Six old age home inmates reunited with their families

There has been good news for some inmates at the Delhi government-run old age home in Bindapur in the last few months. Six inmates have been restored with their families since May.

Shakuntala, 65, was recently reunited with her family after she managed to come up with the right address after months of staying at the old age home.

When Deccan Herald interviewed her in April, the staff had indicated that she was suffering from memory loss in phases and was undergoing treatment.

She would frequently mention about going home to the staff. Despite several attempts, she could not come up with the correct address.

Her name was changed in that report on the request of the home staff. On July 5, her family members came to receive her from Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh. Letters written to her family earlier were returned to the home after the addresses were found to be incorrect. One such address was Lalganj in Uttar Pradesh.

“When we wrote to the address given my Shakuntala Devi, we got response within a few days. It was a fulfiling moment for us as well. Her husband was very emotional. He told us after advertising in papers and searching her in all probable places, he had rested his faith in God for her return,” said R C Maurya, superintendent, Bindapur old age home.

Shakuntala went back to her village with her brother and husband. She had come to the old age home on March 16, 2013.

Like many others, Shakuntala had lost her way and once in the old age home had no recollection how she ended up there. The other inmates who were restored includes five women inmates and one male inmate. “Of the five others, three were from Delhi and the two others from Rohtak and Gorakhpur,” said Maurya.

Restoration came up as an important concept in the old age home in 2009. Restoration is the most important in cases in which the inmates — a significant chunk of them here — who have lost their way and ended up here. In these cases, family members are unable to locate their near ones despite efforts. However, in cases where there is dispute with other family members, an elderly wants to stay separately.