Sri Om Care specialises in cultural specific care for Indian elders

 

By Vijay Badhwar

Sri Om Care announced ramping up its services for aged care to a new level at a briefing session that included variety entertainment and dinner held on 18 March at the Parravilla Function centre in Parramatta.

From providing care to only a few seniors seven years ago, Sri Om Care now holds regular sessions for more than 400 seniors at its six centres in Sydney. Its director, Ms Vidya Raghavan, announced that they had purchased a six-acre property near Lithgow where it is proposed to build 20 self-contained units for short-term respite for Indian seniors.

Project Prathama launched in 2012 was an initiative to provide elderly people of Indian background a sensitive aged care services specific to their cultural, spiritual, dietary and linguistic needs. It recognized that cultural specific care was very vital for elders as their food, music, special cultural celebrations and language provided them great comfort and confirmed their individual identity.

Now the six centres are always packed with Indian seniors as well as activities that range from yoga to singing songs and sharing stories, thanks to the dedicated volunteers who run a structured programme that keeps the seniors look forward to the next session.

Srini Vasudevan gave a detailed presentation of the activities and the road map to increasing support services specific to the Indian community. The construction of 20 self-contained units needs initial funds of approximately 1.5 million dollars, which was the cost of a suburban house, he said. It was a small amount but the project could be completed through a dedicated support of volunteers which they had, Srini said.

Sri Om Adi  Sakthiyaendra Swamigal is the driving force behind the concept that is based on a simple philosophy he reiterated on the evening ”“ Humanity leads divinity; Divinity leads to unity.

The variety entertainment included classical dances, Garba and Bhangra, followed by distribution of awards to people who had contributed to the immense success of Sri Om Care.

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