HOME FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS OF VANASTHALI

Beneficiaries-List-2023-24 and 2024-25

Staff-List-2023-24 and 2024-25

PROFILE OF THE AREA:

Home for the senior citizens at Vanasthali, being run by the Rashtriya Seva Samithi, Tirupathi, was started on 01.01.1993, under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Previously Ministry of Welfare), Govt. of India, under the Ministry’s scheme ‘Integrated Programme for the Senior Citizens’.

Vanasthali, Anjaneyapuram Village is located in Renigunta Mandal. It is 15 km away from Head Office at Tirupathi and 80 km away from the headquarters of the District Chittoor. It lies on Kadapa trunk road.

The home located in a very peaceful atmosphere, where in RASS is maintaining a Krishi Vigyan Kendra in an extent of 75 acres with gardens, nurseries and training and research centres.

The centre is located in a building with all facilities like kitchen, recreation hall, dining hall, store room, sleeping hall, library and toilet with ample water resource and power supply.

Vanasthali covers 8 villages with 800 families with a population of 4526. Agriculture in this area primary depending on rainfall and people depends on agricultural labour. 85 percent of the people are from families under Below Poverty Line (BPL).

INFRASTRUCTURE

The home is used as a rest house for old age people. It is also used as a sacred junction for the cultural and social activities. The home consists of 9 Bed rooms, recreational hall, kitchen cum dining and store room. TV and Tape Recorder was also installed for recreational purposes. Spiritual movies are being telecasted to the Senior Citizens to reconcile themselves from personal problems and also develop self-confidence, faith.

NUMBER OF INMATES

As per the guidelines of the ‘Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens’, 25 senior citizens from the nearby villages who are above 60 years of age are given admission. These inmates are from poor and low economic background and are in need of help, who after losing their spouses and as there were none to take care of them are living lonely in the huts and recollecting their past experiences.

These inmates stay day and night in the home. The home is providing food, shelter, clothing, medical aid, etc. Majority of the inmates belongs to SC, ST and Backward Communities

SERVICES PROVIDED

In the Home, the grannies and granddads are being over 60 years of age. They have problems with defective eyesight, development of immature cataracts, partial deafness, and joint pains. They were individually checked by doctors and administered timely medicines to the grannies. Improvement in general health has been observed. Provided mosquito nets, hot water, and RO to the Senior Citizens.

i) Food

We are providing nutritious food for the grannies and grandads. In the morning they are given breakfast, tea and afternoon lunch and in the evening some fruits and biscuits. Weekly 05 days providing eggs and provide non-veg on Sundays to the SENIOR CITIZENS.

ii) Therapy

With the advancing of age, most of our SENIOR CITIZENS cannot tolerate either extreme heat or cold due to decreased vascularity of the skin. Many of them have suffered not only from bodily pains but also due to poor vision. They occasionally have respiratory infections. Sisters have taken preventive measures by administering timely medicines and so on. The SENIOR CITIZENS are checked twice a month by Medical Doctor. Providing Physiotherapy to some of the inmates as per their request.

iii) Recreational Activities

In Home most of the grannies and granddads had completely given up their recreational activities. After admission into this center, every day all of them mix freely and starts chit-chatting. We provided T.V and Tape Recorder for recreational activities and a library facility for literate inmates to read moral and spiritual books. T.T.D has also given a set of books on religion, health, and moral education.

V. ACTIVITIES AT THE CENTRE :

After prayer, yoga classes will be supplied break-fast. Some of the grannies will help in the kitchen. Some of them will engage in rope-making and leaf-plate making and in gardening. After completing lunch, some of the grannies will take a rest and read books, and watch entertainment (TV) programs.

VI. ACHIEVEMENTS

During the year 2020, 4 inmates have undergone cataract operations.
Observed important days like Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanthi, Elders Day, Republic Day, etc.
Religious festivals of Sankranthi, Diwai, Ramzan, Chirstmas, etc., have been celebrated with fervor.

All the inmates of the Home express that they were deserted not only by the society but also by their own children. Today they have developed positive self-esteem with the support of the home and with little money they earn from vocational activities.