Not a grey area

For the past four years that Shobha Sachdev 59 has been stepping into senior citizen care centres in Mumbai for research she noticed that they provide for all the basic needs of a human being But there was still something missing mdash their residents were bored As a mother of a 36yearold daughter with cerebral palsy there was something else that struck her All these homes take in the ablebodied No one accepts disabled senior citizens she claims So she along with Sangita Jagitiani Vaswani and Dr Sundar Kataria decided to embark on a unique model Read on to find about that and other services for the elderly in the cityPriya Dutt unveiling the Saanidhaanam modelSaanidhaanam model An inclusive spaceMeant to be a home away from home Saanidhaanam is a oneacre space under construction in Palghar and is backed by politician Priya Dutt It is being built in three phases and the first one is scheduled to be ready by January 2020 Although the price points havent been decided yet it has a capacity for 100 people The first phase will be able to accommodate 14 However if someone cannot afford it we will reach out to corporates to support them as part of CSR We wont turn anyone away Sachdev shares adding that it will take in 60 per cent of people with physical disabilities while 40 per cent will be senior citizens Elaborating on this crosssection she says Its a common thought to have an orphanage and an old age home under the same roof because they complement each other Senior citizens have someone to talk to But another aspect were catering to are the elderly parents of children with disabilities Its not right to tell them Well look after your child and you take care of yourself The space will also provide recreational activities wellness programmes and medical careShobha SachdevLOG ON TO wwwsaanidhaanamcomA call awaySmita ZankarAegis4Seniors is a social enterprise that launched in June last year by citybased social workers Smita Zankar and Manjushaa The basic aim was to provide social and emotional care There was also a need for cognitive stimulation There might be existing centres that deal with Alzheimers but our focus is to begin early Zankar 52 shares They have three programmes to offer based on WHO guidelines While HaalChaal is all about making a brief phone call SathSangat implies that a professional will accompany the citizen to the market bank or recreational activities But Rubaru a service that has kicked off in the past six months has the two professionals go over to the elders home and chat over a cup of tea They also collaborate with womens groups for group activities After registration a thorough assessment is conductedLOG ON TO aegis4seniorscomCostRs 2500 initial fee costs vary according to serviceA real connectPrasad BhideSocial entrepreneur Prasad Bhide came up with AajiCare in 2012 because he realised that there was a gap in nonmedical care training other than that available for nurses Since then they have established daycare centres called Aarambh in Thane and Powai offering 247 nursing care healthy customised meals and regular activities by a gerontologist Two months ago they started a companionship programme If we dont keep them engaged weve observed that it often leads to issues like Alzheimers and dementia Bhide 42 points out Thus the agenda is to send a resource person to a household as a companion The activities are centred around memory While we play games like sudoku and carom we also ask them to share their old photos and tell us about their life journey We have 10 to 15minute exercise routines that help in digestion and prevent falls Bhide addsAT Aarambh ndash Powai and ThaneLOG ON TO aajicareinCostRs 800 to Rs 1500 per visit Rs 35000 to Rs 45000 per month all dayAppy timesMastering technology can mitigate some of the challenges senior citizens face and thats where Empowerji comes into the picture Along with creating videos that train the elderly on how to use various apps it has hosted over 90 workshops since its launch in June 2018 The company has also launched a service that acts as a facilitator from 9 am to 6 pm A senior citizen calls an agent and asks if someone can get their fridge fixed Our agent will then arrange for it Though most of us use AI for such services the older generation prefers to interact with real people informs founder Aparna ThakkerAparna ThakkerLOG ON TO empowerjicomCost 999 per month Empowerji App plans start at 499Do it with dignityAn NGO for senior citizens the Dignity Foundation was founded in 1995 Their programmes are now spread across seven cities in India A signature one is the organisations Chai Masti centres that are essentially aimed at mitigating loneliness From Monday to Friday for two hours in the evening a resource person conducts structured activities like yoga board games and dance CEO Aruna Anand says Although this programme costs an annual membership fee of Rs 2000 slum interventions that are based on a similar concept are free of charge Depression doesnt discriminate between class or caste Its CSRfunded and companies often send volunteers she informs Theres also a helpline number that senior citizens can call onAruna AnandAfter about six years the foundation will host an intergenerational event titled Dignity Generations this month where youngsters and the elder members will put up a talent showcase at a Dadar venue and will also display art made out of scrapON August 21 10 am to 130 pm AT Savarkar Hall Shivaji Park Dadar CALL 61381100 to RSVPCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates