Mind & Mood: Games for Elderly Well-being

Project Report: Mind & Mood – Games for Elderly Well-being

Background

Console Mission (CoMi) was founded by retired professionals from mission hospitals, health, and community services. From 2010 to 2017, CoMi strengthened elderly home services by training managers, workers, and volunteers in hygiene, counseling, nutrition, and other essential topics. By 2014, CoMi was recognized as an NGO dedicated to elderly care, connecting with NGOs and INGOs that maintained lists of elderly homes across Nepal. Using Social Welfare Council data, CoMi conducted pre-training visits, tailored training to identified issues, and followed up with post-training visits to ensure impact.

Challenge

Loneliness, inactivity, and emotional neglect remain widespread in elderly homes. CoMi’s earlier work with 15 homes revealed the urgent need for psychosocial engagement. A 2018 pilot with a psychosocial care specialist at Himalaya Bridha Ashram demonstrated how structured activities could bring visible happiness and dignity to residents.

Current Project

Through the “Mind & Mood: Games for Elderly Well-being” initiative, CoMi is creating playful spaces filled with indoor and outdoor games that spark memory, movement, and laughter. This model combats isolation and uplifts spirits, setting an inspiring example for elder care across Nepal. The project supports SDG 3 by promoting mental health and well-being, starting with 30–40 seniors in one home and aiming to replicate the model nationwide.

Recent Activities

• Engagement with elderly homes to assess psychosocial needs.
• Development of a lively playroom concept with games for memory, mobility, and social bonding.
• Mobilization of resources to provide joy and cognitive engagement, especially for women who often face neglect.
• Work initiated on safeguarding policy specifically focusing on elderly homes, ensuring dignity, protection, and accountability in care practices.

Planning Ahead

CoMi is preparing to visit Manav Sewa Ashram in Dhapakhel, Lalitpur Metropolitan City. The Board of Directors will lead the visit:

• Chairperson Ms. Sarita Tamang – Health Professional
• Member Mr. Nagendra Kumar – Police Officer
• Secretary Mr. Labez Maharjan – Humanities and spiritual focus

Tasks for the visit:

• Understand the Ashram’s operations and beneficiary circumstances.
• Assess physical and mental health conditions of residents.
• Provide toothbrushes and toothpaste for hygiene.
• Distribute drawing copies and colors to encourage creativity and emotional expression.

Plan for This Year

• Continue visiting Manav Sewa Ashram regularly.
• Address emerging needs of residents through tailored support.
• Strengthen psychosocial engagement by combining health, creativity, and play.
• Advance safeguarding policy development and implementation across elderly homes.

Long-Term Impact

By integrating health training, psychosocial play, creative activities, and safeguarding frameworks, CoMi aims to foster dignity, connection, and sustained mental health among Nepal’s aging communities. This replicable model will inspire broader transformation in elder care across the country.

Conclusion

CoMi’s journey from 2010 to 2017 laid a strong foundation in elderly care through health-focused training and management support. Today, that integrated perspective continues to guide its work—ensuring quality services that combine health, psychosocial well-being, and safeguarding for elderly homes across Nepal.

• 20260227_Project_Report.docx (DOCX)

Project Report: When Elders Laugh, Communities Heal

Reporting Period: July–October 2025
Submitted by: Console Mission Nepal

1. Gratitude and Progress

Thank you for standing with us as we continue to restore dignity, joy, and emotional well-being to Nepal’s elders. This quarter, Console Mission expanded its outreach to two village communities, directly engaging 18 elders aged 65 and above through awareness sessions, mind and mood games, and guidance on accessing government-provided age benefits.

These sessions helped elders understand their rights, begin documentation processes, and reconnect with their communities through play and storytelling.

2. Impact Highlights

• Conducted 4 awareness sessions across two villages, reaching 18 elders and their caregivers
• Distributed visual guides explaining how to access senior citizen allowances, health cards, and ward-level support
• Supported 9 elders in beginning the process of securing their senior citizen ID and monthly allowance
• Facilitated game circles after each session, helping elders laugh, share stories, and build trust
• One participant, Baje Ram, shared:
  “I didn’t know I could get support. Now I feel seen. I will tell my neighbors too.”

3. Addressing Urgent Risks: Age Verification and Elder Neglect

One of the most pressing challenges we’ve identified is the lack of proof of age among elders who qualify for government benefits. Many seniors hold citizenship cards or IDs that do not reflect their actual age—often due to late registration or documentation errors. This prevents them from accessing the senior citizen allowance and other entitlements.

According to Tika Vhairab Police, some elders are also pressured to transfer property to family members and then left uncared for—effectively homeless despite legal ownership. Console Mission is responding by:

• Coordinating with ward offices and police units to identify elders at risk and advocate for document correction or alternative verification pathways
• Developing visual guides and legal literacy modules to help elders understand their rights and navigate documentation challenges
• Documenting cases of exclusion and exploitation to support policy reform and community accountability

This is not just a bureaucratic issue—it’s a form of structural violence. We are committed to addressing it with empathy, clarity, and action.

4. New Initiative: Studying Recreational Needs

With the support of current and upcoming donations, Console Mission will begin a needs assessment study across three rural municipalities—Bagmati, Konjyosom, and Mahankal—to explore the feasibility and design of dedicated recreational spaces for elders.

This study will:

• Engage elders, families, and ward officials in participatory planning
• Identify safe, accessible locations for future recreational hubs
• Explore low-cost, culturally relevant activities that promote emotional and physical well-being
• Lay the groundwork for a replicable model of elder-friendly community spaces

5. Strengthening Advocacy Through Global Alliances

Console Mission is proud to be a member of GAROP (Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People)—a global network committed to advancing the rights and dignity of older persons. This membership connects our local work to international movements for elder justice and inclusion.

Through GAROP, we align with the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing, contribute to global campaigns like Age With Rights, and amplify the voices of Nepal’s elders in policy dialogues. Our fieldwork—whether it’s documenting property-related exploitation, supporting age verification, or creating joyful recreational spaces—is now part of a broader push for systemic change.

This alliance reinforces our belief:
When elders laugh, communities heal.
When elders are heard, systems change.

6. Funding Needs and Expansion Goals

To expand our outreach and complete the recreational space study, we aim to raise $2,800 by January 2026. This will cover:

• Travel and facilitation costs across 18 wards
• Printing of updated guides on benefit access and property rights
• Coordination with ward offices and police for elder protection
• Research tools and community engagement for the recreational space study

7. Looking Ahead

In the next quarter, we will:

• Partner with local police units across 18 wards in Bagmati, Konjyosom, and Mahankal to identify and support vulnerable elders
• Launch a mobile documentation and legal literacy unit
• Begin the recreational space needs assessment with community input
• Host ward-level dialogues to improve responsiveness to elder needs
• Document stories of elders who’ve successfully accessed benefits and reclaimed dignity

We believe that when elders laugh, communities heal. And when they access their rights and spaces to thrive, they lead with wisdom and pride. Thank you for helping us make this possible.