INDIA: Day care centre for the elderly opens at Kochi

. KOCHI, Kerala / Express Buzz / February 24, 2009 By Navamy Sudhish For working people who worry about aged parents left at home, there is good news. The old age home under the Social Welfare Department at Thevara has started a ‘Pakalveedu,’ an adult day care centre which will start functioning very soon. “We have already invited applications. Admission will take into account the family background and age of the applicants,” says Shantha Kumari, superintendent of the old age home. The major aim of the Pakalveedu is to provide care and companionship for the elderly who need assistance during the daytime. It will also ensure essential protection and security to parents and grandparents left alone inside homes. The old-age home already has 34 residents and 7 staff. The two-storeyed building next to the old age home will accommodate the day care members of the Pakalveedu. All the preparations to welcome the new members are complete. The new building will be able to accommodate 100 inmates. The first floor has a number of beds, newspapers, magazines, TV sets and board games to make the 8 to 5 day cheerful and comfortable. Free pick up and drop facility will be provided. Tea and snacks will be served, but the elderly will have to bring their own lunch. “As of now only people residing in locations that come under the corporation area are eligible to make use of this facility,” says Shantha Kumari. Applicants should be under the Below-the-Poverty-Line category and aged fifty-five and over. “The aim is to help working-class families where husband and wife go out for work and parents are left behind without any protection and care during the day. Pakalveedu allows the couples the freedom to handle professional and personal lives with the knowledge that their parents are safe and well cared for. And for the elderly who are in the twilight of their lives, it provides a forum to celebrate their second childhood. More details: Old Age Home, Thevara, Near Fisheries School, Kochi. Phone 2663688. navamy@gmail.com Copyright © 2008 Express Buzz