Nursing homes in kenya, a potential yet to be exploited.

Luxury care for the aged in Kenya

Planning for retirement can be a daunting task, it’s one that has no guarantee or certainty but also one that cannot be overlooked because as sure as the sun comes up and sets every day, we are all faced with the reality of life after employment and beyond.

While some buy and build their dream homes, others engage in hobbies such as farming but more interestingly are a new generation of ageing people – parents and grandparents – that has started keeping money aside for when they move to a retirement home.

Having a secure future in old age is paramount to many in this generation where people do not want to change their lifestyle habits and therefore prefer to invest on life in high-end retirement homes where they get 5 star care and attention.

A good percentage of those in these homes or who are saving for life in these homes are Kenyans of Caucasian origin who have life all or most of their lives here, have attained old age and yet have no family members to care for them when they can no longer do so themselves.

Some are grandmothers and great grandmothers and grandfathers who consciously chose to spend their sunset years here even as their families moved abroad. Many of them require constant supervision due to their advanced age or for medical reasons.

This has seen a number of high-end retirement homes come up across the country to cater for the growing number of seniors who opt to be in these facilities rather than live at home on their own when they can no longer take care of the day-to-dayrunning of the homes.

On a visit to Fairseat Retirement home in Rosslyn, a quiet and calm environment surrounded by trees and well-manicured gardens, we sit in the library as the home’s administrator gives me insights about the home.

The home caters for a maximum of 35 residents all of who are above the age of 70. However, they are faced with a growing number of people who are on the waiting list to join the facility.

It was started in the late 90s after the owner of the five-acre piece of land donated it to serve as a retirement home. It has since been run by a board of directors.

“We have a constantly growing list of people wanting to join the facility, but our capacity at any given time cannot exceed 35 residents,” she says.

More interestingly, she tells me about a middle aged Kenyan lady of British origin who is residing abroad and who called in to book for a place in 2040 when she will attain 70 years.

Another is a senior man who has asked to build his own home in the facility due to lack of room to accommodate him.

This gap shows the need for more high-end retirement homes as the population of Kenyans with money ages in Kenya.

Currently Kenya has 1.2 million people living above the age of 60, but few can afford the high cost of being cared for in a retirement home. This number is expected to double as the population ages over the next 10 years according to recent population figures.

Kilulu, a retirement home in Mombasa on three acres has catered for the elderly for 16 years, during which time it has seen a growing number of elderly men and women come into the home in search of companionship, care and a healthy atmosphere.

Mrs. Beverley Herd, the founding member of Kilulu says the home was started to cater for the many elderly people whose families had moved abroad leaving them living alone in unhealthy and lonely conditions. Some of the people who moved in had no family members here at all.

Transition

The traditional African society expected the elderly to be cared for by their children, most retired to their villages as they grew older but with an improved quality of life, more people can now afford to plan for a quiet transition in the confines of aretirement home.

A few years back, taking a parent to an old people’s home was unthinkable among African families. It was seen as heartless and ‘unAfrican” but with time, many families are seeing this as the best way to have your parents nearby and yet still give them personal space.

As the numbers for those seeking shelter in these homes grows, there are now a few locals who have opted to spend their time in these homes where they feel they can be cared for with money they made in their active years.

The numbers are negligible but are certain to rise as children who would look after them in their old age move away to greener pastures abroad.

The move by their children to foreign countries in search for better lives has often left the elderly with no one to care for them even when independent living is no longer possible.

The lack of companionship, and not finding alternative places to live in their advanced years are also some of the reasons why most people move to these homes.

“ If a couple lives alone and neither is able to get out and shop, it can be difficult for them and their relatives who perhaps do not live in this country or are too far away to help on a regular basis,” says Mrs Herd.

Mrs. Herd tells us of a German lady at Kilulu who she regularly takes out for a coffee so that she can have a change of scene or up to Vipingo Ridge to view the world from a different perspective and enjoy a cold drink at the restaurant up there.

The lady is quite advanced in age but enjoys her day out immensely.

With various designs of cottages, apartments and rooms for accommodation, these homes are fairly high priced to ensure that residents get the best care.

Residents are allowed to furnish their rooms with their own belongings to create a real feeling of being at home.

The average cost is between Sh90,000 and Sh120,000 per month depending on the circumstances and need for each residents.

This money caters for utility bills, care givers and full board accommodation; however some may need physiotherapy and other specialised medical care as they grow older all of which come at an additional cost.

Independent

There are other options for those just who want to spend half-day and half-board in the retirement homes. One home which offers this is the Charles Disney Memorial home in Muthaiga, which has offered sheltered accommodation to aged residents from 1989.

“We supply our residents with a substantial lunch every day but expect them to make their own breakfast and suppers,” says Ms Marian Slade the manager, adding that the home encourages their residents to be as independent as possible.

Their charges are from Sh30,000 to Sh45,000 per month depending on the kind of accommodation required.

Another home is Harrison House set on a two-acre piece of land on Ngong road which is owned and managed by the East Africa Women’s League.

The allure of these homes is that they are in a secure environment where these ageing citizens never have to worry about paying bills or medical care. So long as they can afford it, everything is within reach.

Most services are available full time with care givers and qualified nurses on hand when needed. Another aspect is that it is a social community where they can interact with people their age. And their families are free to visit them whenever they want.

Sarah Karanja, a 65-year-old Kenyan citizen says she would rather go to such a home than stay at home and have her children worry about her all the time.

She says living in a place like this does not put a lot of burden her children and grandchildren who she expects to visit her often.

The alternative would be for her children to employ someone to look after her in her home, yet she would still be lonely.

“It is a decision that needs to be taken by most of us who are seniors. Being in a social community where there is specialised care and people our age that we can socialise with makes life better as you advance in years,” she says.

The cost of being in such a home is not an issue because most of the residents support themselves through investments they made earlier in life and trust funds that generate them income to fund their stay.

Some of the individuals sold their properties when they could no longer life there.

Entertainment is of utmost importance in these homes as a way to beat boredom with movies, get together events, quiz nights, swimming sessions, dinners, outings to the salon or stores and board games being in the list of activities that are lined up for them.

The variety of events and the companionship from age mates gives the seniors reason to stay alive as they have something to look forward to everyday.

“Most spend their time watching TV, sitting on their verandahs and enjoying the garden and watching people working at Kilulu. In warmer weather, those who are able to swim or simply paddle in the water to keep cool,” says Mrs Herd.

Their families have unlimited access to the homes and are also encouraged to take them along during family outings, says Mrs. Herd

“It is a safe and secure environment where we dance and party together, stay young and are happy,” she adds