A home away from home for aged

For people residing in old age homes after being abandoned by their children, the Safia Old Age Home located on the city outskirts, is a home away from home and an abode where the aged can live their life with utmost care and respect.

Formed almost 11 years ago in 2009 in a densely populated slum neibhourhood of Hassannagar on the city outskirts, this old age home is a safe abode for misery stricken senior citizens whom there is no one to take care; not even their own families.

Dr Syed Ghouse Mohiuddin Qutubullah Quadri known as Dr Quari in the area is the Chairman of Shifaullah Nursing Home & Old Age Home. This facility has a total 18 staff members with 15 females and 3 males. Also, Dr Quadri's wife helps in preparing food three times a day for almost 100 inmates.

Going through the plight of old age people in senility during practice in his own nursing home at Hassannagar, Dr.Quadri soon realised the necessity of a home for senior citizens and turned his hospital into an old age home facility to accommodate people who were abandoned by their own families and relatives due to disability and senility related issues.

"Eleven years for now and I still feel privileged to serve these people whom I feel are like my own parents. With just a slightest sense of empathy and compassion we could give them solace and relief. No one to talk with is the coping pain they always carry in their heart. Listening to them talking is the best way to show them they remain important to us, like the way we were raised compassionately long ago at a tender age," said Dr Quadri.

Families, he said, themselves drop their parents here or come forward to bear their expenses only after their elders are found deserted on roads or abandoned places. I even counseled the family members and explained the importance of parents. Nevertheless, some people avoid taking their parents with them. They want me to take care of their parents to which they even offer to bear the expenses in return."

"We can't simply hand them over to tender mercies of circumstances," quoted Dr Quadri, saying that, "People often call me to inform about old age people lying on roads unconsciously or living on footpaths or colonies in miserable state." I admit them into my facility and start treating them as a family member. Being a medical practitioner, I take care of their health and wellbeing in order to make them feel propinquity here as if they are living in their own home with children," he explained.

Eleven years for now and I still feel privileged to serve these people whom I feel are like my own parents. With just a slightest sense of empathy and compassion we could give them solace and relief. -Dr Quadri