‘I REALISE MY SON HAS HIS OWN FAMILY TO TAKE CARE OF’
It was unfair for me to expect to either be taken everywhere or for them to call off all their plans,” says Subhadra Upadhyay, 88.
Subhadra has a weak heart and a fractured foot that has left her partially immobile, which makes it difficult for her to accompany her son and daughter-in-law to family events or on holidays.
Often, they would have to cancel, or at least one of them stay home with her, she says. Now, she stays back with company from The Family Member, a non-medical senior service provider in Ahmedabad.
Her son signed up with the service four months ago. “Initially, we were scared about having a stranger in our home,” says Bhavesh, 45, an IT executive. “But the volunteers are very professional, and details about them are sent to us in advance.”
Volunteers have even stayed with Subhadra while her family has gone on short trips. Prices are nominal, starting at ₹150 for 1.5 hours. The volunteers keep her company, watch Hindi soaps and religious shows with her, read to her, or just chat about this and that.
“We talk about my health, my childhood, my life spent raising my children. These are my favourite topics,” Subhadra says. “Sometimes, we’ve discovered mutual friends and family and we’ve started talking about them.”
Initially, she would feel bad about having to pay someone to keep her company. The whole family is still coming to terms with a concept as new as this, she adds. “But now, it’s not about being emotional. We had to be practical, because Bhavesh has his own family to take care of.”