The Arasan Rural Development Agency (ARDS) ARDS has been running Home for the Old aged in which 25 poor old aged persons are being cared with free food, shelter, health care and recreational facilities.
The Inmates :
Close to 18 million elderly in India are homeless. Senior citizens living in poverty face abandonment by their own families as they cannot earn an income. Many a times, they are left with no choice but to beg to survive. Many elderly are left alone after their children move to the cities in search of better livelihood. In the last few days of their lives, who will they look up to? Support an old age home to make sure that in their old age, these senior citizens are taken care of.
While the old age home offers free stay for abandoned and poor men and women. Our aim is to provide peace to these men and women in their last days. Apart from basic facilities including food and a separate bed, organization also has an active medical staff to take care of the elderly.
It is a home for the destitute, homeless senior citizens who have been abandoned by their families. The home currently accommodates 25 residents. The minimum age of senior citizens living in the centre is 60. They are provided with free accommodation, medical care, and food. While most of them are too old to take on regular work.
1)Psychological Relief to the old age people to get rid of their mental depression
Our inmates come from various families with different problems at family level. The inmates are in our home due to
• Family problems
• Abandoned by children
• Children are either in foreign countries or in other states
• Departed by family members due to property sharing
The members participating the relief camp
2)ACCOMODATION:
The inmates have been provided accommodation in a pollution free and comfortable place where they feel as they are in their home. In their staying place they can chat with one another, can share their problems and make their mind free of tension and psychological depressions. The staying place is provided with comfortable beds. Considering their age, cushioned beds are provided. The accommodation has sufficient bathrooms and facilities in bath rooms have been made in such a way so as to ease their movement to the toilet and bathrooms. The rooms are with enough light arrangements. We have fitted 12 tube lights, bedroom lights and all bathrooms are fitted with powerful LED lights. The home electrical system is connected to Invertors ,so there is no question of darkness even during power shut downs.
3)FOOD:
We provide morning tea, breakfast, Lunch, evening tea and dinner to all our inmates prepared in a hygenic manner in our own kitchen. We have experienced cooks and cooking assistants to manage the kitchen. Menu suitable for the old age people has been prepared in advance and the schedule is pasted in the kitchen which will be followed by the cooks. Quality vegetables and groceries are purchased for the preparation of food materials. Prayers are conducted before serving the food and they can take any quantitative of food they want and there is no restriction fort that. Considering the diseases among the old age people we prepare food to avoid indigestion, pressure, sugar and gastric problems. Our inmates really enjoy their food at our home
(FOOD IS BEING SERVED AT DINING HALL)
4)MEDICAL FACILITIES:
We provide regular health check ups and medical facilities to our inmates. Their blood pressure level, sugar level and other complications are regularly checked by our visiting doctor as well as the permanent staff nurses at our home. We have a pharmacy inside the home in which emergency medicines are being stocked. The inmates are being watched during night hours to avoid any untoward instances related health.
(THE DOCTOR CHECKING THE INMATES)
5)RECREATION FACILITIES:
Our inmates with mental depression can be able to forget their problems on seeing serials, movies and other programs in the television which is provided in our recreation room. Before going for dinner they can enjoy the TV programs and forget all their problems and go for sleep in a peaceful atmosphere.
6)YOGA FOR HEALTH:
We take much care on the health of our inmates. Hence mild yoga practices are given to our inmates every day morning. So that they can spend the whole day with strength and vigour.
The yoga trainer visits our home every day morning and all our inmates attend the yoga classes regularly without any absence.
7)RELAXATION
(Our inmates used to relax after their break fast and lunch.)
8)WORLD SENIOR CITIZENS DAY:
We celebrate the Senior Citizen’s Day on 21st August every year. We conducted indoor games and sports such as tug of War. All our inmates participate the sports with much enthusiasm. This would be their participation in sports in their lifetime and hence all were so happy on this day. Special food and prizes for those who won the games were also distributed on the day. A special guest was invited from the Government to facilitate the program.
