Visited Dhyanaprasthan yesterday
By vanny
@vandana7 (98834)
India
July 8, 2018 1:12am CST
Technically, it is old age home.
But lacks many of the conventional old age features.
It is isolated from the city..quiet. I loved the peaceful and serene environment, but hope the impression was not because of the rainy season. Rainy season does decorate my world.
There are dustbins in good places.
Plots are 200 square yards, Buildings 1500 sft. There are no compound walls, but elderly friendly slopes and stairs.
2 small bedrooms downstairs with small attached wash rooms. One large bedroom upstairs, with open terrace and attached washroom.
The idea is to let caregiver live upstairs after certain age and convert the other bedroom into study of sorts to kill the monotony, or use it as guest bedroom.
The hall is fairly large, and kitchen is open.
Food is served at specific timings. Rent, 4000 INR, meals per head 5500 INR, 3000 for garden maintenance and 2000 for housekeeping.
People are welcome to come and go as they please. No restrictions of timing at the gate.
No mandatory socializing prayers blah blah. That used to be one of the botheration for me. Being unmarried and childless, I get ridiculed often, and people do try to force themselves or their children upon me. That makes me a tad afraid to socialize.
Pretty reclusive living. Dad was not happy with the 30 feet wide roads, but I have no issues. There are plenty of fruits grown, and flowers too. It looked quaint like homes in hill stations.
Negatives. No internet as yet. The road is concrete but uneven ...even sloping. No ambulance facility as yet, though the society is trying to work on that one.
Care givers can be personally selected and brought to the place.
I loved it, dad did not. Construction is 10 years old, and will cost about 3300000 INR or so, but does not make sense buying as rents are so little and will remain so for the next oh so many years.
What do you think, is it worth moving to such a place? By the way, the hospital is not too far ..and overall there are only 45 such homes.
EDIT: No water problem.
But snakes are there. Fruits and vegetables grown there are used only for the residents.
11 people like this
11 responses
@Daljinder (23233)
• Bangalore, India
8 Jul 18
That place sounds wonderful for living in peace except no internet.
4 people like this
@vandana7 (98834)
• India
8 Jul 18
The manager did say it will be a while, may be four or five years before net reaches there. It means no bank transactions are possible. LOL. We have had bad experience with online bank transactions. But eventually, that would be the only way out, right? I have to accept that...more dad than me. There can be snakes though..lol. It is lush green all around DJ...and no water problem. Summers the top bedroom does get hot, but all other seasons it is like hill station ..residents are very happy. It is possible to cook personally also so no 5500. I think that is ok...if we can avoid headaches of going to shop buying vegetables..they grow vegetables and fruits and those are also used for residents and staff. Lovely environment ..
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23233)
• Bangalore, India
10 Jul 18
@vandana7 I still say the place sounds really good. With lush greenery as you say, I can imagine the mornings with birds chirping. During rains the place would get better. Yeah the top bedroom being too hot is the problem we have as well but with A/c or a cooler that can be taken care of.
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@vandana7 (98834)
• India
10 Jul 18
@Daljinder I fell for it...dad won't hear ...let us see..how things pan out. :) I am hoping it will be good ..
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@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
8 Jul 18
Sounds ideal but there is one thing that would put me off.........SNAKES. I can't bear them and would not be happy knowing they were around. 46,000 die each year in India because of snake bites Eek!!!!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
8 Jul 18
@vandana7 Are you not too young to go there?
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
8 Jul 18
The cost is prohibitive but the rents seem OK.Need to have some medical facilities too
2 people like this
@vandana7 (98834)
• India
8 Jul 18
Yes, the manager said he was trying to get a professional driver and ambulance with contributions. That way purchases could also be made each week by the residents. He is quite dynamic in his approach. But it will be a while before people even hear about it. And only 45 members is not exactly the number that will manage that kind of contribution overnight. LOL. I think I will suggest vehicle loan as a society. Don't know. I might have to buy a house for that. And it is not mandatory that their services be used for cooking and housekeeping if costs seem prohibitive. They also arrange for sewerage, electrical, and plumbing at slightly higher costs, as it is out of the way. The fruits grown there are shared among the residents. It is fabulous to look at.
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
8 Jul 18
@vandana7 sounds like a good place, if there were old friends who book together it would be good
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@vandana7 (98834)
• India
8 Jul 18
@responsiveme Exactly what another uncle said. I did not carry my cell yesterday. I was driving so I did not want to be disturbed. Next time, I will take it, and take pictures to show you all. Three months later after rains ..all of us are planning to go and have a look once more. :)
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (98834)
• India
8 Jul 18
@amitkokiladitya Me too. I have about 5 years to convince him. By then, I hope ambulance service and Internet service are in place. :)
1 person likes this
@amitkokiladitya (171936)
• Agra, India
8 Jul 18
@vandana7 I hope your dad develops a liking soon
1 person likes this
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Jul 18
That certainly sounds reasonable compared to the senior homes here! Why did your dad not like it? It seems like many elderly folks just do not like change period. We will have to sell my mother in law's house sooner than later - not sure where she can go thereafter.
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@vandana7 (98834)
• India
8 Jul 18
I was viewing it for staying there. I would also be staying with dad. But dad is not ok possibly because he would feel lonely away from his friend circle. I don't want to pluck him from here, if he is not comfortable. But I do fear that he will start getting into depression if any of his closest friends passes away.
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@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Jul 18
@vandana7 Ah, the friend circle - that probably is important to him. We have friends who took many years to get the elderly father to come to live in the US with them . . . his wife had already been living here because she was taking care of the grandchild (boy, I guess the husband was ok living without the wife for many years 
). They finally convinced him to leave his country, but like you said, I think he did feel "plucked". It does sound like an ideal place (except for the lack of internet 
)!
). They finally convinced him to leave his country, but like you said, I think he did feel "plucked". It does sound like an ideal place (except for the lack of internet )!
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
8 Jul 18
Like all the other comments internet would be one reason I would not want to stay there permanently.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (98834)
• India
8 Jul 18
But it will come in about 4 to 5 years time! Then I will relocate I suppose. We will be visiting it after rains. A couple of family friends along with dad and I. If everybody is willing we could prompt them to act on somethings and relocate there. It is absolutely peaceful place to live in.
1 person likes this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
8 Jul 18
@vandana7 I wish you and your Dad all the best on all you decisions.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (98834)
• India
8 Jul 18
Actually, I gave a good report about it to dad's friends. They are contemplating checking on it after rains. That way they will have clear idea about the actual nature. If they all like it, may be dad and his friends would all choose to shift as a group.
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