Time Bank

This was some sixty years ago. 

i was studying in the middle school in those years (5th to 7th years of schooling days). The school had a 45 minutes lunch break. Some teachers and students residing near the school used to go to their homes for lunch. Some of us who lived a little away from the school stayed back in the school premises, either playing in the school playground or just sitting idle in the shade of the three trees around the school building. One of the peons was illiterate, but very much interested in knowing about various happenings in the state and the country. He would bring the day's newspaper from the headmaster's room and ask me to read out the headlines to him. 

One such school day I had just started reading the newspaper when one of the teachers called out my name. He took me to his house situated close-by. I did not know the purpose of the visit. He gave me a bag with some lunch boxes and a vessel with water (called as "Rail Chambu" in those days, as it was usually taken along on long train journeys). i was advised to take them to the nearby hospital and give it to his wife who was admitted there, and return to the school before the afternoon session commenced. This continued for about a week, when she was discharged from the hospital. 

i returned home from the school in the evening. My father saw me later in the evening and called me. i went to him. 

"What happened in the school today?"

"Nothing special. As on any other given day"

"During lunch time?"

"Narasimha Rao took me home and sent me to the hospital to give lunch boxes to his wife. She is admitted there"

"Did it not interfere with your classes?"

"No. Lunch break allowed sufficient time for it"

"Good. She was admitted yesterday evening. He was worried about managing cooking at home, school timings and delivering food to the hospital. I had told him to ask you for support. She may be in the hospital for a few days more. Give him all possible help. If he wants, in the evenings also"

That was my first experience with assisting people with hospital errands.

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Modren life has many advantages. There are many gadgets that have simplified life. A lot of things that were once considered difficult to do are now done by machines rather easily. There are still pockets of poverty and resultant suffering, but living conditions have by and large improved all around us. Developments in science and technology, trade and commerce and communications have helped provide a better living condition for vast majority of population around the world.

Improvements in medical field have rendered better healthcare facilities available now to more and more people, as compared to four or five decades ago. Cost of healthcare and unfair practices by some medical practitioners and institutions are no doubt a serious concern even today. Medical insurance is a very costly affair allover the world. It is also not available to the super elderly people, when actually it is most required. Many senior citizen do not have the umbrella of employer provided health insurance facilities. 

One serious problem that haunts most elderly people is one of proper assistance, care and company in the advanced years. Care is available when they are hospitalised or under rehabilitation cycle. But once they are discharged from these facilities or they are not in acute distress requiring hospitalisation but need support at home, there is a gap in support that needs to be filled. There are many efforts made to bridge this gap in the last decade. 

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Demands of remunerative employment take the younger generation family members to different countries and far off places within the country. This results in the elderly family members to live on their own in the advanced years of their lives. It is not always possible for the younger people to keep their parents or elders with them due to income constraints, especially in the early years of their careers. Even when they are able to do so, many issues involved in the areas of obtaining visas or residency status restricts such efforts. The many uncertainties haunting the various sections of people in this area, rendered even more acute due to the recent developments in some countries, is contributing to the problem of lack of support for elderly people at home. 

There are some people in advanced age who are better placed financially, either because they had earned and saved well in their working years, or their children can contribute to their living expenses. They are somewhat in a better position compared to those who are not comfortable on the financial front. Even in their cases, physical support is essential but there is a gap to be filled. 

Visits to medical facilities, immediate care after discharge from hospitalisation and relief from boredom from living alone are basic issues for such elderly people. Door delivery of essentials, cooked food and medicines have somewhat eased the distress, but human company cannot be substituted with anything else. Even during routine visits for check-ups or minor surgical intervention, someone has to drive them to the facility and get them back home as they are advised not to drive after such visits due effects of medication and discomfort due to surgical interventions.

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There are many options available to the sick and elderly to address the above problems. Some of them are:

• Most of the big hospitals now provide "Chaperone" services for a small fee. Patients going along for checkups and minor surgical procedures not requiring hospitalisation can use this services. 
• Some hospitals also give contact numbers of service providers along with instructions for minor procedures for pickup from home and drop off after completing hospital work. These service providers have trained persons operating vehicles, and can provide emergency aid to patients, assist them from getting in and out of vehicles and move up to the assigned rooms. The vehicles are wheelchair compliant and provide safety, comfort and reliability to patients. 
• There are NGOs in various communities providing such services. Volunteers can register with such organisations for providing patient services in their spare time. Charges are usually reasonable and very reliable about following timings and safety. 
• There are also organisations that provide an entire range of services for a fee and companionship for physical support when patients or elderly people require them. 
• There are many people who provide services on their own, without being affiliated to any organisations. They provide support whenever they can and can be contacted by people known to them. This runs more on person-to-person basis and is usually free of charge.

There may be other sources as well. Enquiries in the community may reveal such support systems.

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There are certain messages circulating in WhatsApp University during the past one week, relating to the above issues. There is one video in which a young man is worried and his friend enquires about the reasons for his worry. He states that his aged parents are in India and need help with hospital visits, but he is in a far away country. She advises him to contact a certain organisation that gives such support as well as all other requirements, and sends a bill to her for payments. Charges are reasonable and services reliable.

What about volunteers who do this job in their spare time without expecting financial rewards? They are fine today and can provide support to others. What about their own requirements down the time line? They may themselves require support on a future date. Who will give them such support when they really need it? They help scores of people now, but they themselves may not find anyone to lend a helping hand three decades later!

The concept of "Time Bank" has found answer for this question. There are organisations in various communities that run an efficient system of enrolling volunteers, assigning service requirements to them, and keeping a record of time they spend in helping others. They are given "Time Credits" for each efforts. 

The measurement is purely in terms of hours spent by them in serving others. Their account in the "Time Bank" is credited with "Time Hours" or "Time Dollars" with no expiry period. They can encash it future with assured support from the organisation when they truly need!

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An enquiry in your community may provide the details of many organisations that provide such services. If you are young and capable, enroll with them fast. 

What to do if there is no such organisation around you? Well, that is an opportunity for you to start one yourself!

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This happens to be my blog post number 500. My sincere and heartfelt thanks to all my family members, friends and readers who have constantly encouraged me with their kind words and regular feedback.