POSITIVE SIDE OF OLD AGE HOMES
Background and Aims:The Geriatric population is growing throught the world . Care of elderly of society is an unmet need .In India, Old Age Homes (OAH) are looked upon rather negatively, and family is stigmatized if their elder is kept in OAH .This is unlike the situation in Western countries , where the care homes are considered a necessity and an asset for the aging population.Less is known about response of Indians about residing in care home , hence this study was conducted . Methods: We interviewed 26 inmates of an old age home using a questionnaire Results: We observed that 80 percent of inmates in the old age home that we studied were happy due to the pleasant ambience , caring attitude of employees , disciplined routine , appropriate entertainment and reasonable facilities. Conclusions: Instead of treating care homes as a stigma , we must accept them as a necessity and make it Geriatric friendly .It is better to look at the positive side of Old age homes as many of the aged may have to spend the last years of their lives in these facilities .