New Delhi [India], February 8: In 2005, when her children were a little over a year old, Sangeetha Chakrapani saw an article in the newspaper that made her heart thud painfully. ‘The ten signs of autism’, it stated and went on to explain. As Sangeetha read on, many of the signs reminded her of Jayanthi, her third child. In the next two years, Lakshmi and Jayanthi – two of Sangeetha’s children were diagnosed with autism, a lifelong developmental disorder that affects the cognitive, social, and emotional development of an individual. While Sangeetha worked with her children with the help of professionals, she constantly thought of the road that lay ahead. It became imperative to plan for a safe and thriving environment in which her daughters and others with special needs could live happily and productively even after the lifetime of their parents.
According to a report by ETHealthWorld, about 18 million people in India are diagnosed with autism. For parents of children with autism, the goals are manifold: teaching daily living skills, helping them cope with academics, finding alternatives if academics do not work out, developing work skills, ensuring active employment and engagement, and teaching socially appropriate behavior. Through this hard-working journey between parent and child, unique strengths and capabilities are discovered that need to be tapped to their highest potential.
As the first step, Sangeetha Chakrapani established a training center, Together Foundation that imparts work skills to young adults with autism and special needs. However, this did not answer the question of what is after us. This was when Sangeetha began developing an idea for a residential community where adults with special needs could live independently, get the additional support they needed, be constructively occupied, and live in a vibrant and caring environment.
The Together Community at Hosur, near Bangalore, is a residential space for individuals with autism and special needs and their families.
The project has been founded and conceptualized by Together Foundation along with Vedaanta Senior Living as a partner. It is a 40-unit community consisting of furnished studio apartments (for special adults) and independent villa accommodation (for parents).
The community is developed and managed by Vedaanta Senior Living, experts in senior living care who will oversee services across food and beverage, safety, maintenance, and other aspects of the gated community. Together Foundation will design, implement, and oversee the welfare, care, and overall skill development of special needs individuals. The Together Community will be managed by an extensive team of people for day-to-day services, caregivers, mental health professionals, primary health center services, medical panels, etc. The customized features and amenities include large open green spaces, sensory walking areas, and a skill development center that will ensure that the adults engage in meaningful activities for nourishment.
The vision of the community is to give special adults the care that they would receive at their homes after transitioning to a residential community that would enable them to live independently.
The 2 BHK villa residences for The Together Community parents will have all the features and amenities of a senior living community with the services for the same managed by Vedaanta Senior Living. Strategically located between Bangalore and Chennai, the community has easy access to reputed hospitals, Hosur bus stand, and railway station. Such a project is one of its kind in Bangalore.
Mr Vijay Krishnamoorthy is a US citizen with a 33-year-old son with autism. He is one of the first parents who will move into The Together Community. Mr Krishnamoorthy says that while the US provided an excellent state-funded day rehabilitation program for his son, it could not be the answer to the “What after us?” question. We could not be sure about our son’s safety and happiness without us in the picture, emphasizes Krishnamoorthy. Plus, residential spaces for special adults would come at prohibitive prices even for well-heeled citizens. The Together Community appealed to the Krishnamoothys with its extensively planned and thoughtfully structured concept and competitive pricing.
Today development of the project has commenced with several parents’ villas nearing completion and construction commencing shortly for the common amenities and studio block. Together Foundation is actively working with the parents on a transition plan to ensure a smooth transition into the community in the year 2025.
What makes The Together Community unique is its parent-driven model that ensures the genuineness of care, continuity, and wisdom on the best practices for handling caregiving and nurturing. The parents will spearhead activities, depending upon their area of expertise and interest. Added to this is the role of Vedaanta Senior Living, a professional organization with vast experience in managing assisted and senior living communities ensuring consistency and continuity of services.
About Together Foundation
www.togetherfoundationtrust.org
Together Foundation is a registered public charitable trust, based in Mumbai. The organization was founded by Sangeetha and V Chakrapani, parents to two adult daughters with autism, along with professionals in the field of medicine and disabilities. The Together runs a training center and sheltered employment workshop that works with young people with autism and other intellectual disabilities.
About Vedaanta Senior Living
Vedaanta Senior Living is a specialist senior care company that is run with the culminated efforts of successful professionals who grew India’s largest chain and brand in senior care housing. Founded in 2015, Vedaanta’s Vision is to provide superior care and comfort at affordable cost to seniors. From a modest beginning in 2015, within 9 years Vedaanta has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the senior living sector, with more than twelve communities in six-plus locations and counting. The central objective at Vedaanta is to create hassle-free lifestyle solutions for the elderly by developing senior-friendly retirement communities and facilitating essential, emergency, basic, comfort, lifestyle, and advisory services.
The Together Community is open for booking and will be ready to move in by 2025.
POC –
Swati Singh
Vedaanta Senior Living
Contact No – +91 8793255908
Email – swati@vedaanta.com
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