World Elders Day - Awareness Program - Participated in the camp conducted by Indian Medical Association - Kodambakkam Branch

This is not an Inner Wheel South Project.  However, the takeaways from the awareness program attended are worth sharing

• Elders are like children.  You need to care them, make them feel wanted and comfortable
• Emotional, physical, social and in some cases financial drain makes them feel vulnerable
• Age related health issues are a major concern and timely support is essential
• In this world, of virtualization, every parent is prone to loneliness and insecurity
• Medical care provides longetivity and that comes with a package of issues uncontrollable
• Life style changes and health care regimes and active social lives keeps oldage a happy time
• Support and little care from children and love from grand children keeps elderly happy and healthy
• One 94 year old aunts beautiful advise was 'Vayya Kattu'  means keep your mouth in control -  this is applicable to both how we talk, how we interact, how we eat and how we live
• Elders are active participants in the society and their wisdom and knowledge is needed
• Keeping active social life makes them young in heart, feeling better and sharing their lives well
• In this mechanical age of sustainability, handling issues like Dementia, Memory loss, all sorts of issues related to diabeties, blood pressure, artiristis,  asthma, depression, can be handled with keeping regular exercise in practice, prayers and spirituality, eating right and sleeping well
• Balanced exercise, active social life, eating timely and right food, and keeping anxiety away without causing exhaustion or over enthusiam with medically proven valuable and effective life styles makes oldage a blessing 
• 'How to age gracefully'  was the topic of the day..and each participant showed how much they love life, to live peacefully and healthy, and how much they want to still contribute to their families and society makes youngsters put their heads down to thinking
• Aging gracefully is not just keeping ourselves wanted, beautiful or acceptable, but it also includes to keep health related issues away, emotional stress under control and participating in social activities and long forgotten hobbies reinvented and keeping one self busy and occupied
• The adage ' Never too Late'  is the mantra to make life meaningful and interesting.  Aging gracefully happens automatically as we know to balance our health, mental ability, social interaction and financial controls that gives security,  social life, healthy body and mind and a spiritually enlightened soul.
•  Thank you Dr Mani for this beautiful campaign and also Dr Viswanathan and Dr Lakshmi for your valuable inputs and presence.  Blessed to have been there for the beautiful evening.