With project ‘Sahara’, SAMSA brings into focus a much neglected aspect of our profession – geriatric health care.
The ten-membered team headed by renowned psychiatrist Dr. Tanay Maiti, organized a health camp at the ‘Godhuli Premier Old Age Home’ on the 21st of October, 2018. They conducted a concise survey of the mental health of the residents, and coupled it with an assessment of their blood pressure and any other chronic illnesses that they might have been afflicted by. This was followed by an interaction with Dr. Maiti, where the administrative and nursing staff were provided with valuable advice on various ways in which they could direct their care in order to improve the prevailing mental health conditions of the residents. The findings were telltale – a large percentage of the residents examined suffered from dementia, and a lot of them gave a history of CVA.
SAMSA intends to continue organizing mental-health check-ups, specifically examining the population for signs of dementia and depression, and conducting exercises for their betterment.