In the Nilgiri Hills, the Denalai Tea Estate House has become a unique sanctuary for homeless elderly people. What began with one couple, Ramamurthi and Rajeswari, taking in an abandoned elderly couple has grown over two decades into a formal refuge run by the MN Trust, providing free housing, food, medical care.
A little community in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiri Hills, close to Coonoor, Denalai Tea Estate House has developed into a unique haven for old people without a place to live. When Ramamurthi's made the decision to take in an old couple who had allegedly been abandoned by their children, they built the institution. Years later, the refuge still provides housing for several dozen elderly people who have nowhere else to live. This refuge has an almost two-decade history.
Ramamurthi worked for the Tamil Nadu Health Department's leprosy management section back then. He found an old couple with leprosy who had been abandoned by their family. He brought them home rather than rejecting them. Soon after, additional senior citizens began visiting their house. Nearby areas learned that the couple was prepared to offer free housing to elderly people who were homeless. Ramamurthi reportedly got a lot of calls about elderly persons who had been left without access to food, housing, or medical care. These elderly people were either abandoned by family members or rendered powerless by disease and poverty.
The couple subsequently began using an ancient house on their tea plantation as a long-term refuge for elderly people who were homeless.
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The MN Trust, named for Ramamurthi's parents, was formally established in 2005 by the couple, with Rajeswari serving as managing trustee. The couple reportedly took care of the locals with the majority of Ramamurthi's income and tea farm profits.
The shelter kept expanding over time. The refuge now has around 50 elderly residents, some of them are over 90. Separate restrooms, beds, and medical facilities have been added to the male and female areas. Free food, clothing, prescription drugs, and other services are provided to residents.
The shelter's walls are the site of meticulous planning. Tea, snacks, breakfast, lunch, and supper are served at regular intervals of the day, and meal schedules are displayed. The solar heating system provides hot water, and drinking water is filtered. Although there is usually medical staff on hand, visits to nearby health facilities are scheduled as needed.
The shelter's method of emotional treatment was another highlight. Residents host parties, gather in communal areas, and go to social gatherings. For the elderly who are lonely, this provides a social anchor.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the shelter ran vaccination campaigns and preventive measures to protect residents from the virus. The shelter operated as usual even during the lockdown periods.
