Old age home for 300 abandoned elderly women

"Our strenght lies in our resilience"

Dear Maitri Friend,

Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on older people. The pandemic has left human race with anxiety, uncertainty and a fear of what’s coming next. It has disrupted lives and is challenging the survival and well being of human beings, especially of the vulnerable. Many elderly who have had a difficult life -- facing abuse and violence from their own family members and society -- but trying to cope up with the trauma of being highly vulnerable to COVID-19 has proved to be another turning point in their lives. We have taken extreme measures to protect the elderly residents from Covid-19 since the elderly are especially susceptible to infection. While ensuring care and warmth for our widow mothers has ensured good healthy nutrition on a daily basis with seasonal fruits, milk and supplements as required we had restricted the entry of all external visitors & outsiders. With the Widow Mothers (Mayiyas) and staff in self-quarantine since mid of March 2020 its almost a year they have spent in quarantine and with their movements being restricted. It has been a challenge to keep the mothers inside in an institutional setting; nonetheless it was required for their safety.

As the elderly population is susceptible to contracting a severe form of Covid-19 because most of them suffer from comorbidities underlying conditions like diabetes and lung diseases, we have taken several steps to avoid the spread of the infection.

a) Vaccination:

During this time of crisis, Maitri has ensured that all elderly widow mothers receive the maximum care and their health is monitored regularly. You will be happy to know that we have started the vaccination process and the mothers are getting vaccinated everyday in a group of 25.  Our staff ensured that the elderly mothers who are old enough to travel have the necessary support and assistance. 

b) No external entries:

To ensure utmost safety when the food services were halted, there was a highly selective vendor-picking process for food, weekly sanitization of the building, no outside food was allowed and the residents were not allowed to leave their rooms at the height of the lockdown.

Due to the remoteness of the place and the geographical location, it was difficult to ensure mobility of the staff and, therefore, during the lockdown the facility was functioning with a skeletal staff and the staff stayed inside the ashram with the widow mothers. 

c) Prioritizing their nutrition intake and physical activity:

Maitri provides elderly widows with nutritious meals, fruit & milk, regular health check ups, facilitation of health camps and activities like yoga, and emotional & mental therapies. Our team ensured that the mothers are following a nutritional diet and a healthy routine. They engaged in regular Yoga and Reiki. They were following breath medication and "Dhyan yoga” on their own, that they learnt during group therapies facilitated by us.

The team also ensured that they would continue taking strolls and morning walks in the garden. While most humans have the COVID fatigue, widows at the MaitriGhar widow ashram, every morning, to the sound of Bhakti Sangeet, kirtan do yoga and walk in the small little garden we have. From giving triphala and hot water with basil drops to doctors visits to chanting, our widow mothers are engaged in keeping their mental and physical health and wellbeing intact in the lockdown

d) Taking care of emotional and mental well being needs:

The pandemic has an adverse effect on the emotional and mental health of mothers developing mental health and anxiety-related problems, which is why our staff ensured that receive regular emotional and counseling sessions. They paid attention to the thoughts and concerns of elderly and were alert for any cognitive difficulties they might be facing like being anxious, angry, stressed, agitated or withdrawn or any condition that required an intervention

e) Keeping them engaged indoors &Enjoying recreational activities together:

The mothers were always engaged in recreational activities such as playing carom board, ludo, yoga, Reiki, watching TV, art sessions etc.

During the quarter the mothers celebrated all festivals like Raksha Bandhan and Diwali and observed Independence Day and Republic Day inside the ashram with the staff. The celebrations were minimal with no external visitors.

While many places in Vrindavan and Radhakund have been impacted and sealed during COVID, we have witnessed a sharp rise in the number of widows who do not stay in Maitrighar but come to our ashram for fruit & milk, medicines, meals and other services. We have ensured that everyone always wears a mask and adheres to social distancing.

In addition to all the steps taken by our team, we ensured that all activities continue and we create a positive environment by keeping calm, sharing stories and activities, and revisiting old memories and life experiences. Our mothers and team spend some quality time with each other. The wisdom, strength and resilience of our elderly mothers coupled with the dedication and care of our team members has helped us to successfully stave off the pandemic. While there are still many challenges, but we look forward to the year with new hope and gratitude.

Their faith has brought us so far; your support will take us further. 

Your support during this time of crisis forms the backbone of our elderly care programme. Never before has it been so important to know that we are all in this together. We sincerely hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. We want to assure you that despite all challenges, all activities will continue to keep the mothers safe and healthy.

Thank you.

"Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly and most underrated agent of human change. In this world, where you can be anything, be kind."

Dear Maitri Friend,

 We hope all is well and you are keeping safe during these unprecedented times.  The Covid pandemic has created an unusual circumstance in the world history and the wide-ranging consequences of the pandemic and the lockdown have started to emerge To ensure utmost safety at MaitriGhar, there were restrictions on entry of all external visitors & outsiders, the Widow Mothers (Mayiyas) and staff in self-quarantine since mid of March, highly selective vendor-picking process for fruits and other essentials, sanitization of food delivery vehicles, sanitization of the building. To ensure that no one is at risk of the disease, the staff stayed in the Old Age Home. All safety precautions were taken and staff were equipped with masks, and sanitizers. MaitriGhar while ensuring care and warmth for our widow mothers, has ensured good healthy nutrition on a daily basis with seasonal fruits, milk and supplements as required. Health Check ups and camps were facilitated following all safety protocols. In the month of August , everyone in the home (both elderly residents and staff team) were tested for the first time (Rapid testing and RTPCR testing) and all tested negative.

 While the pandemic has brought new set of challenges, for elderly mothers residing in Maitrighar, life coping skills becomes difficult every day. This involves reorienting themselves to a new lifestyle routine fraught with new risks, while adhering to a new healthy norm. Wearing masks and constantly practicing safety measures, and while not letting go things that are essential to their daily routine like good health & nutrition, physical activities, and prayers has been a constant struggle. Our staff reminds them regularly about the risks of the disease. Counselling the elderly mothers to understand the criticality to cocoon them during the pandemic while respecting their sense of choice and dignity, in an institutional setting, has been a big challenge. For mothers who have come to this place and with the sole purpose of spending their last days in devotion to Lord Krishna, or the ones who are habituated to go to the Bhajjan Ashram, and the ones struggling with loneliness and isolation find it more difficult when their movements are restricted.  We have conducted regular health camps and counselling sessions addressed towards health and hygiene practices, anxiety and stress related problems due to the pandemic.  Additionally, we organised role play sessions to familiarise them with the ‘new normal,’ and prepare the staff  for any unforeseen eventuality. While working for 24 hours in the ashram, the team has been providing emotional care and support to the mothers since the lockdown and subsequently. They spent time in reading religious scriptures, singing bhajans. They also practice breathing exercises and dhyan yog ( sleep medication). They watch shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat .  

Our staff has ensured their physical activities aren’t hampered. They encourage the mothers for daily evening walk within the premises of the ashram while  they wear masks, maintain distance or walk one at a time in turns. the staff in the Shelter Home have been working unabated, ensuring the all residents have all the support and supplies that they need. Our team have been giving motivational talks and sessions every day, along with regular yoga and meditation . Yoga being one of the best forms of physical, mental and spiritual practice is best suited for this quarantine period. With breathing and meditation, it takes cares of their body, mind and soul. One of the resident mothers, 99 years old, advices others to follow her, as she practices yoga.  During these times of anxiety and stress, Yoga helps her to maintain a steady state of mind.  She smiles as she explains the benefits of being healthy to other inmates.

 Access to health care and medical services continues to be a big challenge. Most of the members have other comorbid conditions that puts them at a higher risk. With increasing cases in Vrindavan and Radhakund, and some ashrams being sealed by district suthorities, hospitals visit and treatments has high risks for the elderly. The mothers who are diabetic and who were prescribed medication 6 months ago require a change in medication or treatments and other essential consultations. This has an adverse impact on the progress of their health.  Providing affordable geriatric care and mental health cost of this crisis will play out in the years to come. Vrindavan being a hotspot for tourists and a religious hub attracts both national and international crowd. So we have to extremely careful for the safety of the mothers. 

In this quarter we have observe the 74th Independence Day in our homes, with celebrations and decorations. The mothers offered their gratitude to all caretakers. We also celebrated Raksha Bandhan, where they tied rakhis to team members. Their prayers and faith have brought us so far. Your support will take us further.

Elderly mothers are  adapting to lockdowns and social distancing while transitioning toward an era of permanent changes in the way they live. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we continue all our activities, as we learn and embrace a new way of life.  The world is presently knee-deep in uncharted waters, and the only way to move forward is to embrace what can only be called, the new normal and none of this would have been possible without you. Thank you for being our pillar of strength! With your precious support, we have been and we will be able to translate Maitri’s commitment into a meaningful change. During these unexpected and unprecedented times when we do not know of the new challenges ahead us, we are hopeful because never before has it been so important to know that we are all in this together.   We sincerely hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.

We want to assure you that we will continue to keep the mothers safe and healthy.

With Gratitude