THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The elderly community may be the most neglected lot in our society but this residents association located in the heart of the capital is setting an example for policy makers and others by coming up with a slew of initiatives to improve the physical and mental health of the elderly citizens in their locality and make their homes ‘fall proof.’
Maruthoorkadavu Residents Welfare Association (MARWEL) has come up with a bunch of initiatives for the elderly in their locality and one of the key initiatives is to modify and make the homes of senior citizens ‘fall proof’ and barrier-free by laying anti-slippery mats in bathrooms and installing grab bars and handrails in bathrooms and staircases. Improving social interaction and community-level activities are some of the initiatives being rolled out to improve the mental and physical health of the elderly.
“Falls are often the primary cause of injuries among senior citizens resulting in fractures and even serious injuries. The elderly community is facing isolation and abandonment. Our effort would be to give them an opportunity to come out and socialise. We have two community halls and we will be making arrangements there so that the elderly can spend time there. They can play carrom boards, card games or sit there and interact with each other every day,” said president Parameswaran Kutty, MARWEL.
The association is planning to form groups of like-minded citizens and assist the elderly. “Community volunteer groups would be a call away for the elderly. From buying medicine to groceries our volunteers would help,” said Parameswaran. There are around 400 households in their locality.
The initiative is being rolled out with the help of Health Action by People (HAP), a non- profit organisation, which is implementing a slew of similar initiatives with the help of KILA (Kerala Institute of Local Administration) at various panchayats and local bodies across the state. HAP is implementing similar initiatives at 31 local bodies across the state including Kozhikode Corporation, Pullampara panchayat, Manickkal panchayat etc.
“We are trying to make interventions in the lives of elderly in two ways. Doing balancing exercises, yoga would help them improve physical and mental health and the second is to improve physical infrastructure at home. Many elderly people suffer from dementia. Such small initiatives would help improve the quality of living of the elderly,” said HAP secretary Dr K Vijayakumar.