Residents and Staff of Dignity Lifestyle Township Adopts Village Mangaon
 As an integral part of our residents' daily programme at Neral, engagement in activities-as-a-group occupies a significant psycho-social role. With this goal, a pilot group from Dignity Foundation had visited the neighbourhood as early as January 2006, three months before the opening up of the township to residents. The group had identified village Mangaon as the first village we need to adopt by virtue of its nearness. Subsequently, it so happened that the entire housekeeping staff also came to be recruited from the young boys of this village. This has given a holistic flavour to the exercise of residents' engagement with meaningful activities.
The first group-visit to village Mangaon kept postponing, thanks to incessant rains. Every time we planned to go, the thick black June clouds would threaten us from undertaking the 2 km trek. Ultimately, one fine morning on June 27, 2006, the group decided to take the plunge, rain or sun, and it was the best decision we had taken. Because what we saw and came to know about life in villages was touching, to say the least. Neat little houses, tidy lanes but laced with water-puddles, little tapris (kirana shops) with a PCO, curious but smiling residents welcoming  us to their homes, everything looked very manageable in terms of size and numbers. We came back after visiting the school, balwadi, panchayat hall and one of the villager's residence.
Our visit was promptly followed by their return visit the same afternoon with a charter of requirements for the school, neatly typed and computerised. We quickly found a sponsor to fund the Rs.1.89 lakhs of essentials for the school (for the first time I realised how much easier it was to raise money for children as against the cause of ageing!). On the Independence Day function to which we were given a grand invitation to visit Mangaon again, some 300 adults and children had gathered and a great amount of interactive pleasantries were exchanged. The programme ended with a presentation of a 'charter of demands' that would make Mangaon the model village in Raighad with the help of Dignity Foundation.
It Happens only in Dignity Lifestyle.
A lot seems to happen at the Dignity Lifestyle Township at Neral these days. The township is now in its second phase of construction. Work is zooming past like anything and we are competing against our own set standards of core dedication, team work and finesse.
A medical ward with all basic equipments and emergency treatment is already operational since July 30. The second medical ward shall be operational from October 15, 2006 . The Bank of India, Karjat Branch, has now started weekly banking at Dignity Lifestyle. A temporary library is functional at the moment, to keep the members well-read. The clubhouse which will be used as card room or chess/carom and beauty parlour will also be functional from October 2006. Dignity Lifestyle township is aiming for finesse, to say the least. As the motto goes "A Hassle Free Retirement Township; Not an Old Age Home", so goes its aim for perfection. The whole area has been spruced up with fire fighting systems at strategic locations all over the township. Beautification of the completed areas is in full swing. Work for Landscape for Quadrangle (in between all the cottages)-Japanese garden, starts from October 15, 2006 . Landscape for 16 premium cottages and for parallel pathways near premium is completed. A medical cum provision store will be fully functional from October 1. The completion of auditorium (capacity 176) is going on in full swing too.
The lifestyle is not only a cottage-garden arrangement where we would allow our residents to sit idle! Endorsing Dignity Foundation's motto of 'Productive ageing', a broadband internet connection in the administration block has already been installed. In just about another 20 days, the entire cottage area would also be connected to the World Wide Web! Wi-fi connectivity will also be established in another month.
Telephones, intercoms etc are installed and functional now in DL. Medical Consultants like Physiatrist, Orthopaedician, Physician, and Dentist have started visiting the township once in 10 days.
In all we are trying our best to make the Dignity Lifestyle Township a well connected, happening fun place, where our elderly would not just stay but have a real gala time of their lives, too!
The Nightingale Croons Happily - Dignity Lifestyle Residents Do It with Elan'
With one new member joining in, our total members of Nightingale are now eight. Facilities for the residents now include well furnished cottages, a resident doctor, a professional psychologist and social worker, twenty four hour services of care takers. We try to bring in as much learning and play, as possible. Their daily activities include playing carrom, cards, reading newspaper, going for walks, everyday visit to a nearby temple, colouring and dancing.
 With much fanfare DL celebrated festivals and events like 'Mehendi' and birthday parties. When one of our residents became nostalgic about her marriage ceremony, we celebrated the 'Mehendi' ceremony. We all put mehendi designs on our hands and enjoyed the delicious snacks!
Mrs. Lakshmi's birthday on May 22 was celebrated with a surprise party for her. Asha Gupta, Prem Suri and Prabha Deshmukh's birthdays were also well celebrated.
 Residents of DL also celebrated festivals like Dahi Handi, Tamil New Year and Ganesh Utsav with much cheer. Nightingale residents went for a picnic to Jummapathi near Matheran. The celebration of these festivals provided an opportunity for nightingale and all service staff to exhibit their talent. We also successfully organised a Bhajan sandhya, rangoli competition, cooking competition, antakshari, memory game and group Dance. The festivals were a good opportunity to socialise with each other and to work together as a team.
Residents also enjoy movies which are screened for them regularly, and take great interest in planning menu for lunch and dinner. The idea is not only to do things for them but also to include them in planning and deciding what and how they want it.
On 18th of September 2006, we welcomed with great joy another new resident in Nightingale. 
Some of the alternative therapies we use at the Nightingale are herbal massages from trained masseurs at Modi resorts.
The pristine green surroundings are great for relaxation for all our residnts. They enjoy walks and sit out parties. The cottages are surrounded by mountains and offer a breathtaking view of the Matheran range. During monsoons these mountains are covered with dark, rain laden clouds.
Great improvement is noticed in some of our Nightingale residents. One of them, who was depressed and used to cry a lot earlier, is now a lot more cheerful. He enjoys the green landscape of DL and being a photographer himself, loves to take pictures and sketch landscapes. He no longer is dependant on the wheelchair, to which he was bound till a few days back.
 We have initiated a thermacol carving group to increase the creative activity in Nightingale.
We have a doctor who visits us twice a week. Apart from this, incase of medical emergencies, we are in touch with the Ambani Hospital nearby.
The day is structured around a flexible timetable of physical exercises, group activities, leisure activities, singing, casual conversations, individual activities like painting and sketching. The attempt is to simulate home like environment.
Nightingale is also visited regularly by a beautician for ladies, and a barber for gents. The administrative building has seen the opening up of the library, so that Nightingale residents can borrow books and photo albums for there creative pursuits. |
