Ms Dutta, a retired teacher, led a lonely existence after suffering a personal setback. Her health conditions too impeded her mobility.

Ms Dutta enrolled with Support Elders after coming across its Facebook page and calling up our National Alarm Centre. Soon after, she was invited to a members’ picnic in Dankuni. But she was worried about the commute. A care manager took charge. And Ms Dutta stepped out to socialise after years.

Eventually, she joined The Silver Circle (TSC), which helps improve the quality of life of elders through positive engagement and self-actualisation. It boosted her confidence.

At the TSC classes, Ms Dutta learnt booking app-based cabs for easy commute, which cut down her dependency on others. Participating in TSC Movie Club outings, theatre evenings, picnics and other events organised by the Member Engagement Team became routine affair for her.

During summers, Ms Dutta would offer chilled home-made lassi to the Member Care Associates visiting her weekly. She would chat with them and the National Alarm Centre staff giving her daily calls. When her spectacles broke, a Member Care Associate got her a new pair made with plastic lenses in a few hours. She was relieved and most thankful to Support Elders.

Support Elders Impact: Members’ all-round well-being is our topmost priority.

Our Zonal Coordinator was in Agra on vacation when one of our members, Ms Ghosh, who stays alone in a flat in Kolkata, made an SOS call to him. The catheter fitted on her had somehow come off, causing her extreme discomfort. It was 11 p.m.

Without wasting a single moment, the Zonal Coordinator alerted our National Alarm Centre, which, in turn, rushed off a Member Care Associate to the member’s house. The National Alarm Centre also summoned a trained nurse from a partner hospital to help the patient put on the catheter.

The Zonal Coordinator, before going on leave, had stocked up the necessary medical paraphernalia for the member in her house. He explained to his colleague and the nurse over the phone where he had kept them. The nurse fitted the catheter on the member after which she got huge relief!

Support Elders Impact: Medical emergency at any hour is our highest priority

One of our Zonal Coordinators received an early morning call from a lady, who was extremely worried about the respiratory distress of her father, Mr Nandi. The lady, who lived abroad, was in a precarious health condition herself. She wanted to sign up her father, a patient of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Zonal Coordinator rushed off to Mr Nandi’s residence and found him gasping. He took the member to his preferred hospital and admitted him under the care of his trusted pulmonologist. Mr Nandi fought against failing health for almost 10 days.

The Zonal Coordinator did his best giving constant updates to the member’s daughter, forwarding medical reports and creating an effective channel of communication between the doctors and her. Mr Nandi was discharged from the hospital and immediately put under the care of Support Elders.

Support Elders Impact: Following processes is important for us but humanity comes first

Our National Alarm Centre received an emergency alert from the smart watch of Mr Gupta, who stays with his wife, in a flat. It was raining very heavily that night.

The Member Care Associate reached the lane leading to the Guptas’ flat on his bike within 15 minutes and found it waterlogged. He parked his bike on the main road and waded through the knee-deep water to the building. Ms Gupta opened the main door of the flat. The Member Care Associate found Mr Gupta lying on the floor of the washroom and his head bleeding profusely.

The ambulance, alerted by our National Alarm Centre, reached the junction of the main road and the lane around that time. Its driver called up the Member Care Associate and refused to drive the ambulance into the waterlogged lane. The Member Care Associate persuaded him over a few minutes that the member was in a critical condition and needed immediate hospitalisation. Mr Gupta was rushed off to the emergency department of a hospital within the golden hour. The doctor, who attended to Mr Gupta, said the case could have turned serious had it got late.

The Guptas expressed their gratitude to the Member Care Associate and Support Elders.

Support Elders Impact: No situation is adverse for us in attending emergencies