Home / Field work / Elders and old age homes
Field work
Time, a gift and a hand held, for people who gave their lives to others
Many older people live alone, in a shelter or in an old age home, with few visitors. Our volunteers bring gifts, meals and company, and sit down to talk.
At Yanam
A gift in both hands and a place to sit beside her
The photographs from our visit to the old age home at Yanam show a small room with a long table. Residents sit along it. A volunteer in the HNP t-shirt hands a gift to a woman in a saree, and another gives gifts to a row of men. A plate of rice and curry shows a meal of the day.
In a different set of photographs, a volunteer carries a sack of rice to an elder resting in a tent shelter with a green cloth roof. Another sits by an elder lying on a bed and checks that he is comfortable.
The elders in these pictures are of many ages. Some are cheerful, some tired, some shy. All of them receive the same respect.
Why elders need visitors
Many elders have children who live far away, or who cannot or will not look after them. An old age home gives food and shelter but cannot give family. The weeks can be long when nobody visits.
A visitor who comes with a gift, a smile and a patient ear can change a week. An elder who is listened to feels that his life still counts.
What we give
Gifts depend on the day. We have given blankets, clothes, snacks, fruit and packed meals. We have given sacks of rice to a shelter. We have also given time, which is the most important thing.
Gifts are handed over personally, one by one, so that nobody is missed and so that each elder can say thank you.
Health and dignity
Elders often have problems that go unnoticed: poor sight, bad teeth, high blood pressure and pain in the joints. Where we can, we bring a doctor, or we invite elders to a health camp.
We try to treat elders as people, not as patients. We ask their names, their villages and their children. We listen to the stories that they want to tell.
Who can help
A student can read to an elder. A singer can sing. A cook can bring a special meal. A doctor can check blood pressure. A barber can offer a haircut. A family can spend a festival day with the elders.
If you know an elder who lives alone and needs a visit, tell us. A volunteer will go.
Staying respectful
We greet elders with respect and ask permission before we touch or photograph them. We do not make promises that we cannot keep. If an elder asks for something that we cannot give, we say so kindly.
We also listen to the staff of the home. They know the residents and can tell us what each one prefers.
A day in an old age home
A home usually wakes early. Residents bathe, take tea and wait for breakfast. Some walk in the yard. Others watch television. Meals are simple. Afternoons are quiet, and visitors are rare.
A visit by volunteers breaks the quiet. For an hour or two, the home is full of voices. Residents who are usually silent may tell a story.
Talking with an elder
Sit at the same level as the elder. Speak slowly and clearly. Listen more than you speak. Ask about their youth, their village, their work. Do not argue about the past. Do not hurry.
If the elder is hard of hearing, sit on the better side and use simple words. If the elder has memory problems, be patient and kind.
What families can learn
Many families feel guilty about sending a parent to a home. Others have no choice. A visit to an old age home can change how we see ageing. It reminds us that every elder was once a child, a worker and a parent.
We encourage families to visit their own elders more often.
How to support a home
Ask the manager what is needed. A home may need rice, oil, vegetables, blankets, a fan, medicines or a doctor’s visit. It may also need volunteers for a festival day.
We are happy to help you plan a visit and to introduce you to the manager.
Festivals with elders
On Sankranti, Ugadi, Diwali, Christmas and other festival days, elders in homes often feel their loneliness most. A group of volunteers bringing sweets, songs and greetings can lift a house.
We try to plan a visit for at least one festival a year at each home we support.
Keeping in touch
After a visit, we send a short message to the manager to thank the staff and to ask whether any resident is unwell. We call after a week. We try to visit again within a few months.
Consistency matters more than size. A small visit repeated is better than a large one that happens once.
Gifts that elders enjoy
Fruit that is soft and easy to eat, warm shawls, a cap for the sun, spectacles, a radio, a favourite sweet, a photo frame, a chair with arms. Ask the manager and the resident, and choose gifts that suit the person.
A card with a few kind words can mean as much as a gift.
A last word on elders
Every elder has a story, and every story deserves a listener. If you have an hour to spare this week, give it to an elder. You will receive more than you give.
We would be glad to help you plan the visit.
How it works
A visit to a home
Plan, bring, sit, report.
1
Plan
We call the manager and agree a day.
2
Bring
Gifts, a meal or fruit, chosen with the home.
3
Sit
Volunteers hand over gifts and then stay to talk.
4
Report
We tell donors what was done and what is needed next.
Questions
Elder care questions
If you know an elder in need, please tell us.
Do you run an old age home?
We do not run one. We visit homes and shelters and bring gifts, meals and company. Our photographs show a visit to the old age home at Yanam.
Can I sponsor a meal for an old age home?
Yes. Call us. A volunteer will plan the meal with the manager and send you photographs.
Can I visit with my family?
Yes, with the permission of the home. Fill in the volunteer form and tell us the day.
What gifts are suitable?
Blankets, clothes, fruit, snacks, soap, towels and spectacles. Please ask the manager first.
Do you help elders find a place?
We can tell you which office or home to approach. We cannot promise a place.
How can I find an elder who needs help?
Look for neighbours who live alone, or elders who sit near temples and bus stops. Tell us the place.
Can students visit as a group?
Yes. Write to us with the number of students and the day.
Do you give medicines?
We do not give medicines without a doctor. We invite elders to our health camps.
Can I bring a pet for the elders?
Please ask the manager first. Some homes allow it and some do not.
Can I take an elder out for the day?
This depends on the rules of the home. Please ask the manager.
Visit an elder this month
An hour with a person who has few visitors is a gift that does not cost money.
Write to us
Ask about elders and old age homes
Tell us what you would like to know or do about elders and old age homes. A volunteer will call you back.
- +91 97036 30893 (call and PhonePe)
- +91 82972 92602 (second number)
- hnpcharitabletrust@gmail.com
- NPS Nilayam, Road No. 2, Gajuwaka S.O., Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh 530026
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