The VridhCare Quality of Life Foundation, India, is a holistic Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that focuses on the spiritual needs - mind, body and soul - of the most neglected and disempowered elderly section of the society. It was established in the winter of 2019.  

VridhCare does not run old-age homes by itself. Rather, we are a Pan-India enabler, acting as a strategic bridge that empowers old-age institutions for senior living instead of physically operating them. What does this mean? As facilitators, we connect (over 1,100 and counting) Old-age homes across India with benevolent corporate CSR partners to achieve the crucial requirements of the elderly. Touched the lives of over  50,000 elderly people. As a meaningful alternative to managing old-age homes, we act as a conduit, ensuring that critical resources directly reach those who are normally deprived of dignified living.   

Our model is rooted in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: we begin with basic necessities and scale up to belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

Besides having basic necessities delivered to them regularly, VridhCare puts special emphasis on critical life needs as well. We organise periodic medical camps, including funding (with the help of our CRS partners) life-altering cataract surgeries. We have also started setting up physiotherapy units in old-age homes where rehabilitation is most needed. Having in-house facility helps avoid travelling to distant facilities for therapy, consuming time, energy and cost. Seniors who have difficulty walking are provided with wheelchairs. Those with physical disabilities are armed with artificial limbs. We have conducted disability camps with the help of Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (Alimco). Our focus is on low-cost, high-impact models.

We understand that while there is a lot more to be done, beginning and moving towards broader objectives gives us a sense of purpose.  

Caregivers play a crucial role in old-age homes. They are the ones who ensure elderly welfare on a day-to-day basis. To ensure that they understand their part in this process, we help empower them through online caretaker training programmes, knowledge, empathy and the ‘meaning’ attached to their selfless endeavour.  

Spiritual bankruptcy is a circumstantial tragedy with those in old-age home. To address that, we hold regular yoga and meditation sessions, musical gatherings and art therapy, among other therapeutic needs. These sessions are conducted by volunteers, who are an integral part of such work. These volunteers, who play a role in bridging the inter-generational gap, come from all walks of life - National Service Scheme (NSS), students, doctors, nurses, social welfare professionals, among others. To provide dignity, VridhCare also conducts Active Ageing programmes with the support of its CSR partners.

As part of upholding the highest level of transparency and trust, our policy dictates us against handling monetary donations. VridhCare does not accept donations into its corporate account. Instead, we act as a strategic bridge between resources and those in need. There are two primary channels through which support reaches old-age homes.

Routing the resources directly is at the core. Products and funds sourced through our corporate partners are channelled directly to old-age homes. Also, for individual contributions, we use credible online crowdfunding platforms. On its part, VridhCare provides the necessary oversight and logistical support.  

In addition, VridhCare does not charge administrative costs from its CSR partners. This separates us from most of the NGOs.  

Dr. Shashi is our mentor and guide. Her decades-old experience and understanding of human condition, courtesy of her life spent in medicine aimed at human welfare, gives us an edge. She is the former additional director & head of microbiology and CARDS National Centre of Disease control, Delhi, India.

The operations and its expansion into newer geriatric care is led by Ms. Gargi Lakhanpal. She serves as a crucial link at the grassroots level, translating national policies for the elderly into actionable care for marginalised senior citizens within old -age homes.

As a legally recognised, and a registered Section 8 non-profit entity affiliated with NITI Aayog, VridhCare maintains integrity at every level. Trust and transparency is important to us. Towards that end, we are registered under the Income Tax Act (12A & 80G), which allows our donors to gain tax benefits while supporting a humanitarian cause. We are also registered with Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) that allows us to accept international support in our effort to serve the elderly.