Maharashtra: A battle on multiple fronts for care givers at senior citizen homes

There are a 13 senior citizens at the home. Outsiders, including family members, have not been allowed to visit since the first week of March.

“Since so many of the senior citizens suffer from illnesses and are not quite alert about what is happening outside, the responsibility on the staff members is that much more,” Mishra said.

Of the 16 staff members, four are boys from Vikramgad in Palghar district. “Initially, they got anxious after getting WhatsApp forwards saying people were not being allowed in the village and police were beating up those who tried to leave their houses. They were anxious about going back to their homes,” Mishra said.

“Everyday, when the numbers of those testing positive is reported to be going up, and the death toll is also rising, they get worried. They are taking care of senior citizens here, but at the same time, they are worried about their parents at home. To keep them motivated is a challenge. We have made them speak to their family members on video calls, which calmed them down,” he added.

Mishra said professional care for the elderly should have been classified as an essential service. “The list includes paramedics, which does not cover care givers for the elderly. So, whenever the staff have to come to do the cooking, getting medication and diapers for the elderly, or giving them a bath, they face harassment from the police. It is only after they explain how 13 elderly patients with dementia and other illnesses will not get food if they do not go to the home that police let them off,” he added.

Two days ago, the staff realised that they needed psychiatric medication for one of the patients. “The police were not allowing staff members to leave. I got in touch with a mediaperson I knew who then asked a senior IPS officer to help out at 11pm on Tuesday. The IPS officer sent a written permission by email to me around 2 am. It was only at 7 the next morning that my staff took a printout and managed to procure the medication,” Mishra said.

The project director of the home, Mona Parikh, said, “To get psychiatric medication by itself is difficult as it is not available everywhere. On top of that if one is not allowed to go out, it becomes difficult. We have now taken two photocopies of the permission letter given by the IPS officer that we give to our staff whenever they have to go out.

Mishra said that in Nallasopara, as in several villages across the state, people have put up barricades on roads so that there is no movement. “The two women who come to the centre to prepare food were taunted by the villagers for leaving their homes and putting all of them at risk. The villagers and police asked them why they could not just sit at home. It is only now, as the policemen have seen them set off to come her daily, that they have started letting them go without asking questions,” he added.

At the centre, the staff members have been ensuring that the senior citizens follow their regular routine from morning prayers to games, like passing the ball and carrom. “We are taking basic security measures recommended by the government. However, we do not want to scare them too much. Apart from the illness, we also need to ensure that the panic doesn’t end up harming people.”