New Year 2008 @ Prema Nilayam, hyd

Date : 01 - 01 - 2007
Hyderabad members celebrated new year 2008 at Prema Nilayam Old Age Home.
Address
Plot No: 66, Sai Ram Nagar Colony, Near Langar House
Hydershah Kota, Hyd -8. Ph: 65966344
You can refer Eenadu / Hindu paper for the interview of the Nagachandrika Devi garu, who started this Old Age Home.
Interview with Nagachandrika Devi garu for Vasundhara
Interview with Nagachandrika Devi garu for HINDU

About the Visit
No one can explain better than Prashanthi. See her words about the experience

There are 20 old people in the home. We should say 19 as one old woman died on 31st december. 13 are women and 6 are men. Some of them went to visit their families. Most of them are very very delicate, very lean and I wonder if they can stand at all. Naga Chandrika Devi garu told that the biggest problem is to make them sit and also to make them walk. Very few can go for bathrooms on their own. Most of them go on beds only. I observed this urine bags also tied to them.

One old man has sugar and he fell down when he visited his family. The leg has to be removed and it will be in the coming week. The problem is though they are dressing and cleaning, the pus is more that it is boozing as if it is raining. Two of the old women are teachers and one couldn't see and one couldn't hear properly. Another lady has some problems. One man is in depression and he doesn't talk to anyone. If paranoia stucks him he stands still wherever he is and sometimes they have to tie him to the bed and then feed him food. One man is a hindi teacher and he is the only one it seems better among the old people there. He always smiles and be happy and he listens to radio. He was listening to radio when we met him. He is also the one who wished us a very happy new year.

One lady got Asthma and also motions from the time she witnessed the death of another old woman. Most of them get depressed when they see others dying. One more old woman, she seems to be alright. Her two sons died and she has two daughters. The daughters took turns to look after her and ultimately placed her in this home. They also do not listen to the service personnel. They don't walk and eat and when they compel to eat they threaten that they will leave the home and go away :) So childish. They sometimes try tobeat the service personnel. Musali vaallu kuudaa chinna pillallaage annadi emta nijamo veellani chooste baagaa artham avutundi.

All and all it is very pathetic and it triggered many questions in all of us which made us think even after we left the home. It is very very criminal for the children to leave the parents that to at such an old age with so many problems. No matter how well we look after them, heart in heart, they feel for their children. I spoke with the service personnel. They are also very kind and they say that they do not take leave more than two days and they feel happy to be here and serve these old people. They all mingled very well and even if they are absent for a day, both the parties miss each other.

Coming to the plight of Naga Chandrika Devi, she is managing the home singlehandedly. She has a son who is nine year old and studying fourth class. She runs the home with her personal money and the money given by donors. She tried to hire few male employees but they began to misbehave with the depressed women and she removed them from the job. Some people stolen gold also. She cannot advertise because the candidates charge more @8k per month. She used to visit villages and try to get orphans or widowed women or the women left by their respective husbands. It would be like helping them and getting support for the home as well. Those people stay with inmates in the home only.

It seems that the neighbours also complain as the old people die regularly. They have to manage somehow. The owner asked them to vacate the home by June 2008. They have to find one more place. In the remote place like Langar House, the rent is Rs. 12k. She has taken one more small house for Rs. 3k. She cooks there and maintains home here in the big house. She applied to govt. and after the news in Eenadu, Collector called on her and assured that he can help. Even CM also signed the papers to allot them a place. She has to take it for lease or she can buy. May be we should help her in raising funds for the construction of the building. One thing I can say that money any one can give, but the service she does, may be most of us cannot.

Coming to the important requirements.
1. Rubber sheets are of much use as the mattresses do not get rotten up.
2. Aqua Guard
3. Music System (If we keep the DVD player in the office room and speakers in all the rooms, we can play devotional music at regular intervals)
4. Inverter (the bulbs that they buy are getting damaged and are not of much use)
5. Cookers, Hot Packs, Flasks
Above all, medical equipment that would be of use. Most of the inmates have the BP and Sugar problem. She was also saying about the sterilizers. (if I am not mistaken).

One senior, specialaist doctor who is also a relative to Chandrika garu visits the home every week and do a thorough check up. Dr. Sreenivas told that he visits when the doctor comes and will talk to him in detail so that he can understand the problems of the inmates more clearly. Sangitha's friend who visited the home works in Army and he told that he will be in the city for 4 days and as he gets good concession as an army officer, if we want to contribute, we can through his card. He also will contribute an item.

Maruti of Vitarana group also is very much impressed and they also can contribute something. We all will contribute together. Vitarana group is also like us. They do not think of name but only of the purpose.

Chandrika garu is also a Secreatary for the Senior Citizen Association. Govt. has the information of 300 homes and it seems out of their enquiry, they found 50 as genuine. Particular department is coming up with a diary of old age homes and orphanages and Chandrika garu told that she will give us one copy of it. My view is that we should support her as much as we can. She also started Mano Deepam for depressed people and she has to keep everyone in the same home. (like normal people and depressed people). If we can support her on a regular basis, she can do much better.

Ravi Shankar shared his exp in his blog. Link

Images
Hyd New Year 2008 @ Prema Nilayam