Let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.              Heb.4:16

SENIOR CITIZENS’ HOME

The Senior Citizens’ Home St. Margaret’s Place is one of the various Projects established in 2004 by the YWCA of Madras, Chennai.

St.Margarets Place is a semi circular building at the back of the sprawling YWCA campus on Poonamallee High Road. A natural pond in front of it, is home to colorful fish, ducks geese and turtles. In these sylvan surroundings live 27 senior citizens, enjoying the greenery, two indoor gardens in the courtyards and the bright and airy environs. Though just yards away from the noisy bustle of the main road, silence prevails here. St. Margaret’s Place enjoys both, the central location and the quiet in a green lung of this city.

St. Margaret’s Place accommodates 27 seniors from all walks of life, irrespective of any religion. It caters to the needs of women above the age of sixty. There are, in all 28 rooms with attached toilets, out of which 8 rooms are fitted with air-conditioners and 4 are built with disabled friendly accessories. As safety measures, there are a few facilities provided like the handle bars to hang on to, avoiding slipping and every room is equipped with an alarm system. Railings to hold on to and walk around the corridors.

Fresh breeze blows all the time. Bright sunshine floods the two courtyards. There is a Prayer Hall where the Residents gather for daily prayers. Most often, a speaker is invited to share the Word of God. A Pastor comes once a month to administer the Holy Communion. We have weekly Doctor visits. Adjoining the prayer hall, is the dining room and a recreational lounge where one can watch T.V. programmes, listen to music and play indoor games. Our Residents have been enjoying treats like special lunches and sweet meats brought to them by our thoughtful YWCA Members and also by relatives and friends.

As Visa Ravindran, one of our residents says, “The qualifiers most often associated with age like ‘old and frail’ or ‘old and helpless’ do not apply here. One thinks rather, with a smile, of Brigitte Bardot’s quip, “It is sad to grow old but nice to ripen” —- the senior citizens here are not sadly grown old but richly ripened: most of them are independent and self-reliant and a few get by with minimal help (the oldest resident is a sprightly 96!). What life has taught them is shared with others and that brings its own joy of shared experience.

Contact us:
Project Secretary: 6383893478
Phone: 26614138
Email id margaretsmjc@ywcamadras.org