more and more closely with the family to reduce the fear of leaving their loved ones in an assisted living. Regular feedback is taken from the family to improve the care level which will automatically enhance the services. With all these elements mentioned above, for the children, they look at Epoch being the ‘new home’ for their parent, and not that they have ‘put away their parent in an old age home’. And most important, for an elderly, it is change of the place, NOT THEIR HOME.
