THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 75-year-old C Thaygarajan is perhaps more aware of the latest updates on Covid-19 than an average man on the street. An inmate of the government-run Care Home for the elderly at Pulayanarkotta in the capital, the septuagenarian reads newspapers and watches the news on the TV regularly to keep himself abreast of Covid-19. Thyagarajan knows that the virus, if contracted, would prove fatal to him and also to other inmates who are much older than him.
The care home has 97 inmates at present and many of them have cardiovascular disease, hypertension and high diabetes that are high-risk factors during the time of viral spread. In the wake of Covid-19 scare, the Social Justice Department had issued a circular to all old-age homes to adopt a slew of precautionary measures, including a temporary ban on visitors. TNIE visited the Care Home in strict adherence to the guidelines issued by the health department.
“The fast spread of the virus does scare us. But we are confident that our state’s healthcare system which has successfully battled many such outbreaks in the past will tackle this one also effectively,” said Thyagarajan with an air of determination. In between, he takes time to explain to the other inmates basic hygiene that needs to be followed to prevent the spread.
Prepared early
According to Shynimol M, superintendent of Care Home, precautions were taken even before the government’s circular reached them. “On March 11, we convened a meeting of the Care Home management committee in which health officers from the nearby community health centre gave an awareness session on how to curb the viral infection to the entire staff,” she said.
‘TNIE’ saw the staff wearing face masks and also adhering to other safety precautions as part of their efforts to prevent the virus from affecting the elderly inmate. A 97-year-old inmate who returned from the Medical College Hospital recently has been kept in isolation from the others as an added precaution.
A slew of restrictions have also been imposed at the care home in the wake of the Covid-19 scare. Music, yoga therapy and horticulture therapy carried out twice a week have been suspended temporarily due to the ban on visitors. A trip to a nearby tourist destination, that was planned later this month, also had to be shelved.
“I will miss my relatives who would occasionally drop in here. The restrictions would also mean no more visits to the beach for quite some time. But we have no complaints as we know these curbs have been imposed for our safety,” said 77-year-old Chellamma barely taking her eyes away from her favourite serial on TV.