American Friends of HelpAge India

06/16/2026

Yesterday on (WEAAD) 2026, HelpAge India launched its landmark national research report, "Climate Resilient Ageing – Ensuring Care, Dignity & Agency", in New Delhi.

The report brings urgent attention to the intersection of ageing and climate change, highlighting how floods, droughts, heatwaves, and other climate-related hazards are increasingly impacting the lives, livelihoods, health, and well-being of older persons, particularly in rural India. Recent findings show that 78% of older persons surveyed experienced at least one climate-related hazard in the last three years.

One message resonated throughout the discussions: climate resilience is strongest when it is built with older persons, not merely for them. Their experience, wisdom, and leadership are indispensable in shaping sustainable and inclusive solutions.



Watch the recording of the event here now: https://www.youtube.com/live/yl4XtM_l9yw?feature=shared

06/13/2026

06/11/2026

06/05/2026

This , let us recognize that creating a sustainable future requires inclusive action—where every generation has a voice and a role to play.

Together, we can build communities that are greener, stronger, and more resilient.

🌱 Learn more and support our work: www.af-hi.org

06/02/2026

In a world obsessed with anti-ageing, what if we paused to ask: why are we so afraid of looking like we have lived?

Somewhere along the way, growing older became something to hide.
Wrinkles softened. Hair coloured. Time disguised.

We are told to fight ageing, resist it, erase every sign of it.
But doesn't ageing have a beauty of its own?

These hands have raised families, weathered storms, held grief, offered comfort and built lives. Today, they wear mehendi, paint each other’s nails and play freely.

At our Senior Care Homes, these moments are small, joyful acts of celebration - reminders that beauty belongs to every age and every person deserves to feel beautiful, cared for and celebrated at every stage of life.

What if we stopped asking how to look younger and started asking how to age with joy, dignity and self-love?

What does ageing beautifully look like to you? 💛

06/02/2026

05/26/2026

For many older persons in India, even simple movements like standing up, walking, or climbing stairs can become painful challenges due to arthritis, paralysis, and age-related mobility issues.

Physiotherapy is not just about treatment — it is about restoring dignity, confidence, and independence.

Through physiotherapy and rehabilitative care, older persons can regain mobility, reduce pain, and improve their quality of life, allowing them to live with greater comfort and self-reliance.

HelpAge India’s Physiocare programme has already delivered thousands of physiotherapy sessions across India, helping elders take meaningful steps toward healthier and more active ageing.

Every step regained is a step toward living with dignity. 💛

Support elder care and learn more about the Physiocare programme here: https://af-hi.org/our-work/agecare/physiocare

05/20/2026

Hypertension remains one of the most significant yet under-recognised health risks among older persons in India.

Nearly one in two senior citizens aged 60 and above lives with this disease, often called a “silent killer” because it can quietly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and cognitive decline without obvious symptoms.

Yet, with regular monitoring, timely treatment, healthy lifestyle choices and greater awareness, hypertension can be managed effectively.

Yesterday, we marked 'World Hypertension Day' (May 17), with the theme this year being: "Controlling Hypertension Together". Let us take a moment today to remember that healthy ageing begins with preventive care, early action and accessible healthcare support for older persons.

Because good heart health is not only about adding years to life, but helping older persons continue to live those years with strength, dignity and independence.

Share this with your parents, grandparents and loved ones to encourage regular monitoring and healthier ageing.

भारत में उच्च रक्तचाप (हाइपरटेंशन) बुज़ुर्गों के बीच सबसे गंभीर लेकिन अक्सर नज़रअंदाज़ किए जाने वाले स्वास्थ्य जोखिमों में से एक बना हुआ है।

60 वर्ष और उससे अधिक आयु के लगभग हर दो में से एक वरिष्ठ नागरिक इस समस्या से प्रभावित है। इसे अक्सर “साइलेंट किलर” कहा जाता है, क्योंकि यह बिना किसी स्पष्ट लक्षण के धीरे-धीरे हृदय रोग, स्ट्रोक और संज्ञानात्मक क्षमता में कमी (कॉग्निटिव डिक्लाइन) का जोखिम बढ़ा सकता है।

फिर भी, नियमित जांच, समय पर उपचार, स्वस्थ जीवनशैली और जागरूकता के माध्यम से उच्च रक्तचाप को प्रभावी रूप से नियंत्रित किया जा सकता है।

कल हमने ‘विश्व उच्च रक्तचाप दिवस’ (17 मई) मनाया, जिसका इस वर्ष का विषय था — “मिलकर उच्च रक्तचाप को नियंत्रित करें”। आइए आज एक क्षण निकालकर याद करें कि स्वस्थ वृद्धावस्था की शुरुआत निवारक देखभाल, समय रहते उठाए गए कदमों और बुज़ुर्गों के लिए सुलभ स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं से होती है।

क्योंकि अच्छा हृदय स्वास्थ्य केवल जीवन के वर्षों को बढ़ाने के बारे में नहीं है, बल्कि यह सुनिश्चित करने के बारे में भी है कि बुज़ुर्ग उन वर्षों को शक्ति, गरिमा और आत्मनिर्भरता के साथ जी सकें।

इस संदेश को अपने माता-पिता, दादा-दादी और प्रियजनों के साथ साझा करें, ताकि नियमित जांच और स्वस्थ वृद्धावस्था के प्रति जागरूकता बढ़ाई जा सके।

05/16/2026

As many of us celebrate the women who raised us, nurtured us and stood by us through every stage of life, it is also worth pausing to think of the countless elderly mothers and grandmothers who spend their later years in silence, loneliness and neglect.

Chanda Maiya is one of them. At 70, she lives alone despite having three sons. Years of diabetes, hypertension and arthritis have confined her to her bed, making even the smallest daily tasks a struggle. Most days pass in isolation, as she waits for the familiar knock on her door — the arrival of our Mobile Healthcare Unit (MHU) team.

For Chanda Maiya, these visits mean far more than medicines and medical check-ups. They bring care, comfort, reassurance and human connection. In moments of loneliness, they remind her that she has not been forgotten.

After a lifetime of putting their families first, many older women are left to navigate illness, ageing and emotional distress on their own. Elderly women are among the most vulnerable when it comes to healthcare access, financial security and emotional support — yet they are often the most overlooked.

Through HelpAge India's Mobile Healthcare Units, we are reaching elders like Chanda Maiya with dignity, compassion and hope, ensuring that age and isolation do not stand in the way of care.

Support elders in need and help us bring healthcare, comfort and companionship to those who need it most: https://af-hi.org/our-work/healthcare/primary-healthcare