large_blogbanner28.png

medium_blogbanner28.png

small_blogbanner28.png

thumbnail_blogbanner28.png

blogbanner28.png

In the 21st century ‘assisted living’ or ‘retirement homes’  for the elderly are no more alien words; but there are a lot of thoughts, emotions and big decisions behind these simple words. 


Typically we start looking for a home for seniors when day to day life for them becomes a struggle, they need more and more help in their daily routine or they have developed a medical condition which requires professional care. It is part of our culture and conditioning to look after our old parents and understandably there has been some taboo and discomfort around the topic of homes for the elderly.   When the time comes to make a choice, it has never been easy. Even though it may be the best care option and a step that will improve the quality of their life,  the feeling of guilt and societal pressures may force one to re-think their decision. 


However, things are changing rapidly and more and more people are opting for professional care and homes for the elderly although it is a big decision. One of the essential steps which are part of the decision-making process is, to begin with, an open and honest discussion with the parent, if they are in a frame of mind to do so and what apprehensions can be addressed. With seniors with dementia, this discussion needs to be well thought about and should never be initiated without consulting an expert or the team from the homes.  Several other topics may require more attention like choosing the kind of residential place, type of care needed, finances, transition, changes in lifestyle etc.
Things to keep in mind while moving an elderly parent to an assisted living or retirement home:

1. **Location of the place:** One of the points to consider is the location. Ideally, the home needs to be in a peaceful place, in a quiet neighbourhood. It should also be close to a hospital, so emergency care can be sought easily.  The home should be spacious for them to walk inside as well as outside. Good ventilation and lots of sunlight is another important factor. It would be always the best option if the elderly can visit the place by themselves and can share their concerns or approval before the decision making.

2. **Planning finances:** Good homes often come at a price - it can either be in the form of a hefty upfront deposit or the service fee in itself. It is important to discuss with the family members concerned- all siblings, spouse etc so that the responsibility of the decision is shared. If the elderly want to pay the expenses by themselves then one needs to ensure that each and everything should be explained clearly to them so that there is no confusion and expectations are aligned. This can be a financially draining experience and one must plan for it. For elderly suffering from dementia, it is not advisable to involve them in the planning so as to avoid a stressful situation leading to further deterioration.

3. **Medical history & assessment:** In homes which offer assisted living, typically a medical assessment is done by the nursing team, which includes history taking of elderly, reviewing all medical documents which include their latest review prescriptions, blood tests, investigations. Either way, it is important to handover all medical details as well as details of any existing insurance plan, which can be used during hospitalization. All medication records need to be explained. It is better to have a written history prepared beforehand the assessment so no small details are left out. 

4. **Handover and information:** One of the most important aspects is to give as much information as possible regarding the elderly so that a detailed care plan can be made.  This would make the move-in process very smooth and help the elderly face minimal changes in the transition. Some of the important hand over points are:

- Favourite food and preferences
- Leisure time and social activities, spiritual and religious needs
- Daily routine preferences
- Past hobbies or interests like favourite music, book, movie, actor etc
- Details on childhood- where were they born, where did they complete their schooling etc

Transition story for seniors with dementia: Since dementia robs you of your decision-making capabilities, developing a story and rationale for why they are moving out of their home is critical.  It is very important that everyone involved in the transition – all family members & staff – are in sync & consistently convey the same message to the elderly. Detailed history, the smallest details about their daily routine and preferences as well as customising their new room like their existing one are all inputs which are critical to the move.
It takes a couple of months for any elderly to settle down in their new home, but once they start getting involved in the activities specially personalized for them or simply following the daily routine, they can be more engaged, active and happy.  Interaction with the team, facility nurses, care attendants as well as other residents gives them a sense of well being and make them socially more active perhaps which they may have been and missed in the past. 


At Epoch we follow person-centred care to help the individual to accept the home and feel similar to what they felt in their own home and do the things which they used to do before. Small steps taken by the team at the home as well as family members can make the move a smooth, comfortable process and the decision a right one.

small_28.png

thumbnail_28.png

28.png

A big decision: moving from home to an assisted living facility

large_blogbanner1.png

medium_blogbanner1.png

small_blogbanner1.png

thumbnail_blogbanner1.png

blogbanner1.png

There’s the music of sarod playing in the background while I write this, helps me write my memoirs!

When I was a child, I used to write diaries. What’s enticing to me at that point in time was the smell of new vintage-looking pages, and a unique feeling to ink it down. It all started then. Who knew the passion for writing would grow so strongly on me!

Hi, I’m Sneha, Business Assistant & Content Writer at Epoch. Yes, I own these words and wear them with pride. The journey to earn this was pretty savage, and I’ll like you to be a part of this! Hence, sharing a page from my memoir.

It was the dawn of the year 2020 when I promised myself to come out of the University with a Mass Communication and Journalism degree in one hand and a placement in other. Things started turning upside down when the covid wave came along and washed away all the aspirations I had of starting my career in a corporate world. Later that year, after graduating, I started freelancing.

Little did I know that the universe had something else up in its sleeves.  On 1st Feb, I started my journey at Epoch, and it’s already a year now! I’ll need pinches from myself to believe so. When I stepped out of my comfort zone, came to a new city, I met amazing people, especially women, who inspired me in the most unusual ways. It is my sheer luck and fortune that I landed in Epoch right after college. The journey of amazement and learning didn’t stop for me, I would say.

How often does it happen that a CEO of an organization holds your hand, mentors you, and walks you through your journey? Well, happened to me and to all those who started anew! Here, at Epoch, I saw myself under the guidance of domain experts. From each one of them, I learnt something, both applicable in personal and professional lives. My team pushed me one notch beyond my threshold, surprisingly that brought different colours to my work. To date, I am told to be the owner of not only my projects, but also my decisions, successes, and failures. I am learning.

Epoch has played a vast role in shaping me into Sneha 2.0. If you know me and don’t believe, let’s go out for a cup of coffee! A confident and radiant Sneha, you’ll see.

Epoch homes abode elderly those who need dementia care and assisted daily living support. When I started, I was briefed about dementia but the understanding of the daily life of a senior 75+, came to me when I was in their presence. Recently through one of the Epoch webinars, I heard a doctor/geriatrician say, and I quote, “there’s a person still behind the dementia patient”, and this made me realize how naïve are we to not notice this in our elderly loved ones!

Amidst the pandemic, there were fewer interactions with our elderly residents, regarding their own safety. But whenever I got the chance, covered in PPE kit, I would jump to know each one of them. With some I sang era old songs, with some I recited poems of Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Dinkar, Nirala, with some I learnt the concept of perspective, with some I learnt fashion, some taught me to live life with a bang, and that’s what I am doing!

Epoch in a way turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I would like to stop the roller coaster of my emotions here by simply being grateful. One day, when I close my eyes, I would love the memories with Epoch to roll in the cassette of my life. 

small_1.png

thumbnail_1.png

1.png

To Epoch, a cassette of my life

large_blogbanner2.png

medium_blogbanner2.png

small_blogbanner2.png

thumbnail_blogbanner2.png

blogbanner2.png

I want to share my unique professional journey with you. Personally, I have been someone who is always up for trying new things.

In August 2014, after completing my training as a General Duty Assistant, I got placed at Epoch Elder Care as a care attendant.  Even though I had prior care training, being a care attendant in an assisted living home was new for me and there was much to learn, especially about dementia care. At Epoch, everyone is encouraged to ask questions whenever they do not understand, your colleagues and seniors will answer them patiently and help you understand your issues. I realised how tough life can be with dementia and at Epoch I was able to increase the quality of life of elders with dementia and this was very satisfactory for me. 

Given my inclination to try new roles, back in 2018, I was chosen for the role of Admin Assistant which was a huge change for me professionally as I was moving from  care to an administrative role. With much support of senior colleagues, I was able to manage this role with confidence. Here I learnt new skills like vendor management, maintenance planning, and working with multiple departments. Being an ex-care attendant, I was able to understand the importance of this role where I had to ensure the upkeep of Epoch homes and how crucial it was for our care attendants to take care of our residents. Iss dauran maine apni life ko bahut hadd tak personally, professionally and financially grow bhi kiya hai (During this time, I was able to grow personally, professionally and financially). 

Then in January 2020, I saw an opportunity to move to a new role within Epoch as a Human Resource (HR) assistant and I confidently took the leap. Given my prior experience as a care attendant, I was quickly able to connect to prospective candidates for Care Attendant role and understand who could be a good fit at Epoch, and I learnt the aspect of people management. Ab dedication and guidance of my manager and colleagues ke sath grow kar raha hun or hope aage bhi yun hi grow karta rahunga. (With the dedication and guidance of my manager and colleagues, I am learning & growing  ,and will continue doing so!)

Thanks to Epoch, I have been able to understand this industry well and grow myself professionally in many different perspectives by gaining many new skills.

small_2.png

thumbnail_2.png

2.png

Trying new roles and gaining new skills at Epoch

large_blogbanner3.png

medium_blogbanner3.png

small_blogbanner3.png

thumbnail_blogbanner3.png

blogbanner3.png

I want to share my journey so far with Epoch Elder Care. I started my journey as a care attendant with Epoch’s Monet house at Pune location on 15th May 2016 and sab kuch naya tha mere liye (everything was new to me). It was a great year well spent at Monet house; and bohot kuch sikhne ko mila (great learnings came along). Under the guidance of our Facility Managers and Facility Nurses and other care attendants, I was properly trained to look after our residents. Epoch work culture bohot welcoming and unique tha mere liye (Epoch culture was welcoming and unique for me) - where the team was great & they treated me like a family member. Not only this, the relationship and bond I developed with residents was an amazing feeling. The concept of dementia and its management was something jo mujhe dhire dhire samajh aya. (The concept of dementia and its management was something I learned over a period of time).

After the completion of one year, the management decided to transfer me to Epoch’s other home (Vermeer House) in Gurugram. I was happy with the decision for two reasons. Firstly, my learning was about to expand and secondly, my hometown was nearby. After working as a care attendant for a year and a half at the Vermeer House, the management decided to promote me to the role of Head Care Attendant. Finally, my dedication & honesty paid off. My responsibilities increased and I had to oversee all errands related to our residents, other care team members, and the house overall, which I enjoyed throughout.

Then again on 1st May 2019, I was offered a role change based on my skills and eagerness to work. This time the management decided to offer me the role of Admin Assistant, which I accepted confidently. It was challenging at first, but with the constant guidance of the then corporate team, I managed with quite ease.

Epoch has not only helped me professionally but also personally. It is here that I met Sarita (Care Attendant at Vermeer House), married her and started another chapter of my life. She is always there to support & motivate me. 

During the outbreak of COVID-19, around Feb 2020, I was handed over the role & responsibilities of an Office Assistant in the new Vermeer house at Gurgaon. Covid ke first wave me hume bohot kuch naya experience karne ko and samajhne ko mila. Ye time humare liye bohot difficult tha but hum sabne milkar Epoch and ek doosre ko sambhala. (New learnings came along whilst managing and experiencing the first wave of coronavirus. It was a difficult time, but we managed to pull through). I was presented with the COVID warrior award. Epoch ke saath ab itne memories jud gaye hain ki yahan har koi apna sa lagta hai. 

Epoch me hamesha kuch na kuch naya sikhne ko and samajhne ko milta hi hai and mere liye bohot unique experience banta raha hai.

small_3.png

thumbnail_3.png

3.png

My journey of multiple roles at Epoch

In the 21st century ‘assisted living’ or ‘retirement homes’  for the elderly are no more alien words; but there are a lot of thoughts, emotions and big decisions behind these simple words. 
Typically we start looking for a home for seniors when day to day life for them becomes a...

A big decision: moving from home to an assisted living facility

Prasita Nair , Head of Clinical Operations

About us

Our care & services

Library

Contact us