Elder Care

AMS AV Home for Senior Citizens

Dr.Durgabai Deshhmukh, founded Andhra Mahila Sabha with the intention of providing education, healthcare and vocational training to the socially and economically backward and underprivileged sections of Society, particularly women and children.  With this goal in view Dr.Durgabai founded schools, colleges, hospitals, rehabilitation centres for specially abled children and destitute women and vocational training centres during life time.  What Dr.Durgabai could not accomplish during her life time was setting up a Senior Citizen’s Home to take care of the woman in the sunset years of her life.

Dr.Alaparthi Venkatappiah and Smt.Alaparthi Lakshmi Manoharam were known to Dr.Durgabai Deshmukh and were closely associated with the institutions she had established.  In October, 1991 Dr.Alaparthi Venkatappiah breathed his last.  After her husband’s demise, Mrs.Lakshmi Manoharam approached Mrs.Sugunamani and offered to donate her palatial residene for setting up and running a Senior Citizens’ Home at the premises.  Mrs.Manohbaram also offered to look after the affairs of the senior citizens home during her life time.  It was on 22nd December, 1991 that the residence was formally handed over to Andhra Mahila Sabha for running a senior citizens home.  Soon the legal formalities were completed under the guidance of Justice Gangadhara Rao, Former President of Andhra Mahila Sabha and Dr.Durgabai’s dream of setting up a Senior Citizens’ Home became a reality.

Andhra Mahila Sabha extended some financial help to the Senior Citizens’ Home for carrying out some modifications to the residential building to house senior citizens.  All the modifications were completed and the Senior Citizens Home became functional from December, 1992.  The objective in starting a Senior Citizens’ Home was to provide shelter and food at affordable rates to the needy senior citizens who desired to live respectably in the sunset years of their lives without causing inconvenience to their near and dear ones.  Donations were received from some corporates and high net-worth individuals for construction of the ground floor of the Annexe Building.

Objectives

1. The objective in starting a Senior Citizens’ Home was to provide shelter and food at affordable price to the needy senior citizens who desired to live respectably the remaining years of their lives without causing inconvenience to their near and dear ones. 

2. AV Home for Senior Citizens came into existence when Smt. Alaparthi Lakshmi Manoharam, wife of Dr. Alaparthi Venkatappiah, bequeathed her palatial house on Plot No. 59, Sundernagar Colony, Hyderabad to Andhra Mahila Sabha, through a will, to run a Senior Citizens’ Home at the premises. 

3. The Senior Citizens’ Home, which started with a meager strength of 3 inmates in 1992 today provides boarding and lodging facilities to 31 inmates from different walks of life. It is a self-sustaining pay and stay home.A healthy vegetarian four course meal served two times a day besides bed coffee followed by breakfast and tea in the afternoons. 

4. Medical facilities provided to the inmates and Dr. Rangamannar, a General Physician, visits the Home twice a month for routine check ups. In more serious health problem cases, the local guardians of the inmates are notified.The students of the AMS college of Physiotherapy visit the Home thrice a week to help with physical exercises.Swamis from Ramakrishna Ashram visit the Home once a week and address the inmates on various religious issues.Bhajans in the evenings 

5. Elders’ Day on 1st October and Founders’ Day on 22nd December are celebrated. Children from DDVTRC entertained the senior citizens and guests. 

6. Officials of SBI, Hyderabad visited on a few occasions and extended help in cash and kind through the SBI Ladies Club.  7:In March, 2007 repairs work commenced.  8:Smt Lakshmi Manoharam, the donor of the premises left for her heavenly abode on 13 May ’06.