Forty years ago, a young man joined the Madras School of Social Work with the idea of working in a company on completion of the social work course :K.R.Gangadharan. He was a talented student and successfully completed the postgraduate programme. On completion, he joined a private company as Industrial Relations Officer. He then worked in two corporate groups before joining Apollo Hospitals as Manager ,where he was promoted as General Manager. He then shifted his base to
Hyderabad and while he was Vice-President of a corporate hospital, he decided to be on his own. At that time I placed before him a vision and a plan to enter the field of ageing, in which I had been modestly active. He was sceptical of my suggestion because he was unfamiliar with the field of elder care. But finally he started the Heritage Institute for the Care of the Elderly at Hyderabad, an exclusive health centre and hospital for the older persons. It was the first venture of its kind in India. Since then Gangadharan has expanded services to the elderly such as nursing care and bedside assistance to bedridden elderly at their homes, training nursing personnel and bedside assistants, apartments for the older persons with support services, and a variety of other innovative elder care measures. He took active interest in the global body International Federation on Ageing (IFA) and visited almost all countries spending his own hard-earned money. Impressed by his enthusiasm Gangadharan was first elected as a Director of IFA and subsequently as its President. He was the first President of IFA below 60 years. He contributed significantly for the expansion of IFA globally.
Gangadharan was awarded PhD for his well-researched dissertation on Care Burden of Care Givers of Bedridden Elderly. Dr. Gangadharan was invited to speak at the White House Conference on Ageing in 2005. He was a member of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing to facilitate UN efforts. He was invited as a Resource Person by the UN ESCAP and WHO SEAR in many of their regional meetings of experts on ageing. He was appointed by the Government of India as a member of the five -member committee which drafted the revised National Policy on Senior Citizens in 2011. Earlier he was a member of the National Council of Older Persons from 2006-2011. He was also a member of the Andhra Pradesh State Advisory Council to implement the national policy on older persons. Dr. Gangadharan has been very active in promoting elder care organisations and services in all states in India. He maintains excellent relations with the state , national and international bodies on ageing.
Dr.K.R.Gangadharan is synonymous with elder care movement in India. His wife Nalini has been vibrantly involved in skill development of the youth in Indian States and in African countries .They both are wonderful parents who have empowered their daughters Pournima and Pavithra as competent professionals capable of carrying on the initiatives of Gangadharan and Nalini. Still younger in age, Dr.Gangadharan has many many more years of active service left in him to enrich the lives of the elderly in India and in other countries.
Hyderabad and while he was Vice-President of a corporate hospital, he decided to be on his own. At that time I placed before him a vision and a plan to enter the field of ageing, in which I had been modestly active. He was sceptical of my suggestion because he was unfamiliar with the field of elder care. But finally he started the Heritage Institute for the Care of the Elderly at Hyderabad, an exclusive health centre and hospital for the older persons. It was the first venture of its kind in India. Since then Gangadharan has expanded services to the elderly such as nursing care and bedside assistance to bedridden elderly at their homes, training nursing personnel and bedside assistants, apartments for the older persons with support services, and a variety of other innovative elder care measures. He took active interest in the global body International Federation on Ageing (IFA) and visited almost all countries spending his own hard-earned money. Impressed by his enthusiasm Gangadharan was first elected as a Director of IFA and subsequently as its President. He was the first President of IFA below 60 years. He contributed significantly for the expansion of IFA globally.
Gangadharan was awarded PhD for his well-researched dissertation on Care Burden of Care Givers of Bedridden Elderly. Dr. Gangadharan was invited to speak at the White House Conference on Ageing in 2005. He was a member of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing to facilitate UN efforts. He was invited as a Resource Person by the UN ESCAP and WHO SEAR in many of their regional meetings of experts on ageing. He was appointed by the Government of India as a member of the five -member committee which drafted the revised National Policy on Senior Citizens in 2011. Earlier he was a member of the National Council of Older Persons from 2006-2011. He was also a member of the Andhra Pradesh State Advisory Council to implement the national policy on older persons. Dr. Gangadharan has been very active in promoting elder care organisations and services in all states in India. He maintains excellent relations with the state , national and international bodies on ageing.
Dr.K.R.Gangadharan is synonymous with elder care movement in India. His wife Nalini has been vibrantly involved in skill development of the youth in Indian States and in African countries .They both are wonderful parents who have empowered their daughters Pournima and Pavithra as competent professionals capable of carrying on the initiatives of Gangadharan and Nalini. Still younger in age, Dr.Gangadharan has many many more years of active service left in him to enrich the lives of the elderly in India and in other countries.
Great work Ganga
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