Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Retirement Homes and Hospital: A retirement home offering more than just a place to stay
With state-of-the-art amenities, the the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Retirement Homes and Hospital aims to provide holistic support for elderly residents, ensuring comfort, security, and medical attention
Alpana Habib, a popular cookbook author and culinary expert first got to know about the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Retirement Homes and Hospital (JBFRH) in 2022, through an advertisement. Later, in 2023, she bought two studio apartments in the project to spend her post-retirement years in.
"I am heading towards my 60s. This is too early to think about the last stage of my life, but both my husband and I want to plan ahead to navigate that phase with ease. We do not want to be a burden on our kids. When I got to know about this project, it sounded like a recreational home for elderly people, with every need being taken care of," she said.
Alpana bought two apartments so that she can live in one and rent out the other to cover both her husband and her living expenses.
"And we have two sons. They will inherit the apartments from us, which will in turn ensure their safety when they grow old," she added.
A first-of-its-kind, JBFRH is a high-end retirement and geriatric home with a hospital that promises to provide total care for senior citizens. The project is located in the Rupganj area, near Purbachal.
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The home is solely operated by eminent medical doctors of Bangladesh and fully managed by a professional management team from Japan. Under its facilities, the residents will be provided with 24/7 need-based healthcare services by medical professionals, including specialist doctors, physiotherapists, skilled nurses, nutritionists, mental health experts and professional caregivers.
The retirement home is a joint venture with Japan and is expected to welcome residents from 31 January 2025.
Old age home vs retirement home
"The present old home scenario is quite depressing in the country. The retirement home we built is a completely different concept," said Professor Dr Sarder A Nayeem, the chairman of Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital and the mastermind behind this innovative project. Dr Nayeem is also a celebrated laparoscopic surgeon in the country with a promising 33-year career.
The existing old homes we have in the city are occupied by elderly people who are left alone by their children and are forced to live there in a very underwhelming arrangement.
"These old age homes only take senior citizens who are old but physically okay, as they cannot provide medical facilities. This is an unreasonable criterion as old people are supposed to have health issues and they require medical care the most," he added.
Equipped with state-of-the-art Japanese technology, JBFRH is dedicated to the holistic care of senior citizens, offering everything from advanced medical services to overall well-being support.
"Retirement is not the end of the world. People live a few decades after retirement. This period should also be happy and sound, just like youth. Hence, our motto is 'Redefining the Golden Years of Life'," he further added.
"The present old home scenario is quite depressing in the country. These old age homes only take senior citizens who are old but physically okay, as they cannot provide medical facilities. This is an unreasonable criterion as old people are supposed to have health issues and they require medical care the most."
A thoughtful architecture
The retirement home has four residential buildings housing 232 studio apartments. The facility includes 150 wheelchair-accessible beds dedicated to elderly individuals with limited mobility. Additionally, the on-site geriatric hospital offers specialised care, including 80 beds for palliative care, terminal care, and hospice services.
The compound has a dedicated administrative building, a dedicated geriatric hospital, a swimming pool, a cafe and recreation unit. Around 50% of the total land area of the project has been kept open as a communal space.
The project is designed by Rafiqul Alam Pintoo, a Florida-based architect and the principal architect of SpaceScape Bd.
"When I designed this project, I wanted to make sure that all the apartments have a balcony that gets plenty of sunlight," he said.
All the rooftops of the four buildings are connected through corridors.
"This was not in the original design though. Dr Nayeem wanted to make all the buildings accessible and it worked as a great idea," he further added.
Additionally, a portion of the rooftop space is dedicated to the accommodation of wheelchair-bound residents, so that they can enjoy nature and sunlight easily.
Geriatric care is as important as pediatric care
"The concept of 'geriatric care' is relatively new to us. As a society, we're much more familiar with 'pediatric care.' But I don't blame anyone. Bangladesh is a young country with a majority youth demographic," explained Dr Nayeem.
He also highlighted the striking disparity in attention given to different age groups. Recalling his experience at work, he said, "When we host vaccine days for children, each child often comes accompanied by both parents, sometimes even with extended family. But when it's a vaccine day for senior citizens, participation is dishearteningly low. Many elderly individuals don't have anyone to bring them, as their children are often busy with their own lives."
According to him, this is a harsh reality that society needs to confront. Children naturally draw more attention than senior citizens. However, just like children, the elderly require careful attention to safeguard their well-being.
Dr Nayeem also mentioned that recognising symptoms in their initial stages could prevent severe illnesses. Yet, due to the fast-paced and often disconnected nature of modern lifestyles, many elderly individuals remain unattended, with critical early signs going unnoticed.
Professor Sirajul Islam is an 85-year-old eminent historian and the Chief Editor of Banglapedia. As a dementia patient, he is set to move into JBFRH soon.
"Dementia is a very tricky disease to detect, especially if the person has always been forgetful. That is probably why my father's dementia was detected very late. He always had been the absent-minded professor, always losing his glasses, wallet, pens, umbrellas, etc," said Dr Asha Islam Nayeem, professor at the Department of History, University of Dhaka and daughter of Sirajul Islam.
Dr Asha is reassured about her father's well-being at JBFRH as he will be under strict supervision by doctors, nurses and caregivers.
Accommodation options
Currently, JBFRH offers both rental and purchase options for clients, with over 100 studio apartments already sold.
However, Dr Nayeem emphasises the importance of rental opportunities over sales, as it allows the facility to support a greater number of residents who may benefit from flexible housing options.
"We've sold the apartments under strict conditions: residents must either live here or rent them out. We don't want these units to be treated as second homes, visited only once a year and left empty the rest of the time," explained Dr Nayeem.
The apartments are available in both single and double occupancy. In addition to the monthly rent, residents are required to pay a maintenance fee and food charges. The maintenance fee includes essential services such as daily doctor visits.
