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In Bangladesh, homes for senior citizens are few and those that do exist rarely offer medical support.

That is what sets the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Retirement Homes and Hospital apart. It offers not just a homely place to stay, but round-the-clock, need-based medical care. The facility provides elderly residents with the care and dignity they often struggle to find elsewhere. 

JBFRH chairman Professor Sarder A Nayeem had long dreamed of establishing such a facility — an idea that first took root when he went to Japan for his studies in the late 1980s and was inspired by the country’s model of elderly care.

‘I saw how, in Japanese culture, elderly care facilities are given great importance — where seniors enjoy their golden years with proper care,’ said Professor Nayeem, also a renowned laparoscopic surgeon in the country with a 33-year career.

‘In contrast, in our country, elderly people are often seen as a burden by their families or by society, and many spend their final years in loneliness and despair — often without access to any form of geriatric care. That’s when I thought of establishing a comprehensive healthcare home for senior citizens in Bangladesh,’ he said.

The retirement home, built on 10 bighas of land in the Rupganj area near Purbachal, features 232 studio apartments spread across four residential buildings and an on-site 150-bed palliative care unit.

Residents will receive 24/7 need-based medical support from a team of professionals, including specialist doctors, physiotherapists, skilled nurses and trained caregivers, along with five nutritious meals a day.

The retirement home officially opened its doors to residents on a limited scale on December 20 past year.

‘It is expected to become fully operational within the next two to three months, as some work remains to be completed,’ said the chairman.

During a visit to the facility located near the River Shitalakshya on Thursday, it was found that eight residents, including a former university professor and a retired bureaucrat, already living there — in a peaceful setting surrounded by greenery.

The campus also includes a wellness centre, fitness and physiotherapy facilities, parlours, ATM booths, a cafeteria, and seating arrangements along the walkways — all thoughtfully designed for elderly-friendly use.

‘People have embraced the concept, as most of our apartments are already sold out. We will keep 30 apartments available for rent,’ said Rakib Husen Sajal, the facility’s general manager, adding ‘there is also a day-care service with transportation facilities.’

On Thursday, a team from Japanese Gakken Group, which is operating 600 elderly care homes in Japan and expanding internationally, visited the facility, with the local entrepreneur expecting the group’s support in managing the facility.