Elder Care for Indians in America is Now Culturally Specialized

Indians in America are the second largest Asian population second only to the Chinese. The many Indians who have migrated to America in the past several decades have now more family ties here than back home. Indians are very family centric race and they want to remain close to their children and grandchildren. Often, however, they do not want to stay with their children but prefer to remain independent. This is where retirement homes geared towards the Indian cultural ethos are now making their presence felt.

As one age there is comfort in being surrounded by your own culture. Often the elderly who have come along to stay with their children in America feel like outsiders when it comes to the language and food preferences.

Retirement Home Prerequisites for Indians

 ·         A connection with the Indian lifestyle and culture

·         Nursing care staff familiar with Indian languages like Hindi, Punjabi or Gujarati

·         Religious activities like puja and festival celebrations specific to their faith

·         Access to Indian programs on television

·         Indian food

·         Even décor helps to make it feel more like home

Senior Care Facilities

Traditionally Asians care for their parents at home. The first immigrants in the 1960s who came here as professionals are now facing the changing values. Their children have been brought up in a different cultural milieu where the elderly live independently. This has given rise to many facilities catering to the cultural needs and independence of these retiring professionals. While many go back to India, the fact that they now have strong ties in the form of family keeps them back in America and they just make frequent trips back to the motherland.

New York, Vancouver and Florida among the many places in America have specific retirement homes for Indians. Shantineketan in Florida is the first to have been built specifically for Americans from India. Other states have now followed suit.

Local Programs

Isolation is one of the major issues Indian elders face when they come to stay with their children in America. Back home they are part of a social circle that includes neighbours, relatives and often friends at the temple in their locality. In America, things get to be different, grandchildren are more assimilated into the American way of life and with their grandparents, find a huge language, cultural and generational barrier. 

To tackle these feelings of isolation, local senior programs are now coming up (like the India Community Center ICC) that offer opportunities to mingle with other Indians. The senior’s program is geared around simple socialization activities that include yoga, discussions and sometimes even Bollywood dancing.

To find specific senior care facilities in your city, look up Elder Care Facilities on Sulekha.