If there are elderly people in Delhi, who wish to have a similar service, they are encouraged to contact me. I can arrange an annual full body check-up, weekly phone calls and monthly visits by a Physician (MBBS) and Psychiatrist (if required). We will also co- ordinate health care between health professionals, esp specialists (who often have telescopic vision looking only at issues related to their specialty) and provide written reports via email to a family member (if the index person i.e. gives us his/her consent) The barrier here will be cost as people are unlikely to pay Rs 11000/- per annum per person.
Maneesh Gupta (0)9873887737 On Sep 11, 7:57 pm, Vaishnavi Jayakumar <[email protected]> wrote: > Checking up on the elderly > > At the age of 75, Ramakant Narayan's aspirations in life have been largely > fulfilled - his children live abroad and his late wife had a wonderful life. > Once an energetic and playful man, he is now a diabetic, with a urinary > track infection and suffers from dementia. His children make regular phone > calls, but there isn't anyone to care for him. This is where Dr Kusum > Doshi's At-Home Medicare Services comes into play. > > Located at Vile Parle, a Mumbai suburb, Dr Doshi's At-Home Medicare Services > is a small and welcoming practice. Its aim is to ensure proper care for > elders - from medical check-ups to supervising their daily medicines and > mental well-being, in the comfort of their homes. The services include > monthly house-calls by doctors for consultation, weekly monitoring calls, > repeat tests and home delivery of medicines. > > "We believe that mental health is as important as physical health and > facilitate the care of both", says Dr Doshi. While mental health is provided > through support and communication, physical health is cared for by doctor's > visits, facilitating medical tests, consultations and medicines. > > But why did a 60+ woman start this service? When Dr Doshi's brother passed > away 10 years ago, his wife struggled to cope with his death and went into > serious depression. So much so that she has to be force-fed through a tube > to keep her alive. "It was then that I realised the need to set up a clinic > to care for the elderly," says Dr Doshi. So, in 2004, she studied geriatric > care at the Indian Medical Association and on the fifth day of Navratri her > At-Home Medicare Services was launched. > > Issues with senior citizens' health are usually stress-related and triggered > by lack of financial support and insurance. The consequences are neglect of > health, loneliness and depression. Despite the obvious need for such care, > Dr Doshi struggled to find patients for the first two years. She visited > yoga ashrams and elder-care centres to propagate her At-Home Medicare > Services. She got her first patient in 2007 after which news spread and she > has 50 patients today. > > At-Home Medicare Services charges an annual fee of Rs10,000 which includes a > yearly full-body check-up, weekly calls and monthly visits by doctors. > Services under this plan are currently available between Bandra and Andheri > in Mumbai and can be extended to other parts of the city on payment of > additional conveyance. The service has tie-ups with pathological > laboratories, specialist doctors, nurses and chemists. Blood, urine and > stools tests are done at home and it even helps organise full-time nursing > care. > > At-Home Medicare is a for-profit entity but operates like a social > organisation and even offers emotional support to elders. "Otherwise it > leads to anxiety and depression and to Alzheimer's and dementia," says Dr > Doshi. She encourages patients to take up hobbies to keep their mind alert. > She also organises monthly outings and other activities. > > Dr Doshi's core team comprises two teenage volunteers and her driver. The > girls simply call members, chat with them and remind them to take their > medicine. "At their age, most members are lonely and need to talk to > someone," says Dr Doshi. She has requests to set up branches across Mumbai, > especially at Worli, Kandivali and Ghatkopar, but can do it only if she has > more volunteers. "I believe that you need one doctor for 50 patients," says > Dr Doshi. Moreover, volunteers and doctors need to have done geriatric > medicine to be a part of this effort. > > Any person in India or abroad can subscribe to or sponsor this service to > benefit a relative, friend or stranger. These are the details: > > At-Home Medicare Services > > Dr Kusum Doshi's Polyclinic, 1, Ankita Apts, Nehru Road, > Vile Parle (E), Mumbai 400 057 > Tel: (+91) 22 2614 1334 > Email: [email protected] > Website:www.at-homemedicare.com > > http://www.moneylife.in/article/78/8949.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
