Kudumbashree Mission venturing into Geriatric care through 'Harsham'

Posted on Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Kudumbashree Mission is venturing into Geriatric care envisioning to provide special care for the lonely old age people. The project 'Harsham-Happiness Redefined', would ensure care for the old aged people. The aim of the programme is to form groups of around 100 volunteers in each district to help aged people who live alone or under adverse circumstances with least support, including those who are bedridden. The skill training for the geriatric care executives was inaugurated at Kozhikode on 30 April 2018.

The Harsham programme will be implemented with financial assistance from the Kerala Academy for Skill Excellence, plans to provide jobs for around 1,000 women under Kudumbashree Mission this year. The programme will be implemented with the support of HAP (Health Action by People), an NGO and the Hindustan Latex Family Planning and Promotion Council (HLFPPT). The 15-day The residential programme will start on 15 May 2018. To begin with, the 90 selected women from Kannur and Kozhikode will get trained in geriatric care. The training programme will be extended to other districts in the near future.

harsham logo


The working of the programme would be in the model of Micro enterprises. Those aged below 55 years, with good physical capabilities and an aptitude for serving the society would be considered for the programme. The respective District Mission Co-ordinators would select the Geriatric Care executives in the districts.Training for them will be provided to the selected Geriatric care executives in two 30-member batches.The beneficiaries may avail the services of the Harsham Programme through call centres or online round the clock. The volunteers will collect the details of the people who have requested for services or care will later impart the services. The help of CDS-ADS members would be made used to gather information about the callers .

As part of the state government's welfare programmes, the local bodies have already initiated a palliative care project aiming to turn Kerala into an elderly-friendly state. Many aged people, those who are bedridden, have been receiving care under the project. But shortage of volunteers and employees is still a major hurdle, and many needy people have been denied care in time. The Harsham Programme will be a solution for that issue.