Quality of Life

वरिष्ठ नागरिकों के लिए जीवन की गुणवत्ता में सुधार

जीवन की गुणवत्ता में सुधार एक सतत प्रक्रिया है

वरिष्ठों को अपने जीवन की गुणवत्ता में सुधार के लिए विशेष ध्यान रखने की आवश्यकता है। कभी-कभी, उन्हें इस संबंध में कार्यवाहक, परिवार और दोस्तों की सहायता की आवश्यकता हो सकती है। जब आप बड़े हो जाते हैं, तो आपको अपने स्वास्थ्य की स्थिति के आधार पर अपनी जीवन-शैली में कुछ बदलाव करने की आवश्यकता होती है। जब आप बड़े हो जाते हैं, तो आपको अपने स्वास्थ्य की स्थिति के आधार पर अपनी जीवन-शैली में कुछ बदलाव करने की आवश्यकता होती है।

पूर्ति की भावना का होना महत्वपूर्ण

एक आरामदायक भौतिक जीवन और एक उचित स्वास्थ्य के अलावा, अच्छी गुणवत्ता वाले जीवन का आनंद लेने के लिए सबसे महत्वपूर्ण जरूरतों में से एक ऐसी गतिविधियों में शामिल होना है जो आपको तृप्ति की भावना देती हैं। गोल्फ खेलना, ताश खेलना, पढ़ना, लिखना आदि जैसे शौक और शौक रखने वाले वरिष्ठों में बेहतर स्वास्थ्य की भावना होती है। यदि आपके पास कोई शगल नहीं है, तो यह आवश्यक है कि आप कुछ ऐसे शौक विकसित करें जो आपको व्यस्त रखें और आपके जीवन की गुणवत्ता को बेहतर बनाने में मदद करें।

स्वास्थ्य और कल्याण सबसे महत्वपूर्ण है

आइए इसका सामना करते हैं, जीवन की सर्वोत्तम गुणवत्ता का आनंद लेने के लिए सबसे महत्वपूर्ण कारक आपका स्वास्थ्य और कल्याण स्थिति है। जब हम स्वास्थ्य की बात करते हैं, तो हम समग्र स्वास्थ्य का उल्लेख करते हैं जिसमें शारीरिक, भावनात्मक, मानसिक और आध्यात्मिक स्वास्थ्य शामिल होता है। इनमें से किसी भी पहलू में कोई कमी आपके जीवन की गुणवत्ता को प्रभावित करेगी। आपके शारीरिक स्वास्थ्य के लिए अच्छा पोषण और नियमित व्यायाम महत्वपूर्ण हैं। जब हम छोटे होते हैं, तो हम आम तौर पर अपने स्वास्थ्य को हल्के में लेते हैं और इसके बारे में बहुत ही लापरवाह होते हैं। जब हम उन मुद्दों का सामना करना शुरू करते हैं जो हमारी पूरी शारीरिक क्षमता को सीमित करते हैं, तो हम इसकी परवाह करना शुरू करते हैं। इसलिए, वरिष्ठ नागरिकों के रूप में, किसी के स्वास्थ्य और कल्याण को सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता दी जानी चाहिए। यदि स्वास्थ्य नियंत्रण में है, तो जीवन की गुणवत्ता में सुधार के अन्य पहलुओं का प्रबंधन किया जा सकता है। इस मामले में लापरवाही महंगी पड़ सकती है।

डिप्रेशन से बचाव

उम्र बढ़ने के कारण उनके शारीरिक स्वास्थ्य में धीरे-धीरे गिरावट के अलावा, वरिष्ठों को अवसाद से प्रभावित होने का खतरा होता है। जीवन में प्रासंगिकता खोने और अब उपयोगी न होने की भावना उन्हें अवांछित महसूस कराती है। सामाजिक रूप से जुड़े रहकर इस भावना को जांचना जरूरी है। साथ ही, एक मजबूत भावनात्मक स्वास्थ्य के लिए व्यक्ति को तनाव मुक्त होना चाहिए और सकारात्मक दृष्टिकोण रखना चाहिए। योग और ध्यान जैसी तकनीकें सही संतुलन हासिल करने में काफी कारगर साबित हुई हैं। एक अच्छा मानसिक स्वास्थ्य सुनिश्चित करने के लिए, वरिष्ठों को हमेशा अपने दिमाग का व्यायाम करते रहना चाहिए। हर रोज कुछ नया सीखना कभी बंद न करें।

दुनिया का पता लगाने के लिए यात्रा करें

यात्रा जीवन में उत्साह लाती है और शारीरिक, मानसिक और पर्यावरणीय स्वास्थ्य में सुधार करती है। जिन वरिष्ठों को कोई गंभीर गतिशीलता समस्या नहीं है, उन्हें दुनिया का पता लगाने के लिए यात्रा करनी चाहिए। यह उन्हें ऊर्जावान, साहसी, खुश और उनके जीवन की गुणवत्ता में महत्वपूर्ण रूप से जोड़ देगा।

घर पर सीनियर फ्रेंडली फीचर्स शामिल करें

आपका जीवन स्तर निश्चित रूप से आपके जीवन की गुणवत्ता को प्रभावित करता है। सीनियर फ्रेंडली फीचर्स जैसे वॉशरूम में नॉन स्किड टाइल्स / स्टोन्स, उपयुक्त स्थानों पर सपोर्ट के लिए रेलिंग, सीढ़ियों के बजाय कम ग्रेडिएंट वाले ढलान आदि को शामिल करके निवास पर आवश्यक परिवर्तन करें। याद रखें कि सीनियर फ्रेंडली फीचर्स सभी उम्र के लिए अच्छे हैं।

प्रौद्योगिकी(Technology) एक महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभा सकती है

प्रौद्योगिकी एक और क्षेत्र है जो वरिष्ठों के जीवन की गुणवत्ता में सुधार करने में मदद करता है। आज, वरिष्ठ स्वास्थ्य देखभाल, होम ऑटोमेशन, लाइन पर चिकित्सा सलाह, दवाओं के लिए अलार्म और रिमाइंडर आदि के मामले में प्रौद्योगिकी के पास बहुत कुछ है। अमेज़न इको और गूगल होम जैसे स्मार्ट स्पीकर बुजुर्गों के लिए एक वरदान हैं।

1. नियमित गतिविधियां।

आज, प्रौद्योगिकी ने टैब और स्मार्टफोन के माध्यम से विभिन्न प्रकार की नियमित गतिविधियों को संभव बना दिया है। डिजिटल पर्सनल असिस्टेंट (एलेक्सा, गूगल होम, सिरी और कॉर्टाना) की आसान उपलब्धता जो आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस (एआई) से भरे हुए हैं और केवल वॉयस कमांड द्वारा काफी उच्च स्तर की विश्वसनीयता के साथ कई नियमित कार्य कर सकते हैं। वे बड़ों के लिए वरदान हैं। स्मार्टफोन और डिजिटल पर्सनल असिस्टेंट बुजुर्गों की मदद कर सकते हैं:

समाचार पढ़ना/सुनना (किसी भी भाषा में)

अलार्म और रिमाइंडर सेट करना (वॉयस कमांड द्वारा संभव)

टूडू सूची बनाना और खरीदारी करना (आवाज के माध्यम से)

मौसम और यातायात के बारे में वर्तमान जानकारी देना (आवाज द्वारा)

ऑडियो और वीडियो ऐप्स के माध्यम से फिटनेस और ध्यान दिनचर्या में सहायता करना। (वॉयस कमांड के माध्यम से भी संभव है)

मनोरंजन के लिए संगीत और फिल्में/वीडियो चलाना (वॉयस कमांड के जरिए संभव)

सामाजिक संपर्क – वीडियो चैट और सोशल मीडिया दूरी की परवाह किए बिना वरिष्ठों को उनके निकट और प्रियजनों के संपर्क में रखें।

होम ऑटोमेशन जैसे लाइट, टीवी और अन्य उपकरणों को चालू/बंद करना।

अपने पासवर्ड और उन जगहों को याद रखना जहां आपने अपना सामान रखा था।

ऑनलाइन शॉपिंग और यहां तक ​​कि कैब ऑनलाइन बुक करने में सहायता करना।

अकेलेपन और अलगाव से लड़ने में मदद करें।

संज्ञानात्मक गिरावट को रोकने के लिए ऑनलाइन सीखना और व्यायाम।

2. दवा। आपको समय पर सही खुराक में दवाएँ लेने की याद दिलाना। डॉक्टर की रिपोर्ट, परीक्षण के परिणामों सहित चिकित्सा सलाह और जानकारी प्राप्त करना। कई स्मार्टफोन ऐप हैं जो इसे संभव बनाते हैं।

3. सुरक्षा और सुरक्षा। अकेले रहने वाले सीनियर्स पर्सनल इमरजेंसी रिस्पांस सिस्टम (PERS) के माध्यम से एक बटन के पुश के साथ मदद प्राप्त कर सकते हैं, एक ऐसा उपकरण जो पहनने वाले को एक बटन के साधारण पुश के साथ मदद के लिए कॉल करने की अनुमति देता है। बुजुर्ग जो अल्जाइमर रोग से पीड़ित हैं या जो भटकने के लिए प्रवृत्त हैं, उनके लिए कई जीपीएस ट्रैकिंग डिवाइस एक वरिष्ठ के स्थान की निगरानी कर सकते हैं और अलर्ट भेज सकते हैं।

4. सीनियर वर्क आउट और एक्सरसाइज। कई वीडियो ऐप वरिष्ठों को उनके शरीर और दिमाग को गतिमान करने में सहायता करते हैं, आज उपलब्ध हैं

5. स्वास्थ्य ट्रैकिंग। स्मार्टफ़ोन ऐप और सूचना ट्रैकिंग सिस्टम वरिष्ठों को उनके चिकित्सा इतिहास, चिकित्सक संपर्क, दवा कार्यक्रम आदि को अद्यतन रखने में मदद कर सकते हैं, जिसे रिश्तेदारों, देखभाल करने वालों और चिकित्सकों द्वारा एक्सेस किया जा सकता है।

वरिष्ठों के लिए स्मार्ट स्पीकर बहुत कुछ कर सकते हैं

वरिष्ठ नागरिकों के लिए जीवन की गुणवत्ता में सुधार Read More »

What is Your Quality of Life?

Updated on March 18th, 2022

Exploring the world

Meaning of ‘Quality of Life

The term ‘Quality of Life’ is a very broad and an ambiguous term and may mean different to different people. For some, good quality of life may mean being wealthy with a palatial house, fleet of cars, frequent exotic travel trips and so on. To someone else it may mean a good healthy body with a life of moral values. Yet to someone else, it may mean to able to live with just adequate means with a feeing of contentment and peace of mind.

Your Happiness and Contentment depends upon Quality of your Life


One’s level of happiness and contentment greatly depends on the quality o your life.“Quality of Life“ has has both physical and non-physical aspects. The non-physical part includes your psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects. One may have all the physical comforts and luxuries and yet may not enjoy a good quality of life due to psychological and emotional baggage which cause him anxiety and bursts of depressions in life. On the other hand, another individual may have limited resources barely to meet his necessities and yet may enjoy a good quality of life due to his emotional and spiritual health which make him feel contented.

In simple terms, it means degree to which an individual is healthy, comfortable, and able to enjoy life. World Health Organization defines it as ‘individuals’ perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. There are no standard laid down factors or parameters to measure one’s quality of life quantitatively.
However, the following factors are widely accepted to constitute one’s quality of life:

Good Health and Wellness status

Health and your Quality of Life are inter-dependant. Good health contributes greatly to the Quality of Life. At the same time, good quality of life definitely has a positive impact on health.

Social wellbeing & Relationships

Social factors and strong relationships make you feel good and contribute to your emotional growth and overall health.

Satisfying Employment

In general, one’s feelings about his/her job such as working conditions, time to commute, interpersonal relationships, rewards, benefits and  a well defined career path contributes a lot towards Quality of Life.

Clarity on Purpose and Meaning in Life through Spiritual Development

Having a clear purpose of life is the  key to achieving  contentment and eventually peace of mind. Spiritual People  have a clear purpose which makes their lives meaningful.They realise that the purpose of life is to find Happiness which is means communion with God. The joy and calmness one achieves with this communion cannot be expressed in words.

Perception and attitude towards life

Even if one is not financially strong and cannot afford a very high standard of living but yet due to his positive outlook, he may perceive a feeling of contentment and joy.

Good Financial status

Financial well being is an important component of Quality of Life. Being financially sound gives you access to good quality of food, more comforts and access to medicines and health care facilities which directly contribute to your health and good Quality of Life.

Good Work Life Balance

Having a good work-life balance leaves adequate time for leisure, time with family and entertainment and contributes to one’s health.

Security and Freedom

Security and Freedom that one one enjoys both during working and in personal life is an important factor that determines the quality of life.

Environmental conditions

Environmental conditions like climate and access to clean drinking water with no air pollution. Access to clean air and water and non-polluting environment has a direct impact on your health and well-being.

High education Level

High education Level and Self Development: Education level is another determinant of Quality of Life. If one is educated, he understands what is good or bad for him and can make choices which are beneficial and healthier for him.

Effective and Judicious utilisation of Technology

Effective use of computers and smartphones for activities like health monitoring, financial transactions, e-learning, communication and gaining fast access to information is a boon and enhances the Quality of Life. At the same time, addiction to these devices for social media and unfiltered load of information makes them a curse. Excessive screen time strains the eyes and leaves less time for outdoor activities. Therefore, Judicious use of these devices definitely improves the Quality off Life.

Activities that can add to your Quality of Life

Everyone is different and the way in which one person enjoys may not appeal to another. But there are definitely certain common ingredients which one may seek as they are under your control:



Do what you like and like whatever you do, It could be a productive engagement or a pastime or entertainment, but so long as love doing it, it will definitely make you feel good and enjoy. Follow your passions.

Exercise regularly to keep yourself fit. It helps release of Endorphin hormone which makes you relaxed and happy.

Do things which benefits others. Selfless service in giving it to nature or to the society, releases Serotonin hormone which acts as a mood stabiliser and makes you happy.

Eating well and taking care of yourself at any age makes you feel good. So let age not discourage you from maintaining yourself with fashion trends suiting your life style.

Travel more and explore the world. It is one activity which will refresh your mind and make your life exciting.

Try and always keep a positive mindset. Keep a company of positive and lively people.

Take adequate rest and always have a Good Night sleep.

How to calculate Quality of your Life


What are the most important factors that determine the Quality of Life. Is it possible to measure these factors and come to a quantitive figure indicating the degree of Quality of Life that a person enjoys. These factors can be broadly divided into categories given below, To come to a quantitative figure indicating level of Quality of Life that one enjoys, there is a requirement to come to a weightage given to each factor. Although this aspect is quite subjective and may vary from individual to individual. However for the purpose of this article, I have given the weightage that I consider to be most appropriate after a comprehensive research. The Weightage given to each factor is added in parenthesis. With these weightage, given the necessary inputs it would be possible to calculate one’s Quality of Life:

Factor affecting Quality of LifeWeightage
Health and Wellness factors20
Education Level, Technology and Self Development Factors 20
Social Factors & Relationships20
Financial Factors15
Purpose in Life and Spiritual Development10
Work Life Balance10
Environmental Factors5
Total100
How to calculate Quality of your Life

Analysis of Score on Quality of Life

Allot marks in each attribute out of weightage given in parenthesis and total it up to arrive at your total score.

Total ScoreQuality of Life
Less than 60Needs attention. Make efforts to improve
Between 60 and 70Fair
Between 70 and 75Good
Greater than 75Excellent
Analysis of Score on Quality of Life

What is Your Quality of Life? Read More »

The New Normal

Updated on February 22nd, 2021

COVID 19 has the audacity to alter the way humans connect with one another in their interaction. The first casualty in the arena of customs, traditions and rituals was that of salutation – the hand shake – an activity of two persons extending and clasping each other’s hand. The show of delight and warmth was exhibited by the firmness of grasp and number of shakes. Fear of virus transmission has replaced hand shake with the social distancing enabled Namastey – a pleasantry performed in Indian culture with adjoined palms.
Change accepted and adopted.

‘Cheers’ goes well and matters most when accompanied with clinging of glasses. With ‘stay home’ as the new normal the closest friends can get is at an ‘umbrella distance’. No more ‘show off’ of display of bar paraphernalia and ‘a la carte’ spread of evening snacks. Chuckles and giggles can be heard across the bandwidth, but what about the back pattings, the hair rufflings and, above all, the ultimate in the virtue of sharing – passing the fag around. However, the bright blokes worked out a solution – a video binge session. BYOB (bring your own booze) gave way to PYOB (pour your own booze). Maximum pleasure with minimum fuss.
Change accepted and adopted.

Use of face mask is the new normal. It is as much an individual requirement as that of the people around. But do we realise what would be the single biggest casuality of this cover – over. How would cupids fall in ‘love at first sight’. Beauty may be only skin deep but the route to the heart in non invasive entry procedure has always – or say mostly, been through exchange of glance which is invariably accompanied with a complimentary exchange of a love lorn smile. So what would be the next attraction between the opposite poles – height, girth or rate of change of body motion. Remember body contours will also be covered from hair to toe by a non porous Personal Protection Kit. Wink, my dear friend wink would be the next romantic progeny.
Change accepted and adopted.

Having got a match -after pot boiling all of the above in a cauldron, now let us turn our focus on conduct of marriage in the era of lockdown. Should it be an on line marriage, a court marriage, or a truncated marriage with heavily restricted guests in attendance. My take is that all pre marriage rituals can be conducted on the go, in your own time albeit in the respective bathrooms or through Zoom App. Sangeet, Haldi, Mehndi and Sagai (in Indian marriages) would fit in this category. The final event – marriage per say, can be a mellowed down affair sans ‘Ghud chadi’ and ‘Band-Baja-Baraat’. Lavish buffet can yield to packed lunch or dinner etc. Post marriage ceremonies like ‘Joota churai’, ‘Dwar rukaai’ & ‘Kisne Mari bazi’ etc can be viewed separately in older family videos of elder brother or uncle. Betting on outcome would pronounce the results. No shamiyana no lighting no red carpet. Marriage ceremony finito. Now wait for virus to weaken and drop dead for ‘ ‘Gauna’ ceremony to take place. And who says that honey moon has to happen within a fortnight of wedding. Select a destination and book open tickets. Your wait starts now….
Change accepted and adopted.

The most happening thing to happen – in situ, is the culture of ‘work from home’. It definitely is few notches above the concept of felxi working hours. MS Excel during the week days and Surf Excel during the weekends – so to say.
But here too lots of innovations took shape – especially in the realm of dressing up. Since only the upper half is visible on screen, only this part got all the attention, care and grooming. Nice hair style, nice make up, stylish shirt/top, well manicured and painted nails, adequately moisturised hands and palms, so far so good. But for the lower half – nothing at all. Bermudas and shorts of previous Autumn sale fits the bill. Anything that’s not on show gets relegated to obscurity. Top half is office and lower half is home, or in business parlance – ‘work from home’, period.
Change accepted and adopted.

Of course, the new normal includes on line schooling too. The curriculum and the syllabi have undergone massive rejig to suit online tutoring. Teachers are spending sleepless week ends, often burning the midnight oil to roll out hi tech power point presentations for the ensuing week. All the effort seem to be working well. The only irritant being fathers showing due diligence to attend the online classes alongwith their wards – just to keep a roving eye on, well, the teachers. And while this problem is still being surmounted amicably, another embarrassing endeavour has crept in. Teachers often hear the distinctive sound of cistern being flushed in the middle of a captivating chemistry class. Parents to ensure no toilet breaks please. May be because of the ongoing HRD Ministry has mooted an idea of truncated online classes per day – for just about three hours only.
Change accepted and adopted.

To hell with Corona Virus, the adamant and incorrigible COVD 19…..
We shall overcome and return to the old normal.

The New Normal Read More »

Improving Quality of Life for Seniors

Updated on October 21st, 2022

Improving Quality of Life after Retirement

Improving Quality of Life is a Continuous Process

Important to have a Sense of Fulfilment

In addition to having a comfortable material life and a reasonable health, one of the most important needs for enjoying good quality life is to be engaged in activities which give you a sense of fulfilment. Seniors who have hobbies and pastimes like playing golf, cards, reading, writing etc have a better sense of well being. If you do not have any pastimes, it is essential that you cultivate some hobbies which keep you busy and help improve Quality of your life.

Health and Wellness is  Most Important

Let us face it, the most important factor for enjoying the best quality of life is your health and wellness state. When we talk of health, we refer to the holistic health which includes physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Any deficiency in any of these aspects would affect the quality of your life. For your physical health, good nutrition and regular exercise are important. When we are young, we generally take our health for granted and are very casual about it. It is only when we start facing issues which restrict our full physical potential do we start caring for it. So, as seniors, the highest priority needs to be given to one’s health and wellness. If health is under control, other aspects for improving quality of life can be managed. Negligence in this regard may prove costly.

Guarding  against Depression

Apart from gradual deterioration of their physical health due to aging, seniors are at a risk of being affected by Depression. The feeling of losing relevance in life and not being useful anymore, makes them feel unwanted. It is important to check this feeling by being socially connected. Also, for a strong emotional health, one should be stress free and have a positive attitude. Techniques like Yoga and Meditation have proved to be quite effective in achieving the right balance. To ensure a good mental health, seniors must always keep exercising their mind. Never stop learning something new everyday.

Travel to explore the world

Travelling brings in excitement in life and improves physical, mental and environmental well being.  Seniors who do not have any serious mobility issue must travel to explore the world. This will make them energetic, adventurous, happy and significantly add to the quality of their life.

Include Senior Friendly Features at home

Your standard of your living definitely impacts your Quality of Life. Make necessary changes at residence by including senior friendly features like non skid tiles/stones in washrooms, railings for support at appropriate places, slopes with low gradient instead of stairs etc.  Remember that senior friendly features are good for all ages.

Technology can play an important role

Technology is another area which helps in improving Quality of Life of Seniors. Today, the technology has a lot to offer in terms of senior health care, home automation, medical advice on line, alarms and reminders for medicines etc. Smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Google home are a boon for elders.

1. Routine Activities.

Today, the technology has made it possible do a variety of routine activities through tabs and smartphones. Easy availability of Digital Personal Assistants (Alexa, Google Home, Siri and Cortana) which are packed with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and can perform many routine tasks with a fairly high degree of reliability just by voice commands. They are a boon for elders. The smartphones and digital personal assistants can help elders with :

  • Reading/Listening News (in any language)
  • Setting Alarms and Reminders (possible by voice command)
  • Making a ToDo list and shopping (through voice)
  • Giving current information about weather and traffic (by voice)
  • Assisting in Fitness and Meditation Routines through audio and video Apps.(also possible through voice commands)
  • Playing music and movies/videos for entertainment (possible through voice commands)
  • Social Connections – Video Chat and social media Keep Seniors in touch with their near and dear ones irrespective of distance.
  • Home automation like switching on/off lights, TV and other appliances.
  • Remembering your Passwords and places where you kept your things.
  • Assisting in shopping on line and even booking cabs online.
  • Help fight against loneliness and isolation.
  • Online Learning and exercises to prevent cognitive decline.

2. Medication. Reminding you to take medicines in correct dosage on time. Getting medical advice and information including doctor reports, test results. There are a number of smartphones apps which make this possible.

3. Security & Safety. Seniors living alone can get help with the Push of a Button through Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), a device which allows the wearer to call for help with the simple push of a button. For seniors who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or the ones who are prone to wandering, a number of GPS tracking devices can monitor a senior’s location and send alerts.

3. Senior Work Out and Exercise. A number of video apps assist seniors’ in getting their bodies and minds moving are available today

4. Health Tracking. Smartphone apps and information tracking systems can help seniors in keeping their medical history, physician contacts, medication schedules etc updated which can be accessed by relatives, caretakers and physicians.

Smart speakers can do a lot for seniors

Improving Quality of Life for Seniors Read More »

Travel to live longer

TRAVEL TO REJUVENATE

Updated on October 1st, 2022

Travel Rejuvenates & makes Life Exciting

Mr Parker retired from his job at the age of 60 and looked forward to a peaceful retired life. He had planned his retirement well and worked out a fixed routine starting with yoga and exercise in the morning followed by a round of Golf every alternate day, reading and occasional socializing with entertainment. He enjoyed his daily routine as it gave him adequate physical exercise, rest, recreation and mental stimulation. However after six months, the routine became monotonous and boredom had started to set in. While he was looking for some change, he noticed a very attractive tour package to Thailand. He had never been to a foreign country earlier. He grabbed the opportunity and undertook a week long package with his spouse. He not only enjoyed each moment of the trip but also made some good friends. Being first time out of the country, they as acouple took a good number of pictures with all attractions in the background.

After return, he got back to his routine with a new energy and vigour as the monotony had been broken. The trip had rejuvenated him and  brought back excitement  in his life. His bonding with his spouse improved as the trip gave them adequate time between themselves with no responsibility of daily chores. Every now and then they recall the good times spent in Thailand and looking at the pictures always made them feel positive about life. Now Parkers undertake one such trip every six months.

 

Parker’s case is not unique. We all feel energetic and rejuvenated after an exciting holiday trip. Don’t we not cherish the memories of such trips till date?  Don’t we feel positive whenever we recall the enjoyable and quality time spent during such trips? I am sure that the answer to these questions is always a big “Yes”.

 

Importance of Travel

Travelling for recreation and change of scene has been an essential part of our today’s stressful life. Here I would like to share some quotations which highlight the relevance of travel:

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page..” -Agustine of Hippo

“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Dalai Lama 

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have travelled.” – Mohammed

Opportunities to Travel and Explore

While active and employed,  one gets enough opportunities to  travel and see new places, especially if one is on a transferable job or on a job that  involves touring and travelling. I myself being from such job have changed residence nearly 20 times to different towns/cities in India and  at times to remote areas and abroad as well.

Every transfer gave me an opportunity to visit all tourist attractions within the motorable distance. In addition, I always made it a point to plan a long-distance domestic/foreign holiday with children at least once a year. As a result, I have visited nearly all the tourist attractions in my country India and many of those located in 15 different countries in the world.

 

Benefits of Travel

With my experience of travel, I can make following comments with confidence:

Travel makes Life after Retirement Exciting

Enjoying Travel after Retirement

After retirement, one has adequate time to plan and travel for recreation, rest and relaxation. Resources are also generally not an issue, presuming that one has planned his retirement well.  

Do not postpone your travel plans. Remember that after retirement you are ageing, and if you postpone it, you may not have the energy to undertake such trips. You don’t even have a certainty that you will live till you are old. It would be in order to plan at least one trip(domestic or foreign) once in six months.

Travel creates Lasting Memories

Beautiful waterfall in Kerela in India

The experience of an eventful vacation leaves a strong imprint on you and help you create lasting memories.

Travel Breaks Monotony

A view of a city in Europe

Travel gives you a break from the monotony of your routine and brings in a welcome change with the new environment with an opportunity to do lots of new things.

Travel helps you Relieve Stress

A soothing view

Travel allows your mind to get away from the daily stresses of life and allows make your feel rested and relaxed.

Travel Refreshes your Mind

Beautiful sunset view calms you mind

It makes us feel energetic and rejuvenated and helps us to undertake whatever we are doing better. It refreshes our mind and brings in joy and excitement.

 

Travel makes you more Creative and Productive

Waterfall in Coorg, India

Travel broadens our horizons and perspective of the world. Our exposure to the new things in various places makes us more creative and productive.

Travel helps make Social connections and see New Cultures

Buddha statue in Sri Lanka

Travel gives you an opportunity to meet new people make friends, see new cultures and experience a new way of life.

Travel invokes a spirit of Adventure

Boating in Venice

Travel invokes a spirit of adventure. Have we not undertaken some unplanned activities like para sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, trekking etc after getting  motivated by seeing others.

Travel brings Positivity in your Life

Iconic Lion of Singapore

Expenditure on travel is like an investment which gives you good returns in the form of bringing excitement and positivity in your life, improving your capacity to work and creating new and lasting memories for you.

Travel makes Family Bonding Strong

Twin Tower of Malasia

Spending time on your holidays keeps your family happy and united. The time spent together for enjoyment without any distractions is never forgotten.

Travel boosts your Physical, Mental and Emotional Health

Travel relieves you stress

Travelling can boost both your physical, mental health and emotional health On your travel trips, your physical activity increases on amount of exercise as a result of walking on sightseeing, adventure activities, hiking etc. You exercise a lot more during your travel trips than at home. Travelling can boost your mental health in a number of ways. Change in environment makes you feel better. The general feeling of enjoyment, happiness and excitement contributes to your mental fitness.

Travel makes you Live Longer

A glimpse of Sydney

Researchers have claimed that there is enough evidence to prove that there is a link between leisure activities like travel/adventure and overall health in later years.

Travel improves your Quality of Life as it affects your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. A Research finds that taking a vacation could help you live longer.

 

Types of Tourism

There are over 50 different types of tourism dictated by purpose for which the travel is undertaken. However, those most relevant for 50 plus are as follows:

Recreational Tourism

Recreational tourism involves the activities done for enjoyment, amusement, pleasure and fun.

Cultural tourism

Cultural tourism is concerned with a country’s culture, the lifestyle, the history, the art, architecture, religion and the way of life of the people,

Adventure tourism

Adventure tourism involves adventure activities like Mountaineering expeditions, trekking, bungee jumping, rafting, scuba diving and rock climbing.

Wellness and Medical tourism

 Wellness and Medical tourism is undertaken for the purpose of promoting health and well-being through medical, physical, psychological or spiritual activities.  

Religious tourism

Religious tourism. Rreferred to as faith tourism, is a type of tourism, where people travel individually or in groups for pilgrimage, missionary or even leisure.

Wild life and Eco tourism

Wild life and Eco tourism involve trips to destinations with the main purpose of visit being to observe the local flora and fauna while protecting the environment.

Sports Tourism

Sports Tourism pertain to the travel which involves either observing or participating in a sporting event.

Packaged tours vs customized tours vs Independent Tour

Packaged Tours are all inclusive tours offered by tour operators which cater for transportation, siteseeing, hotel accommodation, performances, events, activities and food. These tours are guided tours. These tours are more expensive than the independent tours but may be cheaper than the customized tours. For Fifty plus who are physically fit with no mobility problems, these tours are ideal as they give you real value for money.

Glimpses of Bali
Glimpses of Bali

Customized tours are tour packages tailored to your requirements by the tour operators. These may be escorted or unescorted depending upon the tour package. These tours may be expensive depending upon the size of the group and your specific requirements. For Fifty Plus with mobility issues, these tours would be ideal as they can be customized to your pace.

Independent Tours are tours undertaken by individuals or small groups who travel independently and unescorted as per their individual plans. These tours turn out to be cost effective and have in built flexibility but require a good amount of planning and research. For Fifty plus, these tours may be undertaken if travelling with family and friends.

Whether Group Tour or independent tour is better for you  would depend upon your requirements

Useful Travel tips

Seniors travelling on long distance international travel have some peculiar requirements depending upon their age and fitness levels. Safety and health are two primary concerns for seniors. 

Internet is full of blogs which give comprehensive useful travel tips. They are quite useful especially for first time travelers. These tips relate to planning, packing, budgeting and best places to visit etc. Everything included in these blogs may not be relevant to you, however, these sites give a good  insight into what all needs to be kept in mind while travelling. Instead of repeating these tips, I would recommend you to visit  the following sites which I found to be useful: 

Lonely Planet

Best Travel Tips

61 Travel Tips

My 30 Best Travel Tips

So, what are you waiting for? Get out of your comfort zone, identify new places, plan your trip and venture out to explore the world. Life is short and having retired, you have all the time for yourself. So, make the best use of this time by travelling to see the world.

TRAVEL TO REJUVENATE Read More »

CONSTRUCTING A CUSTOMISED HOUSE

Updated on October 21st, 2022

My Experience of Constructing a House

I was located at a distance away from my site and it was not possible for me to closely supervise the construction activity or even to visit the site more than once a week. Therefore, I got into a composite contract with a builder who would construct the entire house including the building material at the negotiated rate per square feet. Having limited experience in this field, I used to make routine weekly visit to monitor the progress. Unfortunately, due to lack of experience, I had given the house construction on contract without laying down any specifications of quality and make of material to be used.

To my dismay, I observed that the contractor was using material of sub-standard quality. However, since I had not got into a written contract with him and the deal was conducted purely on trust, I could not pressurize him effectively to use the high-end material in construction. In addition, the progress was not as per the promised timelines. Ultimately, I had to get rid of the contractor by paying for whatever he had done, at his terms, so that I could construct a house of my choice.

Having cancelled the contract, I had now to undertake a tedious task of direct hiring of tradesmen for activities like masonry, wood work, stone laying, electric work, plumbing etc, procurement of material from the vendors, dealing with the municipal/urban town planning authorities for necessary clearances at various stages of construction and supervision of day-to-day work.

It was a difficult task but I took is as a challenge. I had to struggle a lot and devote a good amount of time but the joy of seeing my house coming up as per my desire,  compensated it all.

Finally, I was able to complete my house in a shorter timeframe and at a lesser cost than that quoted by the outsourcing contractor. At the same time I had the satisfaction of ensuring quality and customized features of my choice. Therefore I thought of sharing my experience in the form of some useful tips applicable for every stage of construction for anyone who is aspiring to construct his house. Here are some tips:

Tips on House construction

1.  Type of House to have ? First of all, have the concept of the house that you would like to have very clear in your mind. Put it down on paper as a sketch.

2.   Hire a good Architect. Communicate your wish to your architect as a layman, who would now translate your wish in to a building drawing with detailed layout. Do not compromise on this aspect.

3. Estimate the Rough Cost. Work out the Rough Estimate of Cost in consultation with your Architect.   You may have to undertake an exercise for matching your estimated cost with your Budget. Adjustments of your wish list as per the budget may have to be done.

4. Include Green Building Concepts. Make your House a Green Building by including natural lighting, solar heating/solar power and rain water harvesting. These aspects would help you save on your electricity and water bill.

5Include Senior Friendly Features. Do not forget to include senior friendly features like non skid tiles/stones in washrooms, railings for support at appropriate places, slopes with low gradient instead of stairs etc. as the concrete structure of  your house is going to last you at least for 40 to 50 yrs. Remember that senior friendly features are good for all ages. Universal Designs have been developed by The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) to meet the needs of all people who wish to use them.

6. Cater for Smart Home Features. Plan for Smart Features that you intend to install in your house like security system, lawn mowing, lighting  etc. in time to include certain design changes, additional electric points etc. This would avoid complications at a later stage.

7Ensure Pest Control. Depending on the local conditions make sure that appropriate pest control treatment is given the soil before the construction takes place.

 8. Take necessary inputs from others. Involve your partner while making choice of aesthetics, kitchen, toilets, colors, paints, fixtures etc. Also take inputs from any known person who has undergone this exercise lately. Visit sample homes displayed by the builders to get new ideas. If you believe in Vastu/Feng Shui,  incorporate their principles in construction design itself

9. Plan for Finance. Have timely arrangement for availability of finance at various stages of construction. Cater for nearly 5 to 10% more than the estimated cost.

10.  Decide on Outsourcing vs Directly Supervised Construction.   The choice to undertake the project under your direct supervision  or Outsource the entire project is a decision that you need to make. Both methods have own merits/demerits. It needs to be kept in mind that while under direct supervision too, you would in fact be outsourcing every individual work task-wise eg. masonry work, stonework and tiling, wood work, painting, grill and steel work, plumbing, landscaping etc. yourself.  However, in case of complete Outsourcing, it would almost amount to outsourcing entire project from “Concept to Completion Stage”  on pre-decided specifications and rates.

11Outsourcing the entire project.  If you decide to outsource the entire project, your headache would be limited to dealing with only one contractor and monitoring the progress as per specifications and timelines.

12.  Construction under direct control and supervision. If you decide to undertake construction under direct supervision, be aware that this would demand a good amount of your time and attention. However, cost wise and specification wise you may be better off. At the same time you will have the flexibility of making any changes, additions and alteration within the broad framework of approved plan at anytime. You must take this exercise only if you have adequate time to devote.

13 Modifications under Outsourcing.  Even if you have outsourced the entire project to a contractor, it does not mean that you cannot make minor changes in choice of use of material or on aesthetic aspects. You will realize that as the project progresses some new ideas will crop up. Generally the contractors are reasonably adaptive unless the cost effect is too high. In such cases, a difference in the cost may have to be adjusted.

14.  Guard against Time and Cost Over Runs. Monitor the progress against the prepared PERT chart and take timely corrective action, if delays noticed. Keep a continuous check on costs.

15. The major issues for Direct Supervision.   It is advisable to hire a consultant who would assist you in supervision of your work and advising you. Get a Pert Chart made as a project management tool and identify important milestones. Have all drawings ready before undertaking the construction. The major activities that you need to concentrate on while  undertaking the project under your direct supervision would be:-

Identify reputed vendors for supply of raw materials like cement, bricks, other aggregates, wooden/aluminium door/window frames, steel etc. Get into a rate agreement with them for supply of items and have an understanding of supply of these items directly to site on telephonic orders. Have a system in place to monitor the quality of items supplied.

Identify reliable labor contractors for Masonry work, Wood work, Stone laying and tiling, steel fabrication, Painting,  electrical,  Plumbing and landscaping.

-Apply for necessary municipal/town planning clearances as per local rules during various stages of construction (if necessary). You may consult local town planners to know the prevalent rules in the area. Obtain electric connection, water connection and sewage connection well in time. Stick to the laid down building laws, to avoid complications at a later date. 

CONSTRUCTING A CUSTOMISED HOUSE Read More »

Technology for Seniors

Updated on October 21st, 2022

On his visit back home to India from abroad, Ramesh Sharma gifted a Smart Phone to his father and said “Dad this smart phone is as powerful as a laptop and will help you in organising most of your activities.”  The Dad was very pleased and said “Thank You son, I will definitely use it.”

After six months,  when he visited home again, he enquired from his father “Dad, Has the new  phone helped you in getting  you organised  better?”  His father remarked ” Yes, I am using it effectively for WhatsApp video calls and social media sites apart from normal voice calls.” “But Dad, this smart phone is capable of doing much more.” retorted Ramesh. Dad said “I am not very conversant with the other applications of the phone.” “Ok Dad, give me some time, I will set up everything useful on your phone provided you promise to use it” said Ramesh”.

After Dad’s confirmation, Ramesh did not only set up the phone  but also demonstrated to his Dad on how to use all the new applications that he had installed. His Dad was an educated man but is was just that he was  not very technology-savvy and was hesitant to try new apps on his smart phone.

After six months, Mr Sharma, the  Ramesh’s dad started using his smart phone extensively. He not only mastered almost all the features of his smart phone but also started educating and demonstrating to his friends. He realised that one does not have to be technology-savvy to use the Apps today, as most of them are very user-friendly. Now his smart phone is helping him in the following activities:

-Reading News

-Setting Alarms and Reminders

-Making a ToDo list, shopping list and notes

 -Online banking, shopping and investing

-Giving current information about weather

-Navigation assistance and traffic information

-Assisting him in Exercise, Fitness  and Meditation Routines through Apps.

-Playing music and movies/videos for entertainment

-Xeroxing, Printing and Faxing his documents

 -Keeping in touch with family near and far through social media, Skype, FaceTime and email

-Making travel arrangements

-Getting medical advice and information including doctor reports, test results and care giving for seniors

-Sharing and viewing pictures

-Helping him to fight against loneliness and isolation

-On line Educational courses

-As a remote control for controlling almost all the smart home devices installed at home

Mr Sharma’s example is not an isolated case. We all are hesitant to use the new technology. Over the years, the technology has changed our entire living pattern. It has revolutionized almost every aspect of our life, from entertainment to health care and from connecting with family and friends to connecting with your car.

The advent of internet has changed the entire world. Today nearly 55% of people in the world have an access to internet and nearly  36% of all internet  users own a smart phones. Day by day, the global smartphone penetration is only inreasing.

The PCs have been replaced by Tablets and smart phones with a near matching functionality. The Smart Phones give us an immense capability to re-organize ourselves to achieve  a better output and quality of life.

Like Mr Sharma, most people use Smart Phones mainly for communicating with others either on voice or video or through social networking sites.  However, these smart devices are capable of much more. Right with the alarm going off in the morning till putting your lights off at night, these devices can do  a lot for you. 

There are a large number of mobile applications available today, many of them, free of cost  which can add value to these phones and make our life much easier. These apps can help saving time, efforts and help you organise yourself better. If exploited effectively, these can automate many of our tasks.  There is either a general lack of awareness or hesitation in using these applications, especially among the Fifty Plus generation.

Aim is to bring out as to how to use Smart Phones and Tabs for easing our day-to-day life.

While I am sure most of us already using social media applications like Facebook, YouTube,  Instagram, Whatsapp, twitter etc and other popular entertainment cum learning application like  Netflix etc,  yet there are many more useful applications which are available which can make our life easier. Most of them  can be easily downloaded from the store without any charges.

I have made an attempt to list a few most useful applications which you must give a try.   I have tried each one of them and have found them to be of great help.  Depending upon general requirements and usage, I have divided these application into two categories viz; ‘Must Have’ and ‘May Have’.

‘Must Have Apps’

You Tube.  YouTube is a great place to discover new things, learn and watch all entertainment and information videos free of cost.

Face book. It is the most popular social media site which has been integrated so completely into our lives that it seems almost superfluous to even mention it in a list of useful apps. Over 1 billion of the 7 billion in the world use it.

Skype. Skype is a user friendly app which allows people to communicate with each other by voice using a microphone, by video using a webcam or camera in your smartphone or tablet, by IM (instant messaging), or a combination of all three.

Whatsapp.  It is the most inexpensive way to stay in contact. Just connect to Wifi and chat away for next to nothing. You can catch up with your family and  friends via video and send  your latest favourite photos.

Twitter. This app is great for news, networking and ‘tweeting’ what’s on your mind in just 280 characters.

Google Maps.  It is a web mapping service which offers satellite imagery, street maps, 360° panoramic views of streets, real-time traffic conditions and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bicycle and air or public transport.

Cam Scanner. A very effective application for photo copying the documents and images and saving, sharing, faxing, printing or exporting them directly from your Smart Phone. The clarity of the image and their handling becomes much better.

True Caller.  It is an integrated Caller ID service.  It saves time, gives peace of mind and gives safety and security and helping avoiding unwanted calls. 

Evernote.  It is a very powerful organiser cum notebook application with option of saving web pages, screen shots and many more in the note itself.

Snapseed. It is a photo editing software which has many photo enhancing features. It is very easy to use which makes it the best photo editing application.

Flipboard. It is news sharing app wherein readers can flip through articles,  images and videos in a magazine format. It is again very easy to use. You can do without a Newspaper.

Google Photos.  All your photos are backed up safely, organized and labeled automatically, so you can find them fast, and share them how you like. If linked to Google Home, you can view these pictures on TV screen just by giving voice command.

Pocket. The application allows the user to save an article or web page to remote servers for later reading. The article is then sent to the user’s Pocket list (synced to all of their devices) for offline reading. Pocket removes clutter from articles, makes reading easier and also comes with its own Text to Speech feature.

Highly Recommended Apps for Seniors

Headspace. It is a meditation app which offers free  Basics pack, a 10-day beginner’s course that guides you through the essentials of meditation and mindfulness. It will be of help to those 50 plus, who have been wanting to do meditation, but have not been able to start due to lack of motivation or guidance.

Medisafe. This smart app reminds you  when you or somebody else needs to take a medication  through an alarm . Simply input the medications you take and when, then log your entry as you go. You can sync the app with chosen people, meaning gentle prompts can be given if a dose has been missed.

Magnifying glass with light. This app is extremely helpful for those seniors, who love to read but have a deteriorating eyes sight. The app has a magnifying glass with light  which illuminates and magnifies (zoom in and out) any reading material making it easier to read.

Fitness trackers. Fitness tracker apps on the mobile phones make it easy for older adults to monitor activity and sleep, ensuring that they get enough exercise.

 Voice Reader. It is a free app which is available both on android and ios. You can either manually type text, upload a text file or enter a web page URL by tapping on the Add icon on the top navigation bar.

Digital Personal Assistants.

These digital assistants are interactive and execute a number of instructions just on voice commands. These devices/applications are packed with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and can perform many tasks with a fairly high degree of reliability. They are a boon for elders. They can help you with

  • Making To Do list, Shopping List and updating you calender.
  • Setting Alarms and Reminders and converting voice messages to text and sending them.
  • Playing Music, Live News, Weather and Traffic.
  • Home automation like switching on/off lights, TV and other appliances.
  • Remembering your Passwords and places where you kept your things
  • Reminding you to take medicines in time, assisting in shopping on line and even booking cabs.

Siri is the personal assistant residing in Apple devices.

Cortana is the name given to digital assistant which resides in Windows PC and smart phones.

Amazon Alexa

Alexa is the personal assistant residing in Amazon Echo which is a bluetooth speaker packed with artificial intelligence.

Google assistant is the personal assistant in android phones and also resides in seperate bluetooth speakers Google Home which is packed with artificial intelligence.

Demonstration of Amazon Alexa and Google Home

Make life better with Alexa and Google Home as you age

‘May Have Apps’

Google Translate.  Google’s free service instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages. A boon for one who travels  and interacts with foreign nationals. A very good aid to those who are learning a foreign language.

Kindle E-Book Reader Amazon Kindle pulls ahead of the pack of eBook readers with its access to a huge library of content, which includes free books and content from various publishers. You can even listen to the ebooks by selecting them on Echo digital assistant Alexa.

Drop Box.  A very good App for file sharing and storage. If  your work involves mobility, this app allows you to share your files and provides you with 2 GB (Free Storage) to work from anywhere.

Trello.  Incredibly easy to use for making all your lists. Great mobile app.  It’s free. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details

There are over 2.5 million Apps in Play/App stores and more are being added everyday. I have listed only the most popular and useful Apps which I have tried myself. I felt that they are most useful for 50 plus generation. You may find many more apps which are specific to your requirement. So, do not hesitate to download and use it. If you find that it is not serving your purpose, you may uninstall them whenever you feel.

Make Your TV Smart

In case you are not owning a Smart TV,  it is possible to add smart features to your existing LCD and LED TV by attaching some external devices to your HDMI port.  These devices are not very expensive  and can stream a host of movies, videos, TV shows and other programs to your TV thus making it Smart. Here is how you can do it.

So how many of these smart features , we at  50 plus are using. If not, now is the time to explore and exploit the  capabilities of technology available to us, become better organised and improve our Quality of Our Life.

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