by Krishnaa Nair | Chief of Staff, ElderAid Wellness Pvt Ltd
In the summer of 2022, as the world recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic and social restrictions eased, ElderAid wanted to throw a party for senior citizens, to celebrate socialising in-person. We at ElderAid selected one apartment building in Bangalore to host this celebration, and went door-to-door, inviting every elder in the building to join in.
The theme was Weekend Mela, and there were game stalls, arts and crafts, snacks, and prizes.
From Giant Tic-Tac-Toe and Ring Toss to pot painting and fabric stamping to rapid fire trivia, there was no shortage of fun things to do! Retro Bollywood music filled the air as Aunties and Uncles battled fiercely to win the coveted prizes of candy bars, chips packets, and juice boxes.
It had been many months since a group of seniors had spent the day out with each other under the sun, and we wanted to make it a day for them to remember. As the Aunties and Uncles gradually departed, prizes in one hand their grandchildren’s hand in the other, their faces were all glowing. A pair of Aunties came up to me, smiling from ear to ear.
“Thank you!” they said happily. “Today, we felt like children once more!”
It was the response we had hoped for, and were so thrilled that we were able to bring that experience to senior citizens. We have since hosted more such melas, but only at a few apartment buildings, with limited audiences due to constraints around funding. Our events are largely self-funded, and while apartment buildings generally give us tables, chairs, and sound systems free of charge, organising games and activities at scale is difficult for a small organisation.
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Krishnaa Nair | Chief of Staff, ElderAid Wellness Pvt Ltd
“We firmly believe that entertainment and fun are integral aspects to holistic elder care. While physiological wellness and good health is critical, we believe that mental stimulation, emotional wellbeing, and socialisation ensure elders stay not just healthy, but also happy!
Our dream is to be able to host wellness events and other activities regularly and at large scales, in addition to our healthcare and concierge support, so that we may bring holistic care to senior citizens everywhere!”
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