A new senior citizens’ club in the suburbs helmed by a cardiologist aims to make ageing fun for those still young at heart
A moment from a group dance
Chembur-based senior cardiologist Dr Sandip Rane’s eyes light up as he recalls ringing in a patient’s 100th birthday at his home, in the company of the centenarian’s family. “On his 102nd birthday, they moved him into an old age home,” the 67-year-old sighs. Moved by such first-hand experiences, corroborated by the recent spike in old age homes in the city, Rane’s Helping Hands initiative aims to make ageing a tad brighter in the seniors’ own neighbourhoods.
For the past three weekends, old-timers have been beelining to the Pestom Sagar Citizens’ Forum hall in the mostly quiet, residential neighbourhood of Chembur. The walls of the hall will have a different story to tell. With the help of young local volunteers, the group swayed and twisted to dance-y tunes. They might as well have been shaking off a few years off their age, Rane believes. “Once you’re past 30, your body loses muscle with every passing day. By the time you’re 60, you will have lost nearly 30 per cent of your muscle mass. The only way to counter it is using the muscles to move,” he reminds us.
A participant is engrossed in a game; (right) volunteers help a senior citizen at the session. Pics/Dhiraj Bhoir, Rane Hospital
At a storytelling and game session last weekend, the mood was a tad more cerebral, with participants juggling between paper cups and ping pong balls. Uttam Talekar, a 68-year-old Ghatkopar-based pensioner, is all cheers after the session. “With the advent of smartphones, most of our time is spent poring over our screens. Deep heart-to-heart conversations have become a distant memory, even among senior citizens. The session was a reminder of the difference that an hour of interaction can make,” Talekar says. Rane seconds it, quoting a 2023 Harvard Medical School study that revealed how socialising is tied to lower risks of early death.
“The idea is not only to stay active, but to do it in great company. Making friends might seem easy for you when you’re still young. But at this age, it’s a daunting task,” he points out. While the free-for-all sessions lift the spirits in Chembur, life might not always be sunshine and smiles for these residents, Rane agrees. “One of the most dreaded experiences for a senior citizen is finding support in the time of medical emergencies. We’re working on a paid model where for a small fee, our volunteers will accompany them on visits and admissions,” Rane reveals.
Dr Sandip Rane
Does such an ambitious project run the risk of shining bright and fading fast, much like youth, ironically? Rane feels otherwise. As we speak, the cardiologist is assembling a team of young students from colleges, Rotaract Clubs and local schools to act as partners. “These volunteers will visit our members at their residences and spend quality time with them. It’s a win-win, honestly. Seniors find company, and the young learn a lesson in empathy,” he reveals.
Change, as they say, has begun at home for the Chembur-based Rane. But the club has bigger designs on the city, we learn. With branches in Ghatkopar and Mulund on the cards, a city-wide expansion will follow suit. The cardiologist takes a tongue-in-cheek dig at the state of affairs as he signs off, “If the governments spared a thought for us, it would make our work easier. Perhaps, instead of the much-debated Ladki Bahin initiative, we’d like to see a Ladki Aaji or Aajoba Yojna.”
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