Anandam Old Age Home

Anandam – A Free Home for Senior Citizens was started in 2003, accommodating three elders who met our criteria of having no living children or any source of income, in a modest home in Ambattur which was given free of rent by a well wisher. As word spread

Anandam Trust was registered in 1995 to financially and physically support deserving poor elders. Anandam, a Free Home for Senior Citizens was started in 2003 in a modest scale with 3 elders. With efforts from the management and support from well-wishers, this has grown into a Model Home, accommodating 105 elders in a sprawling campus of 24000 sq.ft. in 15 grounds of land.

Today, Anandam has expanded its services to include free educational support for the poor and deserving students, quality, free medical care for people from the lower strata of society and free Special Education for children with learning disabilities.

Many elders waiting patiently in queue to collect their meager pension which would then be taken away by their children waiting outside, a scene which Mrs. Bhageerathy Ramamoorthy, Managing Trustee, became accustomed to almost every day during her tenure at Indian Bank. Her interactions with these elders revealed the bitter fact that many senior citizens seldom had any control over what was rightfully theirs and this had a lasting impact on her. If this was the experience of those with children and some financial security, what would be the plight of those who neither had children nor money! Thus was born a desire to help and serve elders with no children or any source of income.

Slowly but surely, with the support of our kind-hearted donors and well-wishers, Anandam moved into its own premises – a sprawling 24,000 sqft. complex built in 15 grounds of land & with a capacity to accommodate 105 elders. The Home was built as a model home complete with all facilities & modern amenities right from dormitories, kitchen with steam cooking & automated machines, dining room, prayer hall, physiotherapy room with all modern equipments, TV & entertainment room, library & medical ward attended by a team of doctors, nurses & attendants.

Based on their interests, capabilities and health condition, our residents carry out many of the day-to-day activities of the Home. Some help in kitchen chores, others assist in procurement of provisions; some look into maintenance-related tasks and a few others support in organising in-house programmes. Why do we encourage this? Because, keeping our elders engaged in this manner has created a sense of belonging in them; being proactively involved keeps them physically and mentally agile; and it fosters a strong bond among residents as they take it upon themselves to look after each other’s well-being. We also encourage the talents of the elders by conducting regular music, yoga, tailoring & dance classes.