Thiruvananthapuram: Kudumbashree is making its foray into the geriatric care sector with a bouquet of services as part of the Harsham scheme being implemented by it and the State government.
The Kudumbashree district mission has trained three batches of executives, comprising 100 people in all, with the assistance of NIMS hospital to provide services to the elderly such as hygiene care, medicines and their use, health equipment use, physiotherapy, fall prevention, bandaging, catheter care, enema, pain and palliative care, and stress management. The services can be hospital or home-based.
Besides health-related services, Kudumbashree will go a step further to help the elderly with payment of bills, accompany them on hospital visits, act as hospital ‘bystanders,’ help with shopping, or transport food to their homes. If family members have to go out, volunteers will be available to spend time with the elderly. “The idea is to provide any kind of assistance required by the elderly, even accompanying them on their travels,” Jerry Das, Harsham project coordinator, said.
Mr. Das said Kudumbashree not only provided geriatric care services but also ensured expert training for the volunteers.
The volunteers will provide expert care to the elderly at daily wage and monthly rates. While full-time nursing care cost Rs.20,000 a month, hourly services were also available.
Mr. Das said Kudumbashree was planning a care home for the elderly. The premium service would see 10 elderly being taken care of by 10 individual care-givers and meeting all their requirements, including recreational needs. Day-care facility for 10-15 elderly persons was also under consideration.
Kudumbashree district mission coordinator K.R. Shaiju said under Harsham, trained personnel would provide any service to the elderly anywhere in the city, be it taking their blood, driving them around, caring for their garden, or staying with them round the clock. The service would be expanded across the district later, he said.
Besides the 100 trained personnel, a fresh batch of volunteers will start training in August.
A help desk has been started at the Kudumbashree district mission office for the smooth implementation of the Harsham volunteer service programme. Call 9496988887.
