In their endeavour to spread awareness against Elder Abuse in the lead up to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June, Wishes and Blessings, a Delhi-based NGO organized an Elderly Care Challenge to show strong resolve against elder abuse.

The Wishes and Blessings Team initiated a week-long campaign to address the issue of elder abuse. It organised an ‘Elderly Care Challenge’ starting from 8 June 2020 to give everyone an opportunity to reconnect with their elders and make them feel special. The whole idea behind this challenge was to relive old memories and spend some quality time with the elderly to give them the love, care and respect they deserve.

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According to the UN, elder abuse is a problem that exists in both developing and developed countries wherein 1 in 6 older people face one or the other form of elder abuse.

A societal issue that isn’t given the impetus it deserves, the Wishes and Blessings team has been keenly sensitive towards it for a long time and in order to reach out to those who needed aid the most, they established their first old age home “Mann Ka Tilak” in 2018.

What makes the old age home unique is that all the amenities are provided completely free of cost. Till date, the organisation has reached out to over 35 beneficiaries. Some elders have continued to stay as residents while others have been successfully rehabilitated with their families.

Most beneficiaries have been horribly abused either physically or emotionally by their near and dear ones. They find a new home and a loving family to call their own, right here at Mann ka Tilak.

The philosophy behind Mann Ka Tilak is to touch the elders’ hearts.

Commenting on what inspired her to reach out to this demographic, Dr Geetanjali Chopra, Founder and President said, “Looking at the dismal scenario of how some people choose to treat their elders and deny them of living their lives with dignity and respect, I decided to welcome these elders with open hearts to a home they can call their own.”

Set up under the aegis of Dr Geetanjali Chopra in 2014, Wishes and Blessings is a registered NGO based in Delhi that cuts across the spectrum of gender and age to help those who need it.