Season two – Senior living, Kochi

“For well over twenty-five years, I’ve been living with my family in Orange County, California. My parents, who were working with different Government organisations, were based in Trivandrum, Kerala. When they retired, the two young, active people I knew all my life suddenly began to age. They spent time here with us, in Orange County, and enjoyed being here – but they were not willing to consider living here for the rest of their lives. So, for many years, they kept shuttling between their two homes in two countries – till travelling long-haul became a problem for them. We then started looking around for an interesting community that they could be part of – but there was nothing other than the traditional ‘old-age homes’ available. After a few years, my father fell ill. It slowly became difficult for my mother to manage his illness, the house and the daily chores. They started becoming increasingly dependent on the maid, the driver and their erratic schedules. I realised that millions of senior citizens across India probably have no option but to live like this. It was then that I resolved to create caring, empowering spaces for senior citizens. Today, my mother lives in a Season Two senior home (former Asha Homes) in Thiruvananthapuram and she loves every minute of it.”