In the sprawling campus at Gurdaspur (Punjab) with a driveway of lush green trees, a community of elderly live with the biggest of smiles; each wrinkle signifying the travails of life lived by; but the smiles still hold a light for the future. The residents of HelpAge’s Multi-Facility Elder Retreat Home at Gurdaspur are senior citizens who live there for various reasons; some were abandoned by their childrenand family, some do not have people to care for them, some do not like living with their children due to conflicts and ill treatment, etc. They found a place for shelter here and soon it became their home.
The Home felt like it was inhabited by a close-knit loving family where the younger generation (the HelpAge staff) took care of the elderly. The warmth and affection between the staff members and the residents filled my heart and for a while I just mutely basked in it. With a glint in her eyes, one of the residents started singing a joyful bhajan; others joined in, and I felta tinkling happiness in their voices. There is a strong sense of community and belonging.
Having lost my grandmother a few months’ back, I felt her again in those crinkly smiles, twinkling eyes and the gentlest of touches. Every ounce of stress left my body.
A day spent with them gave me a glimpse of their daily lives. They begin their day with yoga and as the winter was setting in, enjoyed sitting in the sun reading newspapers or just chatting with each other and the staff. They are also engaged in activities that they like e.g. gardening, reading, indoor games, watching television, etc. Vegetables are grown organically in the garden and are part of their daily diet. It is ensured that the food they eat is nutritional and is tailored to their age-related afflictions, if any. The proximity to the Civil Hospital as well as the Mobile Healthcare Unit programmes ascertains that their health is looked after. During the visit, I met a senior citizen who after his retirement had become associated with the home and with the Home Manager was planning a medicinal plants garden in the premises. My interaction with everyone there rejuvenated me and inspired me to work harder.
The Gurdaspur Multi Facility Elder Retreat Home is a perfect example of an administrative- NGO partnership which can serve the neglected & abandoned senior citizens, with no or limited means of survival, in a a wholesome manner. I wish there were such homes in every community wherein the elderly never feel isolated and are taken care of.
This blog has been written by:
Ms. Nilabha Sharma
Deputy Director, Legal & Compliance, HelpAge India
