Caring for the sick and elderly

When Auroville was founded in 1968, it attracted pioneers from all over the world, mostly youngsters, full of energy. This has changed. An increasing number of middle-aged people now join Auroville, while the youngsters of the early days are showing signs of greying. Of today’s population of over 3,000 people, more than 450 are aged 65 or older.

In 2001, a group of Aurovilians started Auroville Health Services (AVHS). Working with the seniors started in 2011 on a small scale: doing shopping, visiting those who had fallen ill, and helping them see a doctor. 

Today AVHS runs two homes for the elderly, provides social and medical care to elderly living alone, schedules attendants for any Aurovilian needing hospitalisation, and organises home care for convalescence afterwards. 

Another aspect of its service is the Hygiene and Food Safety programme, where a two-member team visits Auroville’s schools, restaurants, guesthouses and food processing units to evaluate if standards of cleanliness are being observed and issues hygiene certificates if found in order.

Hospitalisation and home care assistance

Over recent years, the need for care has increased substantially and AVHS has expanded accordingly. Today it has a team of seven members, which includes a doctor, a coordinator, a social worker, office staff and health inspectors. About 14 people are employed as caregivers.

For the past three years AVHS has been getting help from a Swiss volunteer for five months every summer. With her untiring energy and laughter she is a very welcome addition to the team. 

Unlike hospitals in the West, which take full care of their patients, Indian hospitals require an attendant to be present to help with the purchase of medicines and clinical supplies, bring meals, interact with hospital staff and make the financial arrangements. After hospitalisation, assisted home care is often needed to help the person recover, to provide post-operative care and emotional support. 

Indian hospitals do not provide rehabilitation facilities. Some Aurovilians are able to depend on family and friends to support them, but single Aurovilians do not easily find the assistance they need and have to rely on the goodwill of volunteers from their workplace or community.

Mechtild together with Rebecca coordinates hospital and home care for Auroville. AVHS provides personal assistance, ranging from a few hours a day to 24/7 care, to approximately 30 senior Aurovilians who live either in their own homes, at Marika’s senior Home or at Mahalakshmi Home. The main work involves planning the schedules of caregivers and volunteers and visiting the seniors on a daily basis. 

A lot of time goes into smoothing the relationship between the seniors and the caregivers. Sometimes it is not harmonious as personalities don’t always match: one caregiver may be wonderful for one person, but can be a catastrophe for another.

The assisted living homes

In 2016 AVHS got a gift. Marika, a senior Aurovilian who was working as a homeopath at Pitanga in the Samasti community, passed away. She had wished that her large house be used by the community. Known as the ‘Marika Senior Home’, it now houses five senior Aurovilians, along with caregivers who are present 24/7. Amarnath, the AVHS doctor, visits twice a day.

At Marika’s Home, each Aurovilian has a private room with private bathroom facilities. The common space is used for socialising and meals. Food is brought in and all the shopping is done for the elderly.

That same year, Aurovilian Manfred initiated a project for another home for the elderly. In August 2016 he started building the “Mahalakshmi Home,” a place for ‘assisted living’. While Manfred did most of the fundraising, Dorothee designed the building and oversaw its construction. On September 8th, 2019, Dr. Karan Singh, the Chairman of the Auroville Foundation, inaugurated the Mahalakshmi home.

It has eight units, each with an attached bathroom and kitchenette, and three more rooms can be used for convalescence and hospice care. It is intended for seniors who can manage their daily living situation, but may require minimum support. The home has a common dining area and also houses the administrative office of AVHS, overlooked by Rebecca who has been with AVHS since the beginning.

Are elderly people queuing up to get a room in the Mahalakhsmi Home? “Not really,” says Mechtild. “Many elderly prefer to stay in their own homes and receive the care they need there. But a few expressed the wish to shift to Mahalakshmi Home.” 

The absence of a waiting list may also be due to the commonly held concept that ‘people come here to build Auroville, not to take rest or retire’. “Elderly Aurovilians may make life a little easier but very few stop working altogether,” says Paula. “Most people in their seventies or eighties are very active.”

However, in the coming years, more elderly homes will be required. This does not necessarily mean that they have to be newly constructed. Marika’s Senior Home is an example of this approach. “One Aurovilian has offered her large house when she passes away as a Home for the elderly,” says Mechtild. 

There is a lot of support for the work of AVHS. For example, Kinisi recently donated an electric three wheeler which gets used by seniors on their own or is used to transport seniors to different places in Auroville like, for example, to the Matrimandir.

There are a few areas where AVHS cannot be involved. AVHS is not equipped to deal with people who suffer from mental issues. And due to the lack of caregivers, AVHS has to reject homecare requests for non-Aurovilians (guests, volunteers or parents of Aurovilians).

One other area is that of administrative assistance. AVHS recently informed the Auroville Council and Working Committee that an increasing number of elderly require help with their financial affairs and the need to maintain the validity of their passports and visa. “This is sometimes an extremely complicated and time consuming work, and it takes resources which we would prefer to use for the senior himself/herself,” says the AVHS. “The situation gets even more complex when it comes to people who are confused. The community will have to find a solution for this,” says Paula.

But she also notes that working with seniors is its own reward. “It is very inspiring, especially dealing with people who have been in Auroville since the beginning. When you encounter their intensely shining eyes – that’s something special.”