In 2010, ZUN Foundation swiftly responded to a crisis, where a family friend of one of our trustees required assistance in dealing with a medical emergency for his parents as he had settled outside of India. The crisis began when his father, Mr Abdullah who had been shouldering all responsibilities within the household, unfortunately, suffered a series of cerebral strokes, leaving him in need of immediate medical attention and ongoing care. After facing multiple cerebral strokes, Mr Abdullah’s health suffered and he was faced with many challenges in the form of restricted physical abilities, weakness of his limbs, and reduced sensory perception while also having to go through multiple hospitalizations. Considering the long-term impact of his condition on his daily activities and his advanced age, it became essential to provide Mr Abdullah with medical care and rehabilitation in the familiar and comforting environment of his own home.
In response to the situation, our trustees, in collaboration with our network of dedicated medical professionals - organised and supervised the setting up of a nursing rota. Recognising the critical role of nurses and arranging this system ensured that skilled and trained nurses were present around the clock to attend to Mr Abdullah's needs and deliver hospital-grade care. The presence of these compassionate nurses brought comfort to Mr Abdullah and his wife who he lived with and gave reassurance to his children who were living overseas.
The Foundation was also able to identify skilled doctors who could provide home visits and offer the medical assistance he required for the long-term management of his condition from the comfort of his home.
Recognizing the need for comprehensive assistance, the Foundation under the request of the couple’s children stepped in to manage the domestic affairs of the elderly couple. They took care of bill payments and rent collection, alleviating the burden from the family's shoulders during this challenging time. Unfortunately, a year later Mr Abdullah passed away and a few months afterwards Mrs Abdullah’s medical condition began to deteriorate. She experienced a paralytic stroke and so the same system of nurses and doctors was employed in looking after her as well.
Through this system, Mr and Mrs Abdullah were given the best medical care and looked after in the later years of their lives in the familiar space of their home. This system not only ensured that the couple received dedicated care from familiar and well-trained faces but also went on to create employment opportunities for qualified individuals within the community who took to growing their own community of geriatric nurses and carried this system on for other patients in the community.
