When I set out to start Samvedna in early 2013, honestly, I had a hazy picture of what I wanted to do. The only thing that was clear to me was to make a difference in the lives of seniors, break the mundane routine and do something about their loneliness and social isolation. The idea of an activity centre, a platform for seniors to socialize and also channelize their energy in a positive way, was thus born. Soon we realized that a lot of seniors cannot come to the centre because of mobility issues, hence the home services were developed.
Samvedna Senior Care turns 5!
This month Samvedna Senior Care completed 5 years. Here are some pictures from our celebration of this beautiful landmark in our journey, made possible by our vibrant members and compassionate team! Many more to come 
Dementia Support Group: Impact of Social, Physical and Cognitive Interventions
On 6th October 2018, we conducted our Support Group Meeting for caregivers of dementia patient. A large group of caregivers from in and around Gurgaon and Delhi came to attend the session. The main agenda of the session was to acknowledge the pain of caregivers and to help them in their needs. The topic of the session was “Dementia Management Impact of Social, Physical and Cognitive Interventions. The session was unlocked by Dr. Jayashree Dasgupta, MPhil, PhD, Neuropsychology, NIMHANS, who is the Project Director of Samvedna Senior Care.
Tips for managing hospital visits and medication for your spouse with dementia
Mr. Malhotra (name changed), a retired IAF officer, lives with his wife (55), who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 53. Mrs. Malhotra has always been an active and independent woman. She is a highly educated woman and was working as a scientist till a few years back. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and since then her disease has been progressing rapidly. Mr. Malhotra has been her primary caregiver. Mrs. Malhotra is suffering from some other ailments as well and requires monthly visits to the doctor for review. She is unable to manage her own medicines and gets really hassled every time she goes for a doctor’s review.
Coping with the changing relationship with your spouse once she is diagnosed with dementia
Marriage is a scared union between two people, where the couple vow to hold on to each other for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death separates them apart. But what happens when one of the loved one does not remember, not only the vows, but the spouse with whom he/she took the vows?
Caring Relations, Caring for Ageing – Workshop and interactions with Heidelberg University, Germany
It was our pleasure to host the students and professors of Heidelberg University, Germany and JNU, Delhi for a workshop on Caring Relations, Caring for Ageing. This is a part of an ongoing DAAD Project, New directions in Active Ageing and Age Friendly Cultures in India and Germany.
At the inauguration of the workshop at JNU, our founder Archana Sharma shared her thoughts with the group on Samvedna’s journey and its challenges and the changing social relationships in context of nuclear families in big cities like Gurgaon.
11 tips to prepare your elderly loved one for a surgery
We all get a little nervous when we are advised surgery whether it is for a small procedure like cataract, hernia, prostrate etc. or something more serious like a heart bypass, knee/ hip replacement or Cholecystectomy. For some elderly the decision to go into a surgery can be more traumatizing, especially when the immunity levels are weaker and there are multiple ailments to worry about. Surgical intervention is a stressful process no matter how small the procedure is, and impacts both the physical and psychological recovery.
8 Essential qualities for an in-home care attendant for elderly
We all love our independence in living our lives – the independence to do things, the way we want, whenever we want. Majority of seniors take pride in being able to manage their homes and activities of daily living on their own, however, sometimes this independence is lost due to circumstances beyond control like a – fall, stroke, fracture, surgery, arthritis or other chronic ailments. They are unable to perform day to day activities like taking medications on time, cleaning the house, meal preparation, personal care, health care, etc.
Living with dementia in India – A couple’s journey
Mr. Sharma (name changed), a retired Grade A officer with one of the departments of the Government of India, now 78, lives with his wife in the home that they built after his retirement.
Mrs. Sharma has always been a home maker , and feels that she is now taking care of another child at home referring to her husband of 51 years. Mr. Sharma was diagnosed with dementia in late 2016, making Mrs. Sharma his primary care giver.
5 ways to sensitively get individuals with dementia to exercise
Dementia takes away the memories of our loved ones but they still need/deserve a good quality of life. The primary caregiver has to put in a lot of effort to provide them that quality of life which will benefit the elderly’s mental and physical condition. One can help them set up a routine, engage them with mind stimulation and encourage them to do physical exercises these will prove to be very beneficial for our loved ones.