Intergenerational living has been a notable feature of many Indian families where multiple generations of a family live under one roof. The city of Chennai is no exception which boasts a mix of traditional and modern living. This way of intergenerational living is still prevalent even today here. But with the changing times, senior retirement homes are also being well sought after by the elders of the family due to various reasons. Joint family living or intergenerational living comes with its own set of benefits and challenges.
In this blog, let us look at these various aspects and the pros and cons of living with family.
What are the benefits of intergenerational living?
1. Emotional support and great family bonding
This is one of the major benefits of intergenerational living. Extended family can always come forward and give you the emotional support you need and this helps strengthen close knit relationships amongst family members. With grandparents, parents and children living in the same household, the sense of unity and belonging increases. A good balance of family bonding and emotional support can provide a safety net for the family members and bring about comfort during challenging times.
2. Shared responsibilities
Living in a joint family or a joint household means the burden of taking care of the house, and chores like cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids etc doesn’t become the responsibility of just one person in the house. Everyone divides the work and this makes daily life more manageable. Grandparents can take care of the kids while the parents are away at work and the younger generation can in turn take care of the elderly in the family. This collaborative approach can help the entire family go about their daily lives peacefully.
3. Financial support and benefits
By sharing financial resources, families can lower their cost of living expenses. Rent, utilities, grocery bills can be shared among the family members living together and this reduces the burden of these on just a few people. In cities especially like Chennai, where cost of living is high, this can come as a boon.
What are the challenges of intergenerational living?
1. Lack of privacy
One of the primary concerns while sharing a house with extended family members is the lack of privacy or personal space. Sharing a home with too many people can sometimes cause overcrowding, create friction in certain decision making processes and can cause stress amongst the family members. This can be especially true for the younger generation of the family who prefer their alone time away from family.
2. Adjustments and adaptations
Family dynamics come into play when living together. Adjusting to the different opinions, beliefs and expectations of a multi-generational household requires effort and compromise from all family members. Each individual’s needs and preferences can be different and must be considered. This can be difficult to balance. One needs to have constant and effective communication and mutual respect to maintain harmony and to ensure that everyone’s needs are met, which otherwise can lead to conflicts with the elderly choosing a more independent life at senior retirement homes.
3. Burden of caregiving
The responsibility of taking care of all the members of the family is a burden one needs to endure in an intergenerational living set up. With ageing family members to take care of, the primary caregivers, often middle-aged family members can become overwhelmed by the demands of both their children and elderly parents. This can lead to burnout and stress, affecting their well-being and ability to manage other parts of their lives.
Now that you have a clear understanding of the benefits and challenges of intergenerational living, there is a solution if elders want to live their lives more independently, just the way they like it. This is where senior retirement homes come into play. If you are someone seeking an independent life for your second innings, consider The Chennai Homes, one of the best senior retirement homes! Give us a call today at +91 99419 95555 to know more about our retirement space and the services we offer and then take a call on how you would want to live your golden years.
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