How can we make life a little easier for Elders? Turns out it is not only the availability of material things, but also a sense of companionship and community that helps the Elder navigate the later years of their life. When the extended family lived with the elders, it was quite common for the Elder to be able to live out their golden years with the support of their blood relatives. But those times are changing – and very quickly.

 

Elders are living longer lives, thanks to medical technology and better hygiene, and the extended family is all but dissolving – even in places like India with a strong family support ethic. With worldwide opportunities for the young and the educated, many of us find ourselves a world apart from our aging parents. Who then would provide the material support and community for our aging elders?

 

This is where an organization like ServicePlace can step in. Knowing that this is a big problem to solve, we have divided the challenge into two areas – Hello and Millo. The Hello service is where the elder can request their daily needs (e.g. food, cleaning services, medicine delivery) and the fulfillment can come from the community (e.g. neighbor can switch out the light bulb) or via paid services (e.g. food delivery). The Millo (means getting-together in Hindi) is where the community gets together and organizes activities like community gathering, yoga or picnics.