Though our members, Mr and Ms Basu, took passport renewal interview appointments online with Passport Seva Kendra (PSK), Kolkata, for the same day, yet the PSK allotted them separate time slots.

Though our members, Mr and Ms Basu, took passport renewal interview appointments online with Passport Seva Kendra (PSK), Kolkata, for the same day, yet the PSK allotted them separate time slots.

A Member Care Associate accompanied the couple to the PSK on the scheduled date and seated them in the waiting lounge. But the electronic board displayed that they would be interviewed at separate counters and time slots. It was a tricky situation because it implied that the Member Care Associate would have to queue up on behalf of the couple at two separate counters during the afternoon rush hour. Else, one member would miss the interview, leading to unnecessary harassment.

The Member Care Associate, an ex-serviceman, managed the difficult situation with considerable tact, running up and down between the two counters, located far apart, and persuading PSK officers and other interviewees to let Mr and Ms Basu advance in queue. By the end of the day, both Mr and Ms Basu completed their respective passport renewal interviews smoothly.

The couple lauded the efforts of the Member Care Associate and were happy to have enrolled as members of Support Elders.

Support Elders Impact: Smooth experience ensured for our members, no matter what

Wing Commander Mukherjee was due for an audiometry evaluation for the past five months. However, the necessary tests kept getting deferred. Finally, a Member Care Associate escorted the Mukherjee couple to Command Hospital. At 90, the member suffers from orthopaedic problems in his spine and legs because of which he cannot walk long distances. His hearing difficulty poses another challenge for him.

On reaching the hospital, our staff realised that the stairs to the ENT department were closer for Wng Cdr Mukherjee than reaching the elevator. Supporting Wng Cdr Mukherjee carefully, the Member Care Associate took him upstairs with considerable effort. He made the couple sit in the waiting lobby and went in search of the audiometry room.

The Member Care Associate located the room at the other end of the floor. There, the technician was busy examining another patient. So, the Member Care Associate requested him to carry his instruments to a room closer to where the Wng Cdr was sitting and test him there. The technician refused, citing protocol. The Member Care Associate offered to get permission for the shift. But the technician was adamant.

Finally, the Member Care Associate was forced to reveal that he was an ex-army paramedic with 20 years of experience and was well-conversant with the operations at the defence hospital. That made the technician relent. The Mukherjees were very thankful that they did not have to walk across the sprawling floor.

During the hearing test, the Member Care Associate facilitated the Wng Cdr’s conversation with his son over the phone. Testing over, he escorted the member downstairs with utmost care and seated him in the car.

Ms Mukherjee remarked that had it not been for Support Elders, she could not have taken her husband for the long overdue audiometry test without which he could not get a hearing aid.

Support Elders Impact: Ensuring hassle-free hospital visit for member

Ms Mukherjee lives in a flat in a housing society on the southern fringes of Kolkata. She tries to live as best as she can, given her age and delicate health. Living within her limited means, she did not hire a cook to prepare her meals. Thus, every night, she was much dependent on the building security guard to fetch her dinner from nearby eateries. Unfortunately for her, there would be days the guard would ignore her calls, forcing Ms Mukherjee to skip dinner and make do with a glass of water. That she was hard of hearing only made things worse.

Support Elders came into Ms Mukherjee’s life around that time. The caring staff started taking good care of her and even fixed a food delivery centre, which would regularly supply her dinner.

Once when Ms Mukherjee had to go on a short trip, she sent instructions to the food delivery centre to suspend her delivery service for a few days. After she came back, she suddenly realised that there was no food at home and that she had forgotten to intimate the food delivery centre to resume their service.

Ms Mukherjee, who isn’t very comfortable with the mobile phone, became nervous and did not know what to do or whom to call. She felt helpless and hassled. Thankfully for her, the Support Elders National Alarm Centre called to check on her as part of their routine daily call. Ms Mukherjee told our staff member of her predicament. The staff member listened to her problem and calmed her down, saying that Support Elders will take care of the situation. In a while, a Support Elders staff member landed up at her doorstep with steaming hot dinner.

Support Elders Impact: Service with thought

The elderly Ms Guha was weighed down by her dementia and other health complications and living alone in a Salt Lake flat. Support Elders had been taking care of her health and finances.

One evening, the caregiver alerted Support Elders on finding Ms Guha lying unconscious on the washroom floor. A Member Care Associate arrived and rushed her off to hospital. Tests and scan revealed a haemorrhage and blood clot. Doctors operated on her and took out a part of her skull before replacing it during another surgery two weeks later.

In the intervening period, Ms Guha was released from hospital. Support Elders staff paid her daily visits and kept Ms Guha’s son, staying away, informed. She recovered and came back home. But her dementia got worse.

Once Support Elders got an anxious call from her son on his return from Kolkata. He had left Rs 10,000 with Ms Guha. But two days later, Ms Guha told him that she had hardly any money.

Immediately, our care manager rushed to Ms Guha and found Rs 2,000 with her, unable to recall anything about the additional money. She could just remember visiting the grocer. On inquiry, it was found that Ms Guha had paid the grocer currency notes of high denomination against purchase of a few grocery items but had left without taking back the change. Support Elders got the refund for her and informed the son, much to his relief.

Support Elders Impact: We live up to your trust in us