Introduction
From 2010–2017, Console Mission worked with 15 elderly homes across Nepal, witnessing widespread loneliness, inactivity, and emotional neglect. In 2018, a threemonth psychosocial care pilot at Himalaya Bridha Ashram showed how structured engagement brought visible happiness to elderly residents. Building on this learning, we visited the Ashram again to understand their current needs and explore how playful spaces can revive memory, movement, and dignity.
Observations During the Visit
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Loneliness & Isolation: Many residents, especially elderly women, expressed feelings of being forgotten.
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Limited Mobility: Daily routines lacked stimulating physical activity, leading to stiffness and reduced confidence.
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Emotional Neglect: Without regular psychosocial engagement, residents struggled with motivation and joy.
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Positive Response to Play: Even small activities—storytelling circles, gentle ball games, and music—sparked laughter and connection.
Identified Needs
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A dedicated playroom with indoor and outdoor games to encourage memory and mobility.
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Psychosocial facilitation to guide activities and sustain emotional wellbeing.
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Community engagement with youth and women’s groups to foster intergenerational bonding.
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Monitoring and evaluation to track improvements in memory, mobility, and emotional health.
Conclusion of Interaction with Shelter Homes
Our visit confirmed that elderly residents—whether living with or without chronic diseases—require differentiated care approaches based on age and health conditions. Building trust and relationships with shelter homes will take time before full project implementation.
Decision Taken:
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Two wooden carrom boards (24inch and 30inch sizes) will be provided, costing GBP 30 and GBP 35 respectively.
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We have already raised GBP 32, which helped leverage contributions from founder members.
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Console Mission now needs to raise an additional GBP 70 to meet this specific need.
Why Wooden Carrom Boards?
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Inclusive Play: Carrom allows four people to play together at once, encouraging social bonding and reducing isolation.
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Cognitive & Motor Skills: It is a hand–eye coordination game requiring calculation of speed and force, stimulating memory, focus, and dexterity.
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Accessibility: Carrom can be played sitting on the floor, making it suitable for elderly residents with limited mobility.
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Practicality: Wooden boards are durable, easy to source from the local market, and can be delivered directly to the respective old age home.
This step demonstrates how playful spaces can restore dignity, memory, and movement for elderly residents, while strengthening collaboration with shelter homes for future psychosocial initiatives.
Next Steps
With just GBP 70 more, we can complete this immediate need and deliver the carrom boards to the Ashram. This small investment will create joyful, interactive spaces that reduce isolation and improve cognitive and physical wellbeing. As relationships with shelter homes deepen, Console Mission will expand psychosocial playrooms into a replicable model for elder care across Nepal.
