Currently, we operate from 10:00 am to 6:15 pm Monday to Friday.

Responding to the needs of senior citizens in difficult situations we wish to run a 24 hour Helpline. That would need an extra funding of about Rs. 2,40,000 per year, including staff who will do shifts.

Donations towards this Fund will qualify for exemption under 80 G Income Tax Act.

• A Responsive Social Support system for senior citizens subjected to Elder Abuse:
• Offer of protection from physical violence from within and outside the family
• Offer of emotional support through trained counsellors
• Offer of strategies for coping with difficult circumstances
• Offer of legal advice and assistance
• Offer of help to obtain admission in Old Age Homes if warranted
• Offer of counselling to family members for better treatment to the elders

Dignity Companionship and Dignity Helpline are two integral parts of a number of services already being rendered by Dignity Foundation. The objective of these two services is to extend a social support system to the lonely, depressed and abused senior citizens. In these 10 years of dialogue with the seniors, Dignity Foundation has come across the painful reality of physical and mental abuse to which seniors are subjected by their children.

Dignity volunteers are themselves senior in age. We have about 200 of them. They have received training through our faculty in simple skills of counselling and help rendering.

Typically, after the call is received by Dignity Helpine , the coordinator informs and directs the volunteer, who lives in the vicinity of the caller/victim , to visit the senior citizen, get to know more about the situation and give him/her counsel/assistance.

Apart from counseling other services are also offered based on our assessment:

• Police help or threat when the errant "child" can be warned to treat the parent better .
• Or utilising police authority to take corrective action such as emergency assistance and rescue from impending violence
• A lawyer's help on property related matters
• A psychiatrist's / psychotherapist's / Counsellor's help in treating depression that is common among abused parents or in helping the parent to cope better with circumstances. Many times the parent has no option but to learn to put up with the situation. Suicide contemplation is also very common among harassed parents.