Pune: A heart-warming initiative by organisations offering support to the elderly is bringing together the wisdom of super senior members and energy of their young volunteers , creating a beautiful tapestry of shared experiences. The services provide enthusiastic support of youngsters accompanying elderly to their old haunts , be it their favourite theatre or the park where they stole their first kiss. Prakash Ratnaparkhi, an octogenarian who loves to indulge in idli-sambhar at Wadeshwar restaurant on Fergusson College Road, found a friend in his ‘saathi mitra’ (helper) to hang out at his old haunts.
Speaking on his behalf, his partner Sandhya Devarukhar said, “When I was approached by a service that offered paid help for the elderly, I told them that apart from medical assistance, the biggest problem faced by senior citizens is lack of socialisation. I was sceptical about how a college-going boy would jell with us, but I was pleasantly surprised with the rapport he formed with us.” She added, “Prakash would insist that the saathi mitra call him ‘sir’, but he wormed his way into our hearts and kept referring to him as ‘kaka’.
The helper would take Prakash to his favourite restaurants. We would insist that we pay the bill, but he wanted to pay his own share.” Ankur Joshi, a saathi mitra from Aashwast Services for Seniors, said that he loves spending time with such super seniors , teaching them how to use smartphones and various apps.
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