Recently, Vilasini R was asked to come over for a cup of tea by a neighbour. Landing up at an hour not particularly opportune for tea-sipping, Vilasini actually did not have that cup of tea.
But she will forever remember that offer of tea, because it came along with three extra ingredients, which she did manage to savour anyway. They are concern, empathy and acceptance.
Rohini, her neighbour, had asked her over for a cup of tea, and that invitation was just the reassurance she needed to resume her life, post COVID-19 treatment.
“I was surprised and touched by the gesture although I hesitated to accept it at first. But when Rohini maami , as she is known in the apartment, insisted, I agreed to visit her a few weeks later,” says Vilasini, a resident of Shanthi Gulmohar Apartments in Mandaveli.
Rohini’s gesture is remarkable because she is 81 years old, and many her age are trying to cope with anxiety.
“I don’t have words to express how I felt by this gesture. Maami said she was reciting the S undara Kandam for me every day and was so bold in accepting the reality around her,” says Vilasini, adding that the octogenarian gifted her a small jute bag and a vettila that are going to hold a special place in her heart.
Residents and residents welfare associations are being challenged to rise to new heights of unity and empathy in these difficult times, when people are ruled by fear and anxiety over the novel Cornoavirus, often leading them to push the panic button.
At Taisha, a gated community in Virugambakkam, when a frontline warrior recovered from COVID-19, after treatment, the apartment association organised a special homecoming for the person.
A message about the resident’s return was posted in the community’s WhatsApp group.
When this resident set foot in the complex, he was greeted by some residents with garlands and bouquets, and many others stood in their balconies clapping and cheering as he walked towards his apartment tower.
“This was during the early days of the lockdown and it was the first case of someone from the community testing positive for COVID-19 and recovering from it; and so cheering for him sent out a message that we need to be there for each other during these times. It also showed that the apartment association is going to stand with you even during difficult times,” says a resident.
Dr. Republica Sridhar, managing trustee, RMD Pain and Palliative Care Trust, says social isolation can add to stress levels, and people on the frontlines can face added degree of social isolation.
“My own relatives are not welcoming me for the last four months although I tried explaining things to them. My peer doctor did not find understanding in her apartment and she had to move to a different flat,” says Dr. Republica.
The Trust recently had a case where an elderly patient residing in a big apartment complex needed palliative care but the family was not keen on taking the person to the hospital.
“The patient’s neighbour was a doctor. After two days of extending help, the neighbour now handles her medical requirements,” says Dr. Republica.
“Every Association can have a helpline with an in-house doctor addressing queries of residents,” she says.
She says stigma should not demoralise anyone working as a frontline worker or those in the essential services.
In cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, gated communities have started turning community halls into quarantine centres for use by their own residents.
“Apartment associations can allot a separate room that residents can visit for a consultation,” says the doctor.
