What is old age?
The first thing that comes to our mind is usually something as withered, weak, frail. As a living being, we all go through the stages of life -- the cycle of birth to death. We emerge from infancy to youth to middle age to old age; a journey that we all go through, an inevitable mechanism. We grow, evolve, develop as living beings only to turn into dust, return to the Nature and scatter into atoms, where we started from.
We, as human beings, since our childhood, look up to our parents, the lessons they teach, the love and care they nurture us with, which makes us independent and better human beings in our future, and do the same for our children. Children hold the finger of their parents while learning to walk, they are the pillar, the stair that help a child climb up and reach heights. Old age is also a lot like childhood. Parents, when they get old, their actions and needs almost resemble a child's and then we become the parents who should take care of them, who have nurtured and brought us up to become what we are today.
However, the scenario is not what it should be. More often than not, parents or elderly people are seen abandoned, thrown out, harassed or treated wrongfully. Data shows how their own sons or daughters have deserted them in the middle of nowhere, or beaten and kept them starving. Several such cases had propelled the Supreme Court to initiate a Law against this criminal offense. Nonetheless, it's still common or prevalent to see such cases happening in various parts of India.
Need of Old age Home for the Underprivileged in our society
Economic Vulnerability: Many elderly individuals in India, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds, face financial challenges. They may not have sufficient savings, pensions, or social security benefits to sustain themselves during their old age. Providing support ensures they have a basic income to cover their essential needs.
Lack of Family Support: Traditional family structures in India, where younger generations care for their elders, are changing. Factors such as urbanization, migration, and changing social dynamics often result in elderly individuals being left without familial support. Old-age support programs become crucial in filling this support gap.
Healthcare and Medical Expenses: As people age, they are more likely to experience health issues and require medical attention. Underprivileged elderly individuals often lack access to adequate healthcare services, including regular check-ups, medications, and treatments. Old-age support programs can provide access to healthcare and help cover medical expenses.
Social Isolation and Loneliness: Many elderly individuals face social isolation and loneliness due to various reasons, including loss of spouse, limited mobility, and diminishing social networks. Old-age support initiatives can include community engagement programs, social activities, and support groups to address their emotional well-being and reduce social isolation.
Housing and Shelter: A significant number of underprivileged elderly individuals in India lack proper housing and shelter. They may be living in unsafe or unsanitary conditions or even on the streets. Old-age support programs can provide housing assistance, affordable housing options, or shelter homes specifically designed for the elderly.
Access to Basic Amenities: Adequate access to basic amenities such as nutritious food, clean water, sanitation facilities, and clothing is crucial for the well-being of elderly individuals. Old-age support programs can ensure that these essential needs are met, either through direct provision or by collaborating with existing welfare schemes.
Legal and Social Protection: Underprivileged elderly individuals often face various forms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Old-age support programs can provide legal and social protection mechanisms to safeguard their rights and dignity. This includes raising awareness, establishing helplines, and promoting legal aid services for the elderly.
Our old-age home, also known as Project Bhalo Basha (Good Home), provides a range of services and support to underprivileged grandparents or elderly individuals who may not have sufficient resources or familial support. Most of them were picked from streets or was dropped by their children or relatives at our centre.
Some of the common provisions in our old-age homes for underprivileged grandparents include:
Shelter and Accommodation: Our homes provide a safe and secure living environment for the elderly. They offer shared or individual rooms equipped with basic amenities such as beds, furniture, and adequate ventilation.
Food and Nutrition: Nutritious meals are typically provided to residents in old-age homes. This ensures that underprivileged grandparents have access to regular, balanced meals that meet their dietary requirements. Special dietary needs or restrictions are also taken into consideration.
Healthcare and Medical Services: Our homes often have medical facilities or tie-ups with nearby healthcare providers. We arrange regular check-ups, access to doctors, and medication management to address the healthcare needs of residents. In case of emergencies, immediate medical attention is provided.
Daily Assistance: Underprivileged grandparents may require assistance with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and mobility. Our homes have trained staff members who provide personal care, help with mobility aids, and assist in maintaining personal hygiene.
Social Engagement and Recreational Activities: We organize various social and recreational activities to keep residents engaged and connected. These may include group outings, cultural events, yoga or exercise classes, religious or spiritual activities, and hobbies such as painting or gardening.
Emotional Support: Loneliness and emotional well-being are addressed through counselling services and interaction with other residents. Our homes provide a supportive environment where underprivileged grandparents can share their thoughts, concerns, and experiences with like-minded individuals.
Dignified Death: Everyone leaves the world one day, we make sure at our homes, the last rites of a grandparents are dealt with utmost dignity as per their religious beliefs.
Rescue and Relief believes in creating a Change and that not only includes children or women but also elderly people who lack the love and care they deserve, desire and require. We aim at giving them a livelihood, that will make them feel loved, precious, valued, respected and cared for. Our parents or elderly people are our guardians who give their all and nurture us with love and care and all the necessities so that we may have a better livelihood. In return, they do not ask for anything but the little love and care they would need to live the rest of their lives till they breathe their last.
Kolaghat Old Age Home, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal
This home shelters 60 seniors. It provides a good infrastructure with recent renovations and digitization requirements done. Safe and secure lifestyle with a homely and age-friendly environment to spend their golden years in peace and happiness. Our facilities are age friendly, provide companionship and independence. With better medical services, nutritional diet, entertainment, the psychological and emotional support where they feel listened to and engage in learning and various refreshing activities, hobbies and discover certain unknown talents.
Sason Old Age Home, Dakshin Durgapur, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal
This home shelters 10 with the greenery and vast landscape, it is a refreshing place to spend the silver years. As it also includes the Sason Orphanage, the children and our grandparents together spend a rejoicing time which resembles more of a homely environment.With various social, mental and physical activities, seniors live a fulfilling and stimulating lifestyle, leading to improvement in their health and wellness. All the basic, medical, grooming, psychological, needs are attended to. Cultural programs, picnics are arranged to make their lives vibrant and mirthful. The home also revolves around concept where we under take to keep orphan and grand parents under one roof. This helps in overall development of the child by getting love and affection from the grand parents and in the same way grandparents they are able to divert their sorrows of being left alone among with enthusiasm of the children.
Kanpur Old Age home, Panki, Kalyanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
This home shelters around 70 people; its capacity is 70. Old-age needs homely environment, care and love and our project in Kanpur delivers it all. Nutritional diet, sanitary hygiene, medical needs and when necessary the emotional support is provided as well. Household chores are looked after by staffs. Proper bedding, clean washrooms, medical checkups and facilities are maintained. Recreational programs are held so that during their sunset years they get to enjoy their lives. They live an active lifestyle with age-friendly amenities.
We provide vocational training to the projects so that they can also earn for themselves and feel independent. It also serves the purpose of engaging them in activities so that old-age does not seem like a gloomy, unproductive stage of life which also affects their mental health and the lifestyle approach and emotional support are crucial to enhance their sunset years.
Our project visits have always been rejoicing to our supporters as well as our grandparents. There's also a bonus, where we get to hear a bag full of interesting stories from them!
We not only work towards spreading awareness, but also love and happiness, and bringing about a lasting change!
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info@rescueandrelief.org