Helping Hand Charitable Trust was formed in 2009 with sole objective of caring elderly bedridden senior citizens in homely environment with hospital like facility. Helping Hand Charitable Trust will also promote vocational training like GDA course (certified course for ward boys and Aayas) and thereby create job opportunities for rural aspirants.
Helping Hand Charitable Trust is undertaking free medical camp for senior citizens once in a month with the help of facilitators. It issues medical ID cards with their medical history and medications. This entitles them for discount in tied up Hospitals, Diagnostic centers and chemists etc in Pardi and Valsad. It also gives free medicines to poor senior citizens.
This medical home was inaugurated by then Honourable Union Minister Dr. Tushar Chaudhary on 10th January, 2010. We had started Medical Home with 18 bed capacity. 3 patients were admitted in this medical home on inauguration day itself. It has been running with almost to its full capacity since inception. There has been ever growing demand for a berth in the medical home but we were unable to accommodate more patients due to non availability of vacant beds. It was therefore felt necessary to undertake an ambitious and self sustainable project With 350 Bed Capacity.
- To admit only elderly/disabled and medically ill patients who are likely to be bedridden for a long time and who cannot perform their daily routine by themselves.
- To help patients in their daily routine and keep them in absolutely clean environment.
- To provide basic medical care by in-house doctors and references are made to Specialists whenever necessary.
- To undertake rehabilitation for select and deserving patients by our in-house Physiotherapists and treating Consultants.
- In-house doctors will counsel the patients and their relatives periodically and make them know of their illness/disease and seek their support to fight it together.
- To facilitate diet under supervision of Dietician .
- To keep the inmates update with the current affairs by having access to Television, Newspapers and periodicals. The Medical Home staff entertain the inmates by celebrating their special days like Birthdays and Anniversaries. There is also a provision to cultivate their hobbies in Medical Home if feasible.
- The Critical Care Unit will be of Level I care unit with Ventilators, Multi para monitor, Central oxygen supply and other facilities with qualified doctors and dedicated well trained staff to manage patient in his/her critical condition.
- Our ultimate aim is to create hospital like facility in homely environment, relieve the relatives of their duties and responsibilities of caring their near and dear ones in bed ridden condition and help the patients to lead a desired dignified life.
About a generation ago, our social set up enjoyed a joint family culture having 6-8 siblings. People lived secured life because of presence of many members in a joint family with caring and respecting tradition. This system had its own advantages, particularly ill and aged members were looked after well and never felt a burden to the family. As per our cultural values, such caring was considered as a privilege and a family was proud of doing 'SEVA' to elderly and bedridden member.
The present generation is witnessing a dramatic change in every aspect of life. The social set up is fast changing. Families are becoming small and ambitious. Instead of living at the same place for generations, as in the past, now people move to different places for better financial rewards. This exodus resulted in nuclear family concept. A working couple has no time for their own children, leave alone caring for sick and bedridden parents. Continuous innovations in the Medical field have increased life expectancy. Hence, the senior living sector has grown significantly and the rising figure of seniors will further add to more and more bedriddens due to old age, immobility, disability or chronic illnesses etc. At this juncture, when the traditional extended family safety net is being eroded as fall out of rapid social economic transformation, A MEDICAL HOME that we envisaged would cater the basic needs of such patients and thereby resolve all the related social and economic issues.
Any one, who is in the need of medical attention due to old age, disability, chronic illness etc. and a desired help not likely to be available at home, would be looking out for alternative arrangements. Our medical home would Provide tailor made facilities to them. The doctors of medical home will treat the illness. Trained and committed staff will attend and help Patient's daily routine and keep them in clean and hygenic environment to ensure home like comforts. Once the illness has been treated and start living a normal life, they will.. return home. If it is absolutely necessary for vo continuing medical treament, they may stay on t' as resident of medical home at discretion of the management committee.
This new concept of setting up the Medical Home was designed by Dr. Praful Y. Mehta M.S. (General & Laparoscopic Surgeon). He actualized that no patient, however ill or disabled will be kept for long in a nursing home or in a hospital. It is neither feasible nor affordable by the average class of society. Therefore, convalescing arrangement or Medical Home like facility was the need of the hour. It is neither a Nursing Home nor an Old Age Home. With support of peers from the town and other dignitaries willing to contribute for the noble cause, a trust was founded and registered on 09/09/2009. An idea was translated into actual existence of MEDICAL HOME on 15/11/2009.The Trust advocated that every human being in India Should have access to medical home. They Should receive acute, chronic and Preventive medical Services during their old age with comfort and dignity. It is trust's endeavor to make Patients as comfortable as Possible So that their family members are happily satisfied with the caring arrangement done in the medical home. An unique medical home was designed incorporating Various Social and clinical features started in 2009 which was first of its kind in Gujarat/India.
The relatives of the patient were relieved of their worries of keeping the family member in bedridden condition at home. They were happily satisfied with the kind of services rendered by the Medical Home. The feedback from the patients, their relatives kept us motivated and helped us in improving quality of our services on ongoing basis. We received lot of admiration from all who are associated with our medical home.
Since the trust run the medical home on "No profit No loss basis". there has been always constant demand for a berth in our medical home. There has always been a wait list. There are also enquiries from overseas aspirants. We, therefore had to necessarily go for ambitious project expansion with value additions to meet the needs and aspirations of the patients and their relatives willing to avail services in our medical home.
The HHCT medical home admitted 125 patients till January - 2015. 72 Patients recovered well and sent home happily or moved out for further treatment. 35 Patients expired and 13 funeral formalities were arranged by the trust.