A Rest Home for South Asian communities would set a healthy trend, possibly gaining government support, a Report of the University of Auckland said.
The Report, prepared by Karan Bangera, Yonas Yoseph, Cameron Brooks and Shanmugam Kangatheran for Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust, said that the proposed project would set a precedent in New Zealand.
“The Rest Home would hopefully provide a stepping-stone for this type of facility to become a common feature throughout New Zealand,” it said.
Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust has embarked on this ambitious project called, ‘Aashirwad,’ to construct a culturally appropriate rest home for the elderly.
But the Project can become a reality only with the support of the central and local governments, the communities concerned and their leaders.
Such support would entail funding for construction and other related jobs and recurrent expenditure.
Indian Newslink had reported on the Project and carried an editorial in its February 1, 2011 issue.
Modern facility
Trust Chairman Jeet Suchdev has been striving hard since last year to muster public support, and more important, finances.
“Aashirwad would envisage a modern, all-service facility that would cater to the growing South Asian communities in New Zealand. We will consider an existing Rest Home with about 80 beds either on lease or outright purchase, the cost of which would be about $8 million,” he said.
The ideal plan would of course be to construct a purpose-filled facility, suitable for the inmates. Mr Suchdev said that the Trust is looking for a plot of land of about 6000 Sq Metres in any part of Auckland, although an existing rest home would enable an early start-up of the Project.
“We need the support of major investors and cash donations from all,” he said.
Mr Suchdev said that doctors, nurses and caregivers would be available at the Rest Home, with a sound knowledge of the cultural values, languages and the needs of the inmates.
“We will assure those using the Rest Home that there would be fellowship, goodwill, understanding and use of the most popular languages. As well as care and entertainment, the elders would have the facility of visiting their places of worship, including Temples, Gurdwaras, Mosques and Churches,” he said.
Business Plan
The University of Auckland Report recorded the concern expressed by Bhartiya Samaj that a lack of culturally sensitive residential care was affecting the wellbeing of a substantial number of elderly people of South Asian ethnicity.
“The organisation is currently investigating the feasibility of opening a rest home that will cater to the unique needs of elderly South Asians and enhance the quality of their life,” it said.
The 50-page Report provides an analysis of recent changes to residential care subsidies for the elderly and a sample business plan that a potential rest home could use to aid its own business plan development.
“Residential care subsidy changes should not significantly impact the feasibility of a culturally appropriate rest home. Bhartiya Samaj could utilise a large number of organisations and government policies in its aims to establish a rest home. Culturally sensitive care projects in other parts of the world have substantially contributed to the wellbeing of their elderly members,” the Report said.
The population of aged persons in the South Asian communities is rising rapidly in New Zealand, many of them are either abandoned by their immediate family members or live under stress, and poor care.
Mr Suchdev said that immigrants experience huge dynamic transformations in their means, life style, professional and occupational challenges.
“Old age is an unavoidable, undesirable, problem-ridden phase of life that we all are compelled to live, marking time until our final exit from life itself.
“Perceiving old age with fear is a recent phenomenon. It seems to increase as our communities become more complex and less comprehensible,” he said.
Indian Newslink will continue to promote this Project by raising awareness on its need among community and business leaders.
For more details, please contact Jeet Suchdev on (09) 4430579 Mobile: 021-2221020 Email: jeet@xtra.co.nz
