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Old Age Homes In Pakistan – Home Away Home

Old Age Homes In Pakistan

After a certain age, seniors’ independence slowly decreases, and sometimes it becomes difficult to continue living at home. When this is impossible, some relatives consider shifting their elderly loved ones to specialized facilities. In some cases, seniors may face neglect or abuse in their families due to financial constraints or cultural attitudes. 

 

Old age homes or retirement homes are residential facilities that provide care and assisted living services to the elderly. These homes provide necessary care such as meals, housekeeping, medical assistance, and recreational activities to maintain the residents’ quality of life.

Here, we have compiled a list of Pakistan’s top Old-age homes, which provide elderly citizens with a home away from home. These seven organisations own multiple old-age homes and retirement homes that provide appropriate care for every senior citizen. 

 

List of Old Age Homes in Pakistan

Pakistan, a country rich in culture and history, has seen a steady increase in elderly homes to cater to its growing elderly population. These homes provide senior citizens with a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment, ensuring they receive the care and attention they deserve. Here is a list of the top 8 Old age homes in Pakistan that serve the elderly and disabled elderly, the list is as follows:

  1. Edhi Homes
  2. AlKhidmat Foundation
  3. SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan
  4. Dar Ul Sukun
  5. Chhipa Women Shelter Home
  6. Pakistan Sweet Home
  7. Ehsaas Panagah
  8. PBM Shelter Home

Edhi Foundation Old Age Homes

The Edhi Foundation, a renowned humanitarian organisation in Pakistan, operates several old-age homes nationwide. These homes are known for their compassionate care and commitment to providing a dignified life for the elderly.

  • Location: Multiple locations throughout Pakistan.
  • Services: Shelter, food, medical care, recreational activities, and spiritual guidance.
  • Highlights: The Edhi Foundation is known for its selfless service and dedication to helping those in need, making their old age homes a trusted choice for many.

Edhi Homes

 

AlKhidmat Foundation

 

The AlKhidmat Foundation is a non-governmental, non-political, and non-profit organisation that has provided social and humanitarian welfare services to all communities in Pakistan since 1990. Prof. Dr. Hafeez ur Rahman founded it. The foundation is well known for its orphanages, shelters, and Old-age homes in different cities in Pakistan.

 The Alkidmat Foundation currently operates 24 Old age homes across Pakistan. These homes provide care and support to elderly people who may not have a family or resources to support themselves in their later years. These homes provide shelter, food, medical facilities, and social interaction to ensure the well-being and dignity of the residents.

Another prominent organisation in Pakistan, the Alkhidmat Foundation, also runs old age homes in various cities. These homes offer a comfortable and caring environment for the elderly, focusing on their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

  • Location: Multiple locations throughout Pakistan.
  • Services: Accommodation, meals, healthcare, recreational activities, and spiritual guidance.
  • Highlights: The Alkhidmat Foundation is committed to providing quality care and support to the elderly and ensuring their fulfilling lives.

Alkidmat Old Home

 

SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan

SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan is a private non-profit organisation that has cared for, raised and educated orphaned and abandoned children in Pakistan since 1977 by Mrs. Surya Anwar. In some locations, SOS Children’s Villages runs programs specifically to provide care and support to elderly people who suffer from dementia and may not have a family or resources to support themselves. 

The organisation has gained recognition in social welfare activities throughout Pakistan and internationally. It operates 15 SOS Children’s Villages, 4 SOS Children’s Homes, 13 SOS Youth Homes, 22 Hermann Gmeiner Schools, and 4 Technical Training Centers. SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan is proud of its valuable work, helping thousands of people through sponsors, donors, and volunteers.

Established in 1977, SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan is primarily known for its orphanages. However, it also has facilities for elderly people. These homes provide a family-like environment where the elderly can feel loved, cared for and part of a community.

  • Location: Multiple locations throughout Pakistan.
  • Services: Accommodation, meals, healthcare, recreational activities, and companionship.
  • Highlights: The SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan offers a unique approach to elderly care, focusing on creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Dar Ul Sukoon

Dar ul Sukoon was originally established for abandoned children with various disabilities. It was founded on 17 February 1969 by Sister Gertrude Lemons, a Dutch nun who came to Pakistan as a young woman. I was deeply moved by the plight of disabled children in the streets and garbage dumps. In response, she dedicated her life to caring for these children brought in by social workers, police officers, and relatives. 

This led to the establishment of the charitable organisation Dar ul Sukoon. It provides care, rehabilitation, and protection to people with disabilities by offering various services suitable for all ages. It also provides homes for people with disabilities and care and support to people facing poverty and challenges. 

They have three branches in Karachi, care for about 150 people, and have 53 employees. Many hospitals in Pakistan offer excellent medical facilities for patients of all ages. To learn more, read our article on the top 10 hospitals in Pakistan.

Located in Karachi, Dar Ul Sukun is a well-regarded old age home that provides comprehensive care to senior citizens. The home offers a range of services to meet the needs of its residents, ensuring they receive the best possible care.

  • Location: Karachi, Pakistan.
  • Services: Accommodation, meals, healthcare, recreational activities, and companionship.
  • Highlights: Dar Ul Sukun is known for its high-quality care and commitment to providing a comfortable and supportive environment for the elderly.

Sweet Home Pakistan

Sweet Home Pakistan is an orphanage that takes in abandoned children from across the country and provides them with basic needs such as a home, food, education, and healthcare. The project began in 2009 when an abandoned baby from Swat was handed over to Mr. Zamrad Khan. 

Furthermore, Sweet Home Pakistan was established to provide shelter and care for orphans in crisis across Pakistan. What started as a place for poor orphans to live and receive care has now grown into a large home of about 1,000 children. The organisation also provides shelter, employment and food to elderly people who cannot support themselves in their later years.

Chhipa Women’s Shelter

Chhipa is a Pakistani non-governmental, non-profit charitable organisation founded by Ramzan Chipa. It was founded in 2007 and has its headquarters in Shahrah Faisal, Karachi, Pakistan. Chhipa aims to provide services to people without discrimination based on creed, colour, or class. The organisation is well known for its shelter for women and senior citizens, which was created to care for the elderly who need professional and loving care in their old age. 

The organisation runs entirely on donations and support from philanthropists, the general public and the business community. You can also donate directly to their account through the details provided on their website. You can also make hassle-free remittances using different mobile wallet applications. Chipa Shelter Home helps people by caring for them and ensuring they remain healthy and clean. People living there are happy and feel good.

While primarily focused on women, the Chhipa Women Shelter Home also accommodates elderly women who need assistance. The home provides its residents with a safe and secure environment and the required care and support.

  • Location: Multiple locations throughout Pakistan.
  • Services: Accommodation, meals, healthcare, recreational activities, and companionship.
  • Highlights: The Chhipa Women’s Shelter Home is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for elderly women and ensuring their dignified lives.

Ehsaas Panagah

Ehsaas Panagah has always been a lifeline for marginalised people. The program started with five shelters in Lahore and quickly expanded to eight more shelters in high-risk areas. It provides passengers with overnight accommodation, medical facilities, drinking water, and meals. 

To combat COVID-19, they have implemented strict standard operating procedures, providing handwashing kiosks, spray disinfection machines and daily health checks for employees.

The program also plans to set up Pannah Gahs in all district headquarters of Punjab, which are located in Multan, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, DG Khan, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi. Each Panagah will provide free meals to more than 600 people and overnight facilities with a capacity of 100 beds.

  • Location: Multiple locations throughout Punjab.
  • Services: Accommodation, meals, healthcare, recreational activities, and companionship.
  • Highlights: The Ehsaas Panagha is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for elderly citizen and ensuring their dignified lives.

PBM Shelters

Pakistan Bait ul Maal (PBM) is an independent organisation that helps the poor. It was established by law in 1991. PBM’s main objective is to help those unable to feed themselves. Initially, they set up shelters in major cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta

These homes will be a pilot project and will house 50 elderly people. These PBM Old age homes provide basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, healthcare and activities in a respectful and supportive environment, just like being in a family. It feels like you are part of a big family receiving delicious daily food to stay strong and healthy. They provide support to very poor people like widows, orphans, sick or disabled elderly people.

 

Pros and Cons of Old Age Homes

Old age homes are established to provide care and support to the elderly. However, there are some pros and cons to Old age homes. So, today in this blog, we will discuss some of the major pros and cons of Old age homes.

Advantages of Old Age Homes

Let’s start with some of the major benefits of Old age homes.

Medical Care and Support:

The biggest advantage of living in a nursing home is the medical care and support provided by the nursing home. The best part is that Old age homes have a relationship with Samaridhi, hospitals, and medical centres. So, in case of emergency, these hospitals and medical centres provide immediate assistance.

Moreover, old home staff are fully trained and competent to handle some medical emergencies. So, the risk of health-related issues in Old age homes is reduced.

Safety is your priority:

The safety of the elderly should still be your priority. Old-age homes focus on providing a stable, safe, and secure environment. However, they are also equipped with safety measures and support systems to reduce the chances of accidents and emergencies.

Companionship:

At some point in life, we all need someone to share our pain, suffering, and joy with. In a nursing home, all residents can interact with each other and spend their free time. When a person learns, the company will somehow reduce his stress and anxiety levels.

Specialised treatments and services: Some Old age homes also provide specialised physical therapy and nutritional services. These facilities cater to the specific needs of the elderly.

A happy, calm environment—In today’s busy environment, it is difficult to have a happy environment in a life full of problems, but there are few places where such an environment can be found. In Old age homes, people often find a calm, happy environment and live a happy and healthy life. Here, with socialisation, they will not feel lonely or rich. With good company, caregivers will also try their best to make them happy.

Disadvantages of Old Age Homes

There are always two sides to a coin. Although old homes have many advantages, they also have some disadvantages. So, let’s look at some disadvantages of old homes.

Loneliness:

Not all elderly people are willing to live in Old age homes. Most citizens find it very difficult to live in a nursing home away from their families and feel lonely, depressed, and anxious. They cannot find their comfort zone even when there are too many people.

Fewer Food Options:

 Old age homes usually provide food to all citizens, as it is difficult for them to provide different meals. Hence, limited food options can be a challenge for some.

Lack of Privacy and Space:

Old-age homes are usually built in a limited area. Hence, the elderly do not have any privacy and sometimes suffer from a lack of space.

Possible Rules Imposed:

All Old age homes have rules and regulations that the elderly must follow. This can give the elderly a feeling of having a restricted life and prevent them from breaking the rules.

Final Words

When selecting an old age home in Pakistan, it’s essential to consider factors such as location, services offered, facilities, and the home’s reputation. Visiting the home in person and speaking with staff and residents can provide valuable insights into the quality of care. However, the pros of these old homes are much higher than the cons if you see them from a larger perspective.

Every individual’s needs are unique, so it is important to find a home that aligns with your loved one’s preferences and requirements. By carefully considering these factors, you can help ensure your loved one receives the best care in their golden years.

Saba Ghani

Since 2017, Saba Ghani has been serving as the talented and dedicated chief content writer for Pakistan Tour and Travel & EMHI Solutions. With her exceptional writing skills and in-depth knowledge of the travel industry, she has been instrumental in crafting engaging and informative content that captivates the audience. You can catch her at saba@pakistantourntravel.com or Twitter

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Saba Ghani

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