Elder care Data for Information

8/13/2019 Elder care Data for Information

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About Epoch's home care services

HomeWho We AreAbout Epoch's Home Care Services

Epoch Elder Care provides professional at-home care for elderly Indians in India. We help theelderly age gracefully in the comfort of their own homes. We offer intellectual companionship,health monitoring and Alzheimer's &dementia care. Our services are currently available inDelhi/NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore.

To learn mo re, con tact us at [email protected]+91.124.426.2561

All individ uals are dif ferent, and w e make sure to customize our services depending

on each perso n needs and preferences. For al l cl ients, the Elder Care Special ist

prov ides focused attent ion to the elderly throu gh:

o Regular home visitso Regular phone calls to check up on our elderly clients'

wellbeingo Access to and hand holding our clients through a variety of at-

home elder care serviceso Working together with their adult children, family, friends, and

domestic staffo Every interaction is followed up by a formal e-mail report tokeep you in the loop
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Vision

Epoch Elder Care strives to be India's leading Elder Care Organization both in terms of the quality ofour care, as well as the number of elderly we serve. Epoch Elder Care also wants to take a leadershiprole in shaping an elder-friendly India through its client work and outreach programs.

ValuesRelationships

Create and celebrate fun and fulfilling relationshipsboth at work and within the elderly community

that are rooted in compassion, trust and good humor.Expertise

Be the expertsbar noneby having the sharpest understanding of elderly needs, a mastery of 360-

degree elder care, and a highly capable team that knows how to touch,nurture and dramatically raise

the quality of life of our elderly clients.Innovation

Push the boundaries of preconceived notions about the elderly; constantly use research, technology

and creativity to expand the breadth and quality of our elder-services; provide our employees an

environment of inspiration and inventiveness.Integrity

Conduct business openly, honestly and fairly at all times and treat all our stakeholders with respect

and integrity; always offer objective advice and service that is clearly in the interest of our elderly

clients.


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ategories of services:

Epoch Elder Care works with three types of elderly people, those that are inneed of:

All individuals are different, and we make sure to customize our servicesdepending on each person needs and preferences. For all clients, the ElderCare Specialist provides focused attention to the elderly through:

o Regular home visitso Regular phone calls to check up on our elderly clients'

wellbeingo Access to and hand holding our clients through a variety of at-

home elder care serviceso Working together with their adult children, family, friends, and

domestic staffo Every interaction is followed up by a formal e-mail report to

keep you in the loop

As an intellectual companion, the Elder Care Specialist performs several activities with

the elderly, including:

o Having meaningful conversationo Accompanying the elderly in going to events and outingso Reading and discussing current events and literatureo Listening to music and watching favorite videoso Discussing experiences and memorieso Playing games (e.g., Rummy, Bridge, Mahjong, Carom Board) o Developing new hobbies and re-discovering old ones (e.g., painting, knitting, cooking,gardening)

o Assisting with technology - Email, Skype, Facebooko Enabling them to use their phoneso Recording recipes and memoirs


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o Encouraging social interactiono Arts and crafts: (e.g., physical family trees, scrapbooks, clay molding)o Organizing and filing papers, music collections, photoso Discuss and plan beauty care (e.g., manicures, hair styles) o Maintain a social calendar

With the help of Epoch Elder Cares extendedteam, the Elder Care Specialist can also help theelderly person with:

o Socia l out ings (e.g. shopp ing, movies, walks) o Monthly socia l events organized by

Epoch Elder Care

f your elderly parent might require Epoch Elder Cares Health Monitor ing services i f he or she

is unw el l , has to take a com pl icated l is t of medicat ion, has recent ly been discharged from the

hospi ta l , has trouble mainta in ing personal and h ousehold hygiene, has diabetes, etc.

The Elder Care Specia l is t helps prom ote and m onitor the heal th of the elder ly person throug h:


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FAQHomeFAQ

Does Epoch Elder Care own a facility or center to render its services?

No, Epoch does not currently own a facility or a center to provide its services. We render only at-

home care in the comfort of our clients residences. Under some circumstances we have also

provided our services to people dwelling in old age homes or similar facilities with due compliance of

the authorities running the place.Where all does Epoch provide elder care services in India?

Currently, Epoch extends its facilities in and around Delhi-NCR only; as of now, we have clients in

South Delhi, East Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Dwarka, Noida and Faridabad.How often does the ECS visit the home of the elderly?

Depending upon the needs and requirements of the elderly, we tailor-make their care management program.

Typically, the ECS visits an elderly 3 times a week, for an hour each and makes at least one phone call in the

days they do not visit. However, if the need is greater, we can adapt our offering accordingly. We can increasethe frequency to 6 days a week, and the time spent to 2-3 hours a visit.

My elderly mother/father lives with family and is constantly surrounded by family, so is

there still a need for Epochs services?

Yes, although family forms an important part of your elderly mother/fathers lives, the ECS specifically

provides them with focused attention and fills in the gaps which may occur due to peoples busy lives

of today. This helps to engage them constructively in their idle time and provide them with a

confidante whom they can always trust.Do the Elder Care Specialists assist with household chores as well?

No. Our ECS are not domestic help. With masters degrees in the fields of psychology, social work

and gerontology, they are employed by Epoch as professional care managers. They can help in

organizing household help, monitoring hygiene levels and making sure all specific requirements of theelderly are being met. Click here to see the profiles of our Elder Care SpecialistsDoes Epoch provide medical support?

The ECS is NOT a trained nurse or qualified in any way to carry out any extensive medical care

procedures. The support is absolutely non-medical.Does Epoch place attendants and nurses in homes of people?

Epoch does not employ nurses, attendants and domestic help. However, we can understand that

often the elderly need these fulltime services and it is difficult to source, interview and retain

household help. We have partnerships with agencies and can help hand-hold our clients while placing

fulltime help.What if my parents are unwell right now? What if they have just been discharged from the

hospital? Do Epochs services still apply?Yes, Epochs services definitely still apply. Under such circumstances our services mainly include

health monitoring and medication management. In addition to this, we believe that companionship

becomes even more important in such situations as the process of healing gets delayed in the

absence of mental happiness and well-being.How do I get to know what is happening with my elderly under the care management plan

if I am living away from them?

Epoch follows a stringent reporting system and sends out updates to the children (or responsible

individuals) of every elderly client for every session that is held. This is followed by a detailed monthly

report consisting of progress so far and actions that need to be taken.
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How do I sign up and how much will this cost me?

To contact us you can call us at +91-124-426-2561 or email us [email protected]

our services are highly customized please contact us to find out the cost of our services for your

parent.What is the age range of your clients?

Our youngest client is 63 years and our oldest is 90 years. We have many clients who fall in betweenas well.How many elderly clients does one Elder Care Specialist manage?

One ECS takes care of 5 clients at a time. This allows them to provide the individualized care and

attention as per the client and situation.What happens in case there is an emergency?

Epoch is not an ambulatory service and does not provide emergency aid.
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First Senior

Senior Homecare Services

Utmost and respectful care of your loved elders is our

top priority. Caring for seniors is a highly specialised activity and we customise solutions for each elderly person

based upon their needs, health, family situation, culture, etc.

We provide comprehensive senior care solutions including;

Diet Monitoring & Medicine Management Nutrition assessment, checking expirations, feeding and

medications under supervision, etc.

Stimulating Awareness & Intelligent and meaningful Conversationsmaintaining the mental awareness and

intellectual stimulation of your loved ones by meaningful conversations on a wide spectrum of issues like sports,

politics, music, movies, etc.

Light Chatter and Companionshipproviding general companionship service to seniors. Includes reminiscingfamily albums, TV serials, and giving them an attentive ear to hear their opinions, monitoring TV usage, etc.

Outside Visitsassisting and accompanying to religious places, managing doctors appointments, social visits

like marriages, shopping, accompanying to lunch/dinner, etc.

Reading & Calendar ManagementAid with reading including newspapers, religious texts, managing calendar

like birthdays, anniversaries, bills management, etc.

Entertainmentproviding light in-house entertainment services including playing board games, cards, chess,

etc.

Senior Communication Solutions

Assist with emailing, online audio and video chats, writing letters, help withall kinds of communications, etc.

Airport TasksCounselling with pre-departure anxiety for overseas travel, assistance with appropriate shopping

and requirements for specific destinations, accompany to the airport, transport arrangements for departures, etc.

Family Respite ServicesCaregiving is an extremely stressful job and often the family members taking care of

their elders need breaks from caregiving in order to stay healthy themselves.

Expatriate ServicesWe have special solutions for elderly overseas expatriates visiting India for holidays or

accompanying family members and need homecare.

It is often difficult to predict the needs of your loved seniors and their needs also change as they age further. First

Seniors understands this well and our Seniorcare Specialists assess each senior individually customise a carepackage accordingly.


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Alzheimers & Dementia

Majority of the people suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer's, as well as their families

and friends, are unaware of their ailments and it becomes convenient to attribute theiractions to their age. Please do not take it casually as Alzheimer's is fast becoming a

leading cause of death.

Fall Risk Prevention and Alzheimers

Fall Risk Prevention and Alzheimers

The risk of falling is currently one of the most common threats to the health of seniors all

over the World. First Seniors provides unique Fall Risk Assessment.

A variety of factors contribute to this risk, both intrinsic and extrinsic. A momentary lapse

of balance can lead to an immediate decrease in the quality of life for seniors with

possible physical and psychological manifestations of their fall.

This recurring risk can be controlled through regular professional monitoring and we

have among our staff, experts highly trained in fall prevention techniques.

In fact our Fall Assessment is the first, one of its kind, holistic assessment of your home

and your loved ones fall risk in that environment.

Alzheimers and Dementia

Alzheimers is the most common form of Dementia and can lead to extreme memory

loss and depletion of intellectual abilities.

Majority of the people suffering from Dementia and Alzheimers, as well as their families

and friends, are unaware of their ailments and it becomes convenient to attribute their

actions to their age. Please do not take it casually as Alzheimers is fast becoming a

leading cause of death.

Watch out for the following symptoms in your loved elders;

Often forgetting basic things, or misplacing items

Rapid decrease in their judgement

Difficulty in completing even basic tasks at home

Confusion of time and place

Trouble identifying regular and close relationships or images

Problems with speech or writing


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Pain Management

Pain is that unpleasant feeling, which occurs in varying degrees of severity due to injury,

disease, or emotional disorder. Pain is often accompanied by involuntary protective

spasm of muscles, which prevents complete range of motion at the joint, and regular

movements get restricted.

We at First Seniors feel that there is nothing noble about living with pain. All it does is

debilitate your positive energies, making you unfit to function or live to your full potential.

First Seniors has the expertise to not just assist you in managing the pain but also help

you in complete restoration of movements at all joints.

Pain Management Specialists of First Seniors are well-qualified therapists who have

been trained extensively to treat various conditions of Pain and offer complete care in

the comfort of your home. We adopt a holistic approach towards managing the pain,

which includes the following;

Appropriate Assessment of Pain

Adopting international physiotherapy techniques with most modern equipment

Customised Rehabilitation regime including exercises, etc.

Quick healing to minimise any long term effects of injuries

Counseling and lifestyle coaching with focus on overall fitness

Nutrition and Diet Monitoring

Other therapies like naturopathy, acupressure, etc.

Patient Education

Consultation with your medical experts and doctors.

Maintainance of complete records of the patient

Conditions that are treated by First Seniors include all Orthopedic and Neurological

conditions. Commonly treated injuries and conditions include the following:

Back and Neck Pain

Arthritis

Sciatica

Chronic Pain

Joint Pain


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Poor Posture

Sprains & Strains

Osteoporosis

Muscle Tension & Pain

Hormonal Problems and Menopause

Sports Injuries

Post Surgical Rehabilitation

Knee & Foot Pain

Pre/Post Natal Care

Cerebral Palsy

Stroke

Parkinsons Disease

Spine Injuries

Headaches and migraines

Shoulder Pain

Specialised Home Health Care Services

First Seniors brings professional high quality Health Care to your homes as part of our

vision on how the healthcare should be dispensed in India in the future. We aim at

providing solutions for highly specialised out-of-hospital care in the comfort of your

homes. While it is not possible to deliver all treatments at home, the advances in

healthcare certainly make it possible to ensure that the patients have the right choices

available with them.

Home NursingFirst Seniors specialises in providing a high standard home nursing

care. We customize our Nursing Care packages to address various illnesses or

conditions of a patient and meet the needs of patients and their family members. Our

Nursing care specialists are trained for IV requirements, haemophilia, oncology and

pediatrics.

Cancer CareCancer patients are required to frequently visit hospitals for

chemotherapy treatment. Our team of highly specialised Oncology teams consists of

nurses, technicians, pharmacists, etc. The service consists of oral oncology and IV

cancer services. Home chemotherapy leads to huge savings and comfort for thepatients.


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Home MedicationsThis addresses the requirements of patients with specialised

frequent administration of medication. Our specialists are carefully trained to handle

difficult situations and also assist the patients in self-administration of medications and

infection control.

Continuous careFirst Seniors has inhouse expertise in providing care for

patients requiring intensive care who undergo a long recovery process,medically stable

patients with regular need for ongoing treatments,patients with degenerative disorders,

etc.

Our specialists are trained to handle neurological diseases, long term ventilation needs,

congenital disorders, spinal injuries, etc.

Early discharge or admission avoidanceA large number of patients have to go for re-

admissions to the hospitals due to failure to manage post-surgical care at home, or dueto an infection picked up in the hospital or lack of proper reporting post-discharge from

the hospital. Post discharge management in the comfort of your home could avoid these

re-admissions easily.

Our Seniorcare Specialist Care Providers

Our Seniorcare Specialists are the face of our organisation. They are the ones going intoyour homes and providing professional care. This is, by all means, the most seriously

taken issue.

Recruitment & Training

We have stringent recruitment procedures and take utmost care in the selection of our

caregivers who are already professionally qualified in various healthcare disciplines. This

is followed by thorough senior-homecare training. We have a number of Inhouse

Geriatric Experts who have devised a comprehensive training program for our

Seniorcare Specialists. Substantial amount of training is devoted to Geriatric

Counselling. Our management team devotes a considerable amount of time and

resources on this aspect.

First Seniors ensures that a strong passion for caring for others is a binding quality in all

the caregivers recruited by us. In addition to the non-medical geriatric care training, there

is a strong filtering and checking process in place to warrant the credibility of the

caregivers we hire. Our Seniorcare specialists are fully backed by a strong

administrative support establishment in place.

We have a strategic partnership with prestigious training institutes in the country andabroad for the continuous training of our caregivers and managers.


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Tell Them You Care

Are you aware of the needs of your ageing parents or grand parents ? Call us now to

discuss their specific situation and we shall help you in identifying the needs of your

senior family members.

Order & Payments

First Seniors offers a convenient way of ordering in-home senior care. We could

customise a package specific to the needs of your aging elders. You could pay in a

convenient method from any part of the world by check, bank draft, cash or credit card.

Look after your Mother, Father, or Grand Parents, Tell Them You Care

Call us Now

If calling from within IndiaToll Free number1 800 11 CARE or 1 800 11 2273

If calling from outside India - + 91 11 2667 2800

Now Call Us Toll Free from US and Canada - 1 855 MAA BAAP or 1 855 622 2227

You could also fax us at + 91 11 2668 4290

Or Send an Email [email protected]

Homecare for your EldersA Preferred Choice

There is nothing like the comfort of our own home. This fact is universally accepted and

applicable and none more so than in the case of Seniors.

While it is difficult to match a son or a daughter or any family member providing care to

their elders at home; changing lifestyles, work pressures, moving away from home for

work has led to the breakdown of the traditional support system of the families; This has

generated a growing need for professional care for seniors at their homes.

The mounting rigors of everyday life and children increasingly staying away from home,

seniors are being left wanting for proper care and companionship.

Need for Homecare

Your parents or grandparents may be feeling lonely because youve had to live in

another city or country due to your work or business. Your mother may be suffering from

serious ailments and may be forgetting her regular medications. Your father may be

retired and not be physically active anymore but would be mentally fully alive and needs

someone to talk to. Your old family members may have a lot of relatives in town but may

not be able to attend social functions like marriages, and birthdays because they needsomeone to take them to those occasions. A senior may be suffering from Alzheimers
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or Dementia and may be forgetting small things to do at home. As a daughter you may

find it important to monitor your mothers diet. As a son or a grandson, you may betoo

busy to look after small chores for your parents or grandparents like maintaining their

bank accounts, visiting post offices, or accompanying them to visit the temple or their

neighbours or even a doctor.

Improved Quality of Life

These issues can often quickly deteriorate the physical and mental health of your

parents or grandparents that further leads to avoidable illnesses and hospitalisations.

One cannot alter the ageing process but Professional Caregiving can certainly bring

about great changes in the quality of life of your senior and elderly family members and

fill their life with zest and joy. Of course, it gives you peace of mind as well in the

realisation that your senior family members are being looked after.

Choosing First Seniors home care gives your elderly loved ones greater freedom toaccept the care and removes the mental stigma associated with having been

institutionalised.


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India Health Care Services

IHHC has established standardized Care Plans based on best practice solutions from

other countries to ensure high quality care.

The First Call

Upon receiving your request, IHHCs clinically trained Operations team gathers initial

information on the patient and his/her requirement before determining which care

provider will best suit the patients needs and set an appointment for our senior staff and

the assigned nurse to make the initial visit.

The initial documentation for the EMR (electronic medical record) is created.

Initial Assessment

During the first patient visit, the Supervisor will do a thorough initial assessment of the

patient and the home environment using internationally accepted best practices.

The assessment details are uploaded into our patient portal as the first reference point

for the care at home.

Care Plan

The team draws up a personalized care plan for the patient, in conjunction with the

treating physician detailing out the specific services that will be provided. We also

involve the immediate family members in the Care Planning.

Technology

IHHC is at the forefront of technology at home. It starts with our patient portal, which

stores all collected health data and is accessible for the Patient, the family and the

treating physician. We are implementing also remote monitoring technology. This

benefits the elderly as supporting systems for an emergency can prevent that a health

threatening condition remains unnoticed. Also the chronically sick benefit, as continuous

monitoring helps them to manage their disease. Diabetes patients are already used to

the blood sugar.

Care Follow Up


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We monitor the services provided on a consistent basis through home visits by our

Quality Assurance Team and through phone calls with the patient and nurse. Any quality

related issue will be addressed immediately, as it is important to us to have a satisfied

patient.

Sheela Iyer (88) is writing a blog with recipes of dishes her children had loved when

growing up, so they and her grandchildren who now live in various parts of the world can

continue to cook these family specialties. Septuagenarian Raj is busy making a collage

of photographs of her life as a newly wed, her late husband and family holidays.


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Dementia patient Rama Rao (62) is wrapped up in caring for her five new gold fish.

Apart from the new projects that have made their lives more meaningful, these ageing

women have something else in common. All of them have a special visitor who drops in

a few times a week, chats with them, ensures they are taking their pills and encourages

them to pursue their creative endeavors. These visitors are elder care specialists (ECS)

from a new company that provides professional at-home care for senior citizens.

With a growing number of Indians moving out of home states - and sometimes the

country - to make careers, many grannies and grandpas are living alone. Even those

who live with their children are often left to their own devices. Then there are retirement

blues and health issues. Step in Epoch Eldercare and a few other organisations that go

beyond medical care and domestic assistance to offer companionship to the elderly and

make their sunset years more fulfilling.

Not surprisingly, many are hiring the services of these companies for their elders - it

could be loosely defined as parent care outsourcing. First-Seniors, an associate of a UK-

based group which started operations in India last January, is now serving 3, 000 aged

men and women in eight cities. India Home Health Care (IHHC) which launched an

elderly care service six months ago is catering to 50 seniors in Chennai and Bangalore.

Ten elders in the National Capital Region have been using Epoch's services since it was

launched last November.

Maya Care, a non-profit organisation which provides errand-based assistance - help with

bill payments, grocery shopping or assistance to visit a doctor - to elders in 10 cities,gets 25-30 requests a month.

The children of about half of Epoch's clients and 30 per cent of the elders enrolled with

FirstSeniors live abroad. The families of the rest are simply too busy to help. "In a

majority of cases, it is the children who hire the service, but some seniors who live alone

contact us themselves because they just want someone to be there for them - take them

for a walk, play chess with them, " says Emily Ruth Monica, HR manager of IHHC.

Some of the elders who use the services do suffer from dementia, depression or other

age-related ailments, but many are quite healthy and only need a friend, says KabirChaddha, who heads Epoch.

The 26-year-old economics graduate from Stanford, gave up a cushy consultancy job in

New York to launch the service. The inspiration lies in his own family's story. His parents

both of who were busy professionals had a tough time finding quality care for his

grandmother. "My nani moved in with my parents in Delhi after my nana passed away.

She needed attention 24x7 because she suffered from spinal tuberculosis and was also

depressed. My parents found it hard to manage, " he says. "We realised that unlike the

West, there are no quality home care services here. "

In the US and UK, many private companies such as Visiting Angels and Comfort


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Keepers provide long-term at-home care to elders as well as 'respite' or temporary care

for those whose children are going on vacation or business trips. The governments

there, too, provide services to elders so they don't need to leave the comfort of their

home. A study of senior citizens in the UK shows that not more than five per cent of

elders live in old age homes, mainly thanks to governmentsponsored at-home care.

Home care services abroad often include light housekeeping, some cooking and help

with bathing and using the toilet. But Indian companies do not provide such personal

assistance. The 'companions' only visit the elder at home three to four times a week for

an hour or two each time.

Apart from reminiscing about the good old days and patiently listening to stories that

make the grandchildren yawn, the specialists also give elders diet advice and help them

with medicine management. They try to fulfill the elder's social needs, too. "I will be

going out to a pizza place with Neha (an ECS) soon, " says Rao, the excitementapparent in her voice.

Clients with NRI children are shown how to use Skype and counselled on how to deal

with flight anxiety before long trips abroad. "We are the only point of contact for NRIs

whose parents live alone here. They call us often to find out how their parents are doing,

" says Chadha.

Fall risk assessment is another important part of elderly care service. The specialists

assess the elder's home - bathroom floors, stairs and lighting - and suggest steps to

"fall-proof" the house. The specialist may even make some minor on- the-spotmodifications in the home.

The caregivers are usually trained psychologists, social workers or gerontologists. They

are trained to provide basic life support.

The services may hold a lot of promise for India's growing elderly population but they

remain out of reach for the majority. Epoch charges Rs 10, 000 per month and First

Senior's services cost anywhere between Rs 10, 000 to 50, 000 a month depending on

the elder's requirements. IHHC charges Rs. 3, 500 for a week of care - 12 hours daily -

and a nurse visit.

Maya Care tries to keep its fees low - Rs 200 per errand - but it still finds that many

people who call to enquire are unable to spare this amount. Founder Manjiri Gokhale

therefore started the 'visit-a-grandparent' initiative last year. Now, any elder can simply

call and seek company free of cost. "In one case, we got to know about a blind

gentleman and visited him on our own to see if he required any help, " says Sudha

Gokhale, a volunteer.

Those who can afford regular elderly care services are glad for the help. Raj's daughter

Jyoti Bahri is among them. "My mother is much more cheerful now that her life has an

agenda. She looks forward to the visits made by Tanvi (the ECS) and eagerly tells us


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about the things they do during the meeting. She has taken up painting, too, " says the

barely talk to anyone earlier.

Bahri says she enrolled for the service because she gets to spend quality time with Raj

only on weekends - she has a hectic job, two children and both her mother-in-law and

mother live with her in Gurgaon. "I feel less guilty now, " she adds. Bahri, however, only

sees this help as a additional emotional support for her mother. "I still make it a point to

spend time with my mother and take her out, " she says.

Kabir Chadha is the CEO and founder ofEpoch Elder Care- an organisation, which is committed to

healthy ageing and provides professional at-home care for the Indian elderly. They work with three

types of elderly people: Those who are in need of intellectual companionship, health monitoring, and

Alzheimers and dementia care. Some of the facilities they provide include fall risk assessment, doctor

referrals, mental stimulation, and social support. New in India, the services that Epoch Elder Care

brings to its customers are fast catching with the older population; after all, India is a young country

with the worlds second largest elderly population. There are 100 million Indians above the age of 65

and that number is going to double by 2040.

Today, we are in conversation with Kabir Chadha, Founder of Epoch Elder Care. We will

understand from him the idea behind such a concept, issues elders face today, his organisation and

its future goals.

Mansi Kohl i . What inspired you to star t such an o rganizat ion?

Kabir Chadha.I have always wanted to start something that is not only a sound business idea but

also has real social impact. However, if you ask me to point at a person, then I will say that my

grandmother is my inspiration. She went through a medically tough time for a few years and we found

that it is very difficult to provide high quality care for an elderly person at home in India.

Today, despite being over 80 years old, she has a busy schedule. She does yoga for 1 hour every

morning, reads the newspaper religiously, takes English lessons to brush up for when her American

grandchildren (who dont speak Hindi) visit. Nani cooks up a storm in the kitchen and frequently goes

to her friends and familys home. In any given day, at least a couple people come to see her. She

travels to her hometown, Pune, every year, and manages to walk three kilometers every evening

without fail. She is currently my roommate and is a constant reminder of what it means to age

healthily, gracefully and in a fun way!

Mansi Kohl i . What kind of issues do the elder ly face in India today?

Kabir Chadh a. Before starting Epoch, I did research about the elder care market in India. There are

about five points I think are crucial, and that people I talk to often find surprising. Here goes:

India is a young country with the worlds second largest elderly population: There are 100 million

Indians above the age of 65 and that number is going to double by 2040.

The elderly have many needs, but the biggest one is that of companionship - the elderly are lonely.

Other needs include access to proper medical care, regular exercise, a healthy diet, financial stability,

spiritual wellbeing, and physical safety. However, when an elderly person stops interacting socially, it

is very difficult for their other needs to be met.


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The elderly in India want to stay at home, unlike their Western counterparts. People who are currently

in their 50s and 60s are more open to moving to retirement communities, but for those who are in

their 70s and 80s, a move is unlikely.

There is no good talent in the field other than family and domestic helpand thats where we come in.

Mansi Kohl i . What services does your organizat ion of fer?Kabir Chadha.For all clients, the Elder Care Specialist provides focused attention to the elderly by

visiting the elderly person at home and regular phone calls to check up on their wellbeing. The ECS

also provides access to a variety of at-home elder care products and services and, to ensure they

have a holistic picture, the ECS works together with their adult children, family, friends, and domestic

staff. For each type of client, Epoch Elder Care has specialized services as well. For our clients who

only require intellectual companionship, we accompany them in outings and social events. We read

and discuss current events and literature. We play stimulating games including Rummy, Scrabble and

Mahjong. We also assist with technology (e.g., Email, Skype, Facebook, and even mobile phone

usage).

For those who require health management, we also check vitals (e.g., blood pressure, blood sugar),ensure personal and environment hygiene, help the elderly manage their medication and assist with

hospital visits. For our Alzheimers and dementia care clients, we provide memory care, respite care

and caregiver training.

Mansi Kohl i . Have you go t a posi t ive response so far?

Kabir Chadha.We have had a very encouraging response so far, both from potential customers as

well as people wanting to join as Elder Care Specialists. As of now, we work with clients in South

Delhi, East Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Dwarka and Faridabad.

However, there is some resistance to the idea of having a professional taking care of an elderly

person. Traditionally in India, this is something a family member would do. But once we get into thehomes, we have little trouble retaining a customer. The biggest hurdle is going to be building an

awareness and acceptance of professional elder care services.

Mansi Kohl i . How do yo u think one can be an ef fect ive caregiver?

Kabir Chadha. An effective caregiver needs relevant soft and hard skills. At Epoch, our Elder Care

Specialists (ECS) have the soft skills: patience, empathy, creativity, and desire to work with the

elderly. They also have relevant work experience with the elderly either in a professional or personal

setting. For example, one of our Specialists worked at a Retirement Community in Australia while

another was the primary care giver for her grandmother who had Alzheimers. All are extremely well

educated (with Masters degrees in Psychology, Physiotherapy and Social Work) and are trained for

over two weeks. However the one quality that is common among every care giver is hearttheygenuinely have a soft and caring heart.

Mansi Kohl i . Where do yo u see your organizat ion go ing 5 years from now ?

Kabir Chadha. In 5 years from now, we strive to be India's leading Elder Care Organization both in

terms of the quality of our care, as well as the number of elderly we serve. Right now we provide

home care for the elderly, but we are also developing projects where we play an operator role in old

age homes and day-care centers for the elderly.

Before start ing Epoch Elder Care, Kabir work ed as a consul tant with McKins ey & Comp any in

New York, where he worked on strategic projects fo r global MNCs mainly in the f inance and

healthcare sector s.


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Business Standard: Caught in the middle

Publish Date : Jun 02, 2012

Our services include home visits, companionship and medication management as well as monthly

social events to get the elderly out of their homes and engaged with one another, says KabirChadha, a young ex-McKinsey consultant who started Epoch last year. His elder care specialists are

professionals who have masters degrees in elder care management fields like gerontology, social

work and psychology.

This article is written by Jyoti Pande Lavakare

Ive often wondered exactly when children turn into care-givers for aging parents. As medical care

improves and life expectancy goes up, more of us can expect to have our considerably older parents

around longer, which is great. But with traditional roles of family changing rapidly in India, the role of

middle-aged children as care-givers a generation sandwiched between taking care of elderly

parents and young children is also changing.

This is a conversation that transcends all geographical boundaries. What differentiates it from countryto country are the cultural issues.

For example, each time my parents have dealt with serious medical issues, theyve refuse to come to

my home, even for post-operative care. In addition to the ignominy most parents feel in being a

burden on their children, Indian parents who have no son hesitate to live in their daughters homes.

In my case, every argument that my sisters and I used to persuade them to stay in our homes, at

least until they recovered, fell upon deaf ears. The cultural barrier against living with a daughter was

too strong for them to overcome.

In the West, the elderly expect to grow old alone. Their children move out, usually after they finish

high school. This gives parents a chance to get used to the idea while they are still relatively healthy.

And depending on the country, there are enough elder care homes and retirement communities

Floridas raison detre is the elderly to take over the caregiver's role as they age. Some countrieslike the UK help the elderly age with dignity by providing care in their own homes through

government-sponsored social service networks.

In India, however, where more children are living separately than ever before, this is probably the first

generation of the elderly who are coming to terms with the fact that they may have to age alone. This

realisation is making retirement communities and privately outsourced elder-care management

companies gain greater acceptance.

Manjiri Gokhale Joshi began Maya Care in 2009, with Pune and Mumbai as its home base. Its

services include helping senior citizens visit a doctor, shop, pay bills and attend social engagements.

Another company, India Home Health Care, based out of Bangalore and Chennai, focuses on health

care and targets non-resident Indians whose elderly parents live in India. And in north India, Epoch

Elder Care, the latest to open shop, provides quality at-home elder care to provide the social supportand mental stimulation the elderly need.

Our services include home visits, companionship and medication management as well as monthly

social events to get the elderly out of their homes and engaged with one another, says Kabir

Chadha, a young ex-McKinsey consultant who started Epoch last year. His elder care specialists are

professionals who have masters degrees in elder care management fields like gerontology, social

work and psychology.

True, getting old isnt for the sissies. But its equally tough on the sandwich generation, struggling to

care for young children and ageing parents when were also dealing with mid-life crises and peaking

in their careers. In some ways, being the youngest of my siblings seems unfair. My older sisters have

had the benefit of seeing their parents young, and have taken advantage of their support. Now, they

are empty-nesters, and Im the one who has a young child as well as a 90-year old father. My sisterswant to help, but they live overseas, and my dad refuses to relocate. So by default, Ive become his


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primary caretaker, says a friend, a single mother, who prefers to remain unnamed. Its especially

hard for her to care for her father, since he prefers to live in a village in Punjab and her life is centered

in Delhi.And in addition to failing physical health, a vanishing mind and depression, greater emotional fragility

makes the elderly over-sensitive, which is why caring for them is such a challenging task.

Elder-care specialists macro-manage and supplement senior citizens needs in the NCRfrom

Facebook requirements to nani-dadi makeover parties

Article featured in Mint Lounge by Rajni George

Past lifeThe founder and CEO of Epoch Elder Care, Kabir Chadha, 26, grew up in Delhi, studied economicsat Stanford University, California, worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Co., New Yorkandthen wanted to do something different, like many of his colleagues. It was easier for me to do thejob, he says. But I decided to quit and start my own business from home.

Eureka moment

Mynani (maternal grandmother) was my inspiration, says Chadha. When he moved back to India in

April 2011, he decided to live with her in Gurgaon. Having an 83-year-old flatmate helped me realize

the many needs of an elderly person and how ill-equipped we are to deal with them here, he

remembers. Older people, I observed, were sometimes bored and lonely, and I thought they needed

proper companionship.

For, he explains, small, high-end flats in places like Gurgaon, which accommodate not more than

four-five people, mean nuclear families now often prevail. I could see thatit was now natural for older

people to be living on their own, he says. Their children were either living in the same city but not

nearby, in another Indian city, or abroad. Time had become scarce for these working children, now

with families of their own; not always on hand for a simple task such as showing their elderly relative

how to operate a new DVD player.

Epoch was born out of an attempt to meet a gap Chadha perceived: between a need for a fuller

appreciation of older peoples requirements and alifestyle where there is not always enough time to

provide personalized care.

There is a feeling that retirement communities do not usually provide a caring atmosphere for the

Indian elderly; theres a stigma attached to living in a retirement home, Chadha explains. It is

perceived that your children cannot take care of you, if you are in one. Medical care workers, he

adds, are often trained and treated as little more than maids, and cannot always provide more

sophisticated care.

This is where Epoch comes in: We are friends, surrogate grandchildren.

Genesis

When Chadha returned to the US for a few months in June 2011, he attended elder-care

conferences, spoke to doctors and his target demographic, and followed up with an elder-care

conference in Hong Kong before applying his knowledge locally.

He launched a pilot last October, then began operations in January. Business was generated through

word of mouth, and Epoch now has 20 clients, a management team of three and six elder-care

specialists (ECS), each handling three-four customers.

Services range from 3 hours per week to 3 hours daily, and charges can range from $200

(around Rs.11,200) per month for three visits to $400 for six visits per week, over a three-month term.

This includes a one-time consultation, one organized social event, two outings (including doctor visits)


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calmer, better cared-for and more responsive; and it is good for us, her family, to have an outside

view of her condition. The cost of all this is formidable: Rs 35,000 a month.

Most families cannot afford to pay so much. But they have to do something, because Alzheimers is

degenerative. It strikes people above the age of 65, and its prevalence rises with age, so that almost

a third of them will have dementia (three quarters of which is Alzheimers-related) by their mid-80s. In

the West it is one of the costliest diseases to society, but scientists still are not sure what causes it.Medicines, routine and busyness will not cure it but they do slow its progression. The aim of

Alzheimers care is, therefore, to focus on making the person happy, in the laymanlike but accurate

terms of Neha Sinha, Epochs Alzheimers specialist.

What choices do families have? Very few, so far. Dementia day care centres are scarce but, because

they are NGO-run, free or cheap. They can provide, for up to eight hours a day, supervised

stimulation and peer group interaction to patients, and relief to their families and caregivers.

* * *

One of Delhis two dementia day care centres opened in December 2011 at Panchvati, a private old-

age home in Tughlakabad Extension. The centre is staffed and run by the Alzheimers & Related

Disorders Society of India (ARDSI). A gate in a quiet lane leads to a tiny garden. In a semi-basement

opening onto the garden is the day care centre. It is a long room, lacking cross-ventilation but cheerilybright with takhats for sitting or lying on along the sides, comfortable chairs, magazines, books,

papers and games, a carrom board, a radio, a TV (turned off), four ARDSI-trained attendants and,

this afternoon, just four patients.

A retired lawyer and a former cipher expert are sitting at the carrom board, not playing but quietly

talking. The retired chartered accountant is just getting up, unsteady in one leg but looking ready for

his afternoon tea and biscuit. Apparently he was barely able to speak before he came here. Now he

speaks short sentences. An attendant, an alert young man, is with him immediately; another sits at

the carrom board. The wing commanders wife is napping, with a young woman attendant seated near

her; but then she wakes to reveal bright eyes and a crisp accent. She appears perplexed, even when

her favourite keyboard (for the weekly music therapy session) is placed in front of her.

As the company, with attendants, troops out to sit in the garden, ARDSIs execut ive director, Col V KKhanna (retd), a diminutive, kind-sounding man whose office is upstairs, says two other patients left

earlier, and one asked for two days leave. He says with a chuckle, To them, this is like a job, like

office. They take it seriously.

The schedule is simple. Soon after 9 am the taxi leaves the day care centre, with an attendant. By

10.30 it is back with the patients. The catchment area is limited because patients cannot sit in a car

for hours. Once they arrive, the day unwinds with prayers, therapeutic games, lunch, a siesta, tea and

biscuits. The taxi takes patients home by 4.30 pm. No patient is ever left alone. The attendants are

trained, among other things, to deal with incontinence and violent behaviour also symptoms of

Alzheimers.

With eight or 10 regular patients, not even this centres capacity of 20 is filled. Ive been trying to

raise this number, says Khanna. His budget is tight. We have money for only one transport, he saysso donations for transport are welcome. ARDSI does not charge patients; the centre costs Rs 28-

30 lakh a year, paid by HelpAge India.

In Mumbai, Dignity Foundation runs two dementia day care centres, in Dadar and Chembur. Together

they can accommodate 50-55 patients, and 35-40 come partly because Dignity can marshal more

vehicles and has run day care since 2004. It also has a centre each in Chennai and Kolkata. Like

ARDSI, it sends volunteers to the homes of those who call its senior citizens helpline. Like ARDSI, its

chief handicaps are lack of funding and awareness.

The daily schedule here is much the same as at ARDSI, except for animal assistance therapy, says

Neha Shah, Dignitys general manager. Rohini Fernandes of the Animal Angels Foundation brings

Buddy, a Labrador, to see the day care patients in Dadar once a week. You cant really cure

dementia, says Fernandes, a trained psychiatrist, but you can reduce its progression if you keep theperson engaged. And Buddy is a big help. A patient who may yell at an attendant is extra nice to our


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Documents

Elder care Data for Information