Inspiring elder care

A community-based program in Calcutta where five women caregivers work in rotation to ensure that the elderly Parsis in the city are visited at least eight times a month has inspired Calcutta columnist Mudar Patherya to start a similar initiative in his Dawoodi Bohra community there. Writing in the MumbaiMirror of May 1, 2017, Patherya said that "the genius behind the initiative is its simplicity and the well-oiled machinery that runs it,” adding that he was inspired to "create a seed fund to start this initiative” from the money earned from the column!
Cyrus Madan, trustee of the Calcutta Zoroastrian Community’s Religious and Charity Fund (CZCRCF), speaking to Parsiana on May 10 about the program started about eight years ago said, "We saw the zeal of one community-minded individual who was doing this on her own and decided to take this up as a broader initiative.” The individual, Navaz Gherda (who wished to remain anonymous), started the activity about 14 years ago. The key problem among the elderly is that of loneliness, which the program alleviates to an extent, according to Madan. The trustee adds, "when the individuals who have no immediate family need to recuperate after a stint in a hospital, they are housed in their dharamshala and looked after there.”
The program was started under the initiative and guidance of Sam Medora, then chief executive officer (CEO) of CZCRCF, who Madan calls "my mentor.” Speaking to Parsiana on May 11, Medora states that when he joined the trust as CEO in 2001, they would receive distress calls from the elderly ("Take me to the doctor” or "Help me with an ambulance”). The trustees then "decided to formalize the program... We started moving out into the community.” Medora recalls the donation of a car from the Gimi family which was used by the fledgling group of volunteers to visit the elderly and to take them out for short trips. The ex-CEO who retired from the trust in 2014 says he is still active in community matters relating to the elderly. So, what next? Perhaps an infirmary, he adds, reminding that there are three elderly community members, housed in the dharamshala at present, who need medical attention on a long-term basis.

Clockwise from top: The elderly of Calcutta with their caregivers, at their homes, at outings and at a tea party

The current trustees of CZCRCF are, besides Madan, Numazar Mehta, Bahadur Postwalla, Russi Jeejeebhoy and Pessi Dadina. Noshir Wadia functions as CEO.
Putting the Parsi population in the eastern city at 450, down from 4,000 about four decades ago, Patherya stated in the MM report that CZCRCF allocated annuity income generated from property ownership towards the elderly care project and identified 27 individuals needing periodic care. The quintet of volunteers was armed with a timetable of who would need to be visited by whom on which day and what time. A small compensation is offered to the caregivers, states the report.
Lauding the "remarkable things to be learnt from this model,” the columnist says this is "just a few individuals getting together to make things happen.” The caregivers look on this as a serious day-job, he appreciates. The care and companionship is customized according to the needs of each elderly person, and extends to taking them on shopping expeditions, to the ATM to fetch money or even to the movies and occasional visits to the beauty parlor, a nearby seaside resort and even to Jamshedpur. "Two community youngsters have volunteered to provide anytime car pick-up-and-drop service,” lauds Patherya, adding that one youngish caregiver has "graduated to preparing the expired body for the final rituals.”