Synopsis
Genesis
In the Vedic times, human life of a hundred years was divided into four segments or ashrams. A seven year old was supposed to live in Brahmacharya - ashram / gurukul or a present day distant equivalent of a boarding school till his twenties. The second quarter of his life was to be spent as a householder or a Grhasthya. In the third quarter, he was to retire from routine household activities and set out into the forests, which was called Vanaprastha - ashram. This was the stage where contemporaries lived together, in probably what could be called a rough equivalent of a "retirement retreat". The last quarter of his life was to be spent in his search for God and to be lived in "Sannyas" in complete renunciation.
We don't live a hundred years today, but the rationale of retiring from hectic, routine life and moving into an area where one could finally, lead a healthy, peaceful life, and leisurely enjoy all that one has worked and earned for in his youth, is not a modern-day idea, but one borrowed from our roots in the Vedas.
An Aggressive Stance
Half a century ago, old age homes were looked at with antagonism and resentment. They were perceived to be a refuge for those helpless elderly victims who were "cast away" by brutally, ungrateful children.
Current Understanding
This idea is however changing rapidly. Today, a fair number of people opt to move into a retirement retreat, where parents of affluent children well settled abroad, live in a home which provides vigilant security, prompt state-of-art medical facilities, clubhouses for entertainment, and most of all an environment where people understand each other, connect and relate with their contemporaries and are well taken care of.
Future Trends
Demographic study shows that in the next 20 years, the number of senior citizens will grow vastly, with the average human life expectancy increasing, to further contribute to this sea