Republic Day celebration at Nightingale’s Centre for Ageing and Alzheimer’s (NCAA) was nothing short of ‘special’.
Republic Day celebration at Nightingale’s Centre for Ageing and Alzheimer’s (NCAA) was nothing short of ‘special’.
In a noble gesture, hearing impaired volunteers — 15 from Enable India and seven from iVolunteer — came together to celebrate the occasion with the elderly at the centre.
The enthusiasm in these special volunteers was evident; the elderly inmates of NCAA were pampered, looked after and taken care of. Sundharam (name changed), the oldest patient at the centre at 96, hoisted the National Flag.
Most of the patients at the centre are at various stages of dementia either because of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, vascular dementia or one of the many other types of dementia.
A satisfied John Naveen, a hearing impaired volunteer, said, “I wondered why we couldn’t do something to help others when there were so many coming out to help us.”
The special volunteers, along with others, have received special training from iVolunteer. The programme enables hearing-impaired individuals to integrate into the society through interactive programmes.
“By being in a mixed group, we interact with each other and learn that we are not so different that we cannot live together. It is a learning experience,” said Naveen.
Speaking about his experience at the event, Naveen said the inmates at NCAA were initially quiet but jelled well with the volunteers later.
“When we came in, the elders were mostly silent, but once we started painting, they opened up like flowers, just like little children,” said Naveen.
“Usually the volunteers come to us, some of them hearing impaired, to interact and be with us. This time, we wanted to do something for the society, give something in return. And so we volunteered,” said Reena Kuttan, a specialist in training and workplace solutions with Enable India.
Another special volunteer Prince Jonathan David said it was a very happy occasion. “Earlier, I could not often understand why the elders behaved in a certain way. Now, I can connect with them. I feel very happy and satisfied. I am going back not only having helped someone today, but also a little more confident of being able to go out into society and being included,” he said.
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