Hyderabad: Mosque, HHF set up 40-bed shelter for aged & destitute

Hyderabad: With cold sweeping across the city rendering many abandoned and homeless people in lurch, a local mosque Masjid-e-Mohammedi in Attapur, in collaboration with city-based NGO, Helping Hand Foundation (HHF), has set up a 40-bed, first of its kind home and shelter, for the aged and destitute. The facility was launched by A K Khan, advisor to State government for minority affairs. He said, with life expectancy increasing and families shrinking, old age care is assuming significance. Like in the West, it is good to see civil society organisations coming forward passionately to address the needs of the senior citizens.

According the facility will have round-the-clock doctor, nursing and bedside care along with physiotherapy, dietician, support staff and 24X7 ambulance services. It will take 70 per cent geriatric cases and 30 per cent other destitute and abandoned.

"For the first time, a clinical psychologist will be part of the care to tackle mental health issues of old age patients. Many senior citizens are victims of loneliness and deprivation. The role of psychologist will be to counsel and help them fight mental stress," said Mujtaba Hasan Askari of HHF. ¬

The facility will have high standards of hygiene and sanitation and will be one of the few centres outside the government to offer free services to senior citizens, homeless and destitute regardless of their caste or faith, he added.

"An in-house kitchen under the supervision of a clinical nutritionist will provide healthy and hygienic food for residents."

In a survey done by HHF, many senior citizens suffering from chronic diseases, particularly stroke induced paralysis. For such patients treatment, along with stay, will be free.