Book Review - Aisccon Guide on Elder Care Homes

Prof PV Ramamurti and Dr P Vyasamoorthy: AISCCON Guide on Elder Care
Homes. Published by All India Senior Citizens Confederation, Mumbai.
November 2011. Pages (A5) 86.

This book is two parts. The first part, the Guide on Elder Care Homes
is based on papers submitted by members of AISCCON National Committee
on Elder Care Homes. This part is mainly targeted towards managers and
owners of Elder Care Homes. Minimum Standards for services, facilities
and infrastructure are stipulated for a) free homes run on charity
basis and b) Pay & Stay type intended for middle and upper middle
class elderly persons. Thereafter, provision of healthcare facilities,
Food and Nutritional aspects, and Activities / Entertainment are
covered in three later chapters.

Apart from general aspects of managing Elders homes, there is a
separate chapter on Financial management. As a logical next step,
details relating to Monitoring and Inspection of Old Age Homes are
given next. Rounding off this group are two articles one on: A summary
of Research Studies on Old Age Homes in India and a brief note of the
scenario in UK USA and Canada.

Appendices, forming the second part, are a collection of important and
useful extracts from various governmental sources that serve as
reference.  Architects, planners and real estate persons interested in
providing shelter to senior citizens will benefit from Guidelines on
Space standards for the elderly, Universal design tips and barrier
free access guidelines.  The AP State Rules relating to old age homes
– (still in draft stage as of Nov 2011)- under Maintenance and Welfare
of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 would be useful as a model /
template for other states. These rules will indeed be directly useful
to owners / managers of old age homes.

There are a few a few page formatting errors in second part of the
book. Absence of info on copyright, availability, and details of
AISCCON - the publisher as such are points to be noted if a second
edition is taken up. The book is very useful to all connected with
setting up and running old age homes. Even residents of old age homes
may benefit by learning what they should look for in searching /
selecting old age homes.

Prof P.V.Ramamurti, PhD(Ageing), FNA, Honorary Director(Emeritus),
Center for Research on Ageing, Dept. of Psychology, S V University,
super annuated as Dean of school of social behavior sciences, in 1996.
He was a Fulbright fellow (1983), Andrus Gerontology Center, L A USA.
His Intl and National awards include Sandoz Intl award, Age Care
award, AGI lifetime achievement award,  Pranavananda Research
Award(lifetime), Basu Medal ( API), SCB award for excellence, ISCA
Platinum jubilee award . He is a scholar and teacher of international
repute.

Dr P Vyasamoorthy, co-author, has about ten years of post retirement
experience as a social gerontologist and social activist. He is a
prolific writer. He is a recipient of AP State govt award in 2007 for
his services to senior citizens and a winner of UNV Karmaveer Puraskar
Award in 2011.
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Available at Rs 30 plus postage, from: AISCCON, Jyestha Nagrik Bhavan,
Plot No 7-C Behind Gaondevi Mandir, Sector 12, Nerul(West), Navi
Mumbai 400706 (Phone: 022-27701228)