Pune: Very few homes are tailored according to senior citizen’s security and convenience and one such is the Athashri Society in Pashan, which is exclusively designed for elderly people of the society.
It is home for those senior citizens, who are away from their families or do not have their families. But the residents of the society have created a family of their own here with friendship. They follow a motto, ‘there is no help like self help’ and all the seniors citizens thoroughly stand by it.
Athashri came into existence in the year 2002. It marked the beginning of a new concept for senior citizens, who longed to live independently in a secure, supportive, happy and friendly environment.
It conducts open forums or town hall meetings once every month. Here, all issues and concerns are discussed with emphasis on solutions rather than complaints. Staff from Sancheti Healthcare Academy, Dance Movement Therapy classes are held for everyone.
Lectures on philosophy of Dyaneshwari. Besides, they have Tai Chi classes, the group also invites various resort organisers, who provide senior citizens friendly accommodation.
“The members of Athashri reiterated that they have now started enthusiastically looking forward to more years to live from estimating how long will they survive,” says Meena Soman-Shahani, a member of Athashri, Pashan.
Shahani expressed that last year, there were few issues, which concerned the residents like many of their fellow members started having old-age ailments like dementia, many started depending on wheelchairs and walkers. The rounds of picnics, theatre time, visiting restaurants also reduced slowly.
However, with number of fitness activities and care for each other reinforced the enthusiasm among many senior citizens.
