Yodda
20th October 2021
On 21st March 2020, I lost my mother to her tough battle with breast cancer. This came three years after my father succumbed to a paralytic stroke and lost his ability to sit, stand and speak. Despite the difficulty and suffering that accompanied these losses, I was blessed to have been able to spend their last few months with them. Even if this meant taking them for different scans, numerous doctors’ appointments and treatments, I was fortunate to have been living in the same city as them and was able to care for them in the comfort of our home. The more I thought about it, the less I knew how I would have handled these situations if I was still living in the United States as a working professional (I lived abroad, mostly in the US, between 1995 and 2009).
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These thoughts reminded me of the brain drain that took place in the late eighties and nineties, when most of my classmates moved to different parts of the world while their parents continued to stay here; dealing with ailments and loneliness, and the hassles of day-to-day life. This trend continues even today. More and more young Indians are choosing to leave India and pursue careers and families abroad. and while these are exciting and amazing opportunities for newer generations, it comes with the fact that more parents are finding themselves getting older in a world which is technologically evolving at an overwhelming pace.
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A few examples of the problems that our seniors are facing give you a clearer understanding of the challenge faced by our society:
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Seniors may have chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes which could cascade into more acute conditions that are complicated to manage. Diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia may even put their lives in danger while doing routine tasks like taking a walk on a well known route. Some seniors may require chemotherapy or dialysis on a recurring basis to deal with cancer or kidney failure. Managing medicines, doctor’s appointments, treatment routines and finances becomes debilitating without a reliable support system.
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The risk of critical emergencies related to medical reasons, break-ins or fire can exponentially increase in older people. When an old parent is living alone or with a disabled partner, they are often the target for criminal activities, and simple tasks like making tea could result in a fire due to forgetfulness. Mishandling emergencies could also lead to loss of life. Such situations can be easily prevented with the right level of monitoring and action.
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Being moved into old age homes can result in feelings of abandonment and resentment, especially due to foreign surroundings and sudden uprooting from a long-lasting community of friends & neighbours. This can further lead to feelings of loneliness and depression. Elders should have the luxury of living in their own homes with the right set of professional caretakers, if feasible.
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With the current pandemic, a lot of businesses have moved to contact-less approaches and solutions. Whether it’s food or medicine deliveries, bill payments, or routine shopping, most of these tasks are now done online by relying heavily on technology. This isn’t ideal for elders who are not tech-savvy or who have older & slower devices.
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Seniors may depend on the informal network of friends and neighbours for routine tasks & repairs, with little to no quality assurance or reliability. There is a good number of service providers who can provide reliable and cost-efficient services; however, they are available through different websites and apps, which may be too much of a hassle for the older generation.
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As the children of these senior citizens are living in different countries, they can can provide financial and emotional support, but may not always be able to help beyond that due to differing time zones and limited local knowledge & capabilities.
To bridge this gap and give children the opportunity to continue supporting their parents, wherever their path has led them, came the birth of Yodda.
The name of the company comes from the Sanskrit phrase 'Karma Yoddha'. The word 'Yoddha' means warrior, who understand their sense of purpose and duty, and are ready to do whatever it takes to secure the ones they are protecting. “Karma” is a word meaning the result of a person’s actions as well as the actions themselves. Thus, Yodda’s operations are built upon the shoulders of these warriors (literally, since our team of field operations personnel are army veterans ) who have a duty to their fate by taking on the responsibility of caring for parents in need in their golden years. It’s a win-win - Parents live worry-free, their children get immense peace of mind.
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Yodda is a premium parent care company that provides services and assistance, everything from routine to the extraordinary, to aging parents. Children sign up for the service, no matter where they are, and our team of trustworthy army veterans and the 24/7 emergency command centre ensures their parents are safe and comfortable, no matter the time of day.
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All the parents have to do is indicate that they need a service and consider it done. Our technology-driven platform makes this possible with the touch of a button. From proactive emergency monitoring and handling, finding top-tier medical and healthcare services, to grocery shopping and bill payments, Yodda is always Standing By.