There is a particular kind of loneliness that belongs to old age — especially when it arrives alongside poverty, illness, or the absence of family. It is the loneliness of being invisible; of days that pass without a single person calling your name with recognition or warmth.
The elderly men and women who come to Aasamant Snehalaya have often lived this loneliness for months or years before finding their way to us. Some have been abandoned by adult children unable or unwilling to care for them. Some have outlived their families entirely. Some have spent time on the streets, surviving on whatever they could find.
Our elder care programme exists because we believe that the end of a life deserves the same dignity as its beginning.
Who We Serve
The elderly individuals in our care are predominantly from marginalised communities in and around Wardha district. Many have no income, no pension, and no access to government welfare schemes. Some carry significant health burdens — chronic illness, post-surgical recovery needs, mobility limitations, or early-stage cognitive decline.
All of them have one thing in common: before Aasamant Snehalaya, there was no one looking out for them.
What Our Care Looks Like
Residential care at Aasamant Snehalaya provides elderly individuals with a safe place to live, three nutritious meals per day, access to healthcare, and — perhaps most importantly — consistent human contact and community.
Our staff are trained not only in the practical aspects of elder care, but in the relational dimensions that matter just as much. Residents are addressed respectfully, involved in decisions about their daily routines, and supported to maintain whatever independence they are able to exercise.
Healthcare coordination is a significant component of our elder care work. We facilitate access to government health services, accompany residents to specialist appointments, and coordinate with medical professionals for residents with complex or chronic health needs. Over the past decade, we have facilitated more than 250 medical treatments — including surgeries — for residents who would otherwise have had no access to care.
The Moments That Define the Work
One of our long-term residents, a man in his late seventies who came to us after being found near a railway station, spent his first weeks at the facility largely silent. He ate, he slept, he sat in the sun in the courtyard. He did not speak much to anyone.
Gradually, over months, he began to participate. He joined the morning prayer group. He began talking to the younger staff. He started teaching a few of the children how to play carrom.
When asked what had changed for him, he said simply: “I stopped waiting to die.”
That is what dignity does. It restores the will to continue.
Supporting Our Elder Care Work
The costs of residential elder care are ongoing and significant. Monthly support for a single elderly resident covers accommodation, food, healthcare coordination, and staffing. Donors who wish to contribute can do so on a one-time or recurring basis.
We also welcome volunteers with skills in healthcare, counselling, physiotherapy, or simply the willingness to spend time with our residents — listening, playing games, or accompanying them to appointments.
Old age should not mean abandonment. Help us make sure it does not.