Retired jawans turn Care Buddies for the elderly

Thousands of jawans retire from the armed services just when they are in their late 30's and mid-40's.

Why not engage them as 'Care Buddies' to oversee how vulnerable senior citizens are being taken care of by home-carers? This is exactly what Eldercare, a startup founded by a retired Naval officer, chose to do nationwide, and in Bengaluru since January this year.

Launched in October last year by Capt H K Singh, the concept replicates the family support system offered by the Indian Navy, where a small number of sailors are left behind to look after the families of the sailing crew. This liaison unit would look after mundane jobs of concierge, hospital visits and handling crises such as ill health of a child or emergency travel.

Eldercare leverages the operational and administrative skills of the armed forces veterans to provide expertise to the elderly in handling issues such as second opinion for medication/surgery, management of property, litigation and more.

Over the last year, several such Care Buddies have joined Eldercare in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. From this year, ex-servicemen have started queuing up for this unique position in Bengaluru too, Eldercare's Chief Medical Compliance Officer, Renu Arora told DH.

The startup founder knew the capabilities of the vast pool of retired defence personal, who were still in their working ages. While Eldercare was founded as a service to the elderly, it was also a chance for the jawans to find dignified employment post retirement.

So, how does a Care Buddy exactly fit into Eldercare's scheme of things? “He visits the elders' homes on a weekly basis to ascertain general well being and runs errands, coordinates hospital visits and organises routine diagnostics tests as prescribed by doctors,” says Arora.

Partnering with the placement cells for ex-servicemen, Eldercare undertakes background checks of every applicant before a jawan is recruited to be a Care Buddy. Arora elaborates: “We try to understand their empathy and compassion levels. As part of the verification, we even speak to army commanders who worked with the applicants.”

Besides Care Buddies, Eldercare also works with shift-based attendants who assist elders suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia, arthritis and other ailments. Pre- and post-hospital management and in-home nursing care are also part of the startup's service.