The Center of Excellence for developing Age-Friendly Communities was proposed in 2015 as an innovative initiative of MAGICS NGO with the objective of creating projects under the eight domains that qualify an age-friendly community. The center aims at creating Kerala State an age-friendly state through building a network of committed panchayats/ municipalities/ Cities. Standard projects and programs may be popularised throughout the state which provides opportunity to learn from various model and have unified programs. The Center collaborates with professional bodies and institutions to develop programs that could be upscaled throughout the state. The major role of the Center is to create a common ground for organisations and institutions to interact towards a age-friendly world.

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR DEVELOPING AGE - FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES (CEDAC)

Smritiyoram

Smritiyoram Memory Café, a pioneering initiative in Kerala, India, has been instrumental in fostering a supportive community for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. As part of the Age-Friendly Kochi initiative, this monthly gathering offers a welcoming space for participants to engage in culturally relevant activities, connect with others, and receive valuable support. By partnering with local organizations and healthcare professionals, Smritiyoram provides comprehensive care, including caregiver workshops and educational resources. This initiative has not only reduced the stigma surrounding dementia but has also empowered caregivers and fostered a sense of belonging within the community.

Status: Ongoing

Kochi, Kerala, is striving to become an Age-Friendly City as part of the WHO Global Network. CEDAC proposes the establishment of a resource center named RespectAge to combat elder abuse and ageism within the city. RespectAge will serve as a one-stop center for older persons, their families, and the public, providing support, information, and guidance.

RespectAge Resource Center has the potential to significantly reduce elder abuse in Kochi by providing a comprehensive support system and fostering a culture of respect for older adults. This project aligns with Kochi's Age-Friendly City goals and contributes to the WHO Global Network's mission of creating livable communities for all ages.

RespectAge -Resource Center

Status: Initiated

The Center of Excellence for developing Age-Friendly Communities was proposed in 2015 as an innovative initiative of MAGICS NGO with the objective of creating projects under the eight domains that qualify an age-friendly community. The center aims at creating Kerala State an age-friendly state through building a network of committed panchayats/ municipalities/ Cities. Standard projects and programs may be popularised throughout the state which provides opportunity to learn from various model and have unified programs. The Center collaborates with professional bodies and institutions to develop programs that could be upscaled throughout the state. The major role of the Center is to create a common ground for organisations and institutions to interact towards a age-friendly world.

The School of Seniors

Status: Initiated

Living Streets of Kochi

Our mission is to provide safe and dignified living conditions for Kochi's street dwellers, including abandoned and wandering senior citizens, vagabond people, homeless individuals, and migrant workers without shelter. Through this project, we aim to offer immediate relief, rehabilitation, and long-term solutions to address the root causes of homelessness and improve the overall well-being of the affected population.

We envision a Kochi where every individual, regardless of their circumstances, has access to basic necessities such as shelter, food, and healthcare. By providing sustainable housing solutions and support services, we aspire to restore dignity, empower individuals to rebuild their lives, and create a more inclusive and compassionate community for all.

Status: To Initiate

VAYO-VIGYAN (Life-Long Learning Opportunities)

Developing a toolkit for training older adults in technology, including computers, smart phones, new gadgets, and safety devices, represents a proactive step toward empowering older learners with essential technology skills. Using such a toolkit, colleges and schools can provide training to the elderly with the help of their children and teachers. Realizing the growing importance of online services, especially with the introduction of the K Smart App by the Kerala government, focusing on technology education for the elderly is highly relevant. The toolkit can follow a comprehensive assessment of the existing curriculum, addressing the need for updated and detailed learning resources.

Status: Ongoing

VAYO-PRATHIBHA (Talents and Wisdom)

It underscores the importance of recognizing diverse talents at different ages and promotes a holistic view of human potential beyond traditional timelines. It encourages recognition of the richness and variation of abilities and promotes an inclusive perspective that values the unique contributions of individuals throughout their lives. If the benefit of skill development is also made available to such senior citizens, one more source of income will be opened. This also gives you the opportunity to live a long working life with dignity without dependence.

Status: Initiated

RESPIRE

RESPIRE is a unique program that integrates physical exercise with traditional art forms of Kerala such as Thiruvathira, Kolkali, Kalari, and Yoga. This program focuses on incorporating the bodily movements of these art forms to help individuals balance their body, control their breath, and reduce the risk of falls. By combining elements of traditional art with physical exercise, RESPIRE aims to improve neuromuscular and overall body coordination.

The incorporation of hand and leg movements from traditional art forms helps individuals develop a strong foundation in balance and stability. These movements require precision and control, which in turn help in strengthening the muscles and improving overall body coordination. By practicing these movements regularly, individuals can enhance their proprioception and spatial awareness, leading to better balance and reduced risk of falls, especially in older adults.

Status: To Initiate

SAMAYA BANK

This is a time bank concept initiated by Jai Bharat College, Perumbavoor. This encourages students and volunteers to take part in volunteering activities and get credit in the form of credit hours. It is expected that these credit hours of social work for older persons can be beneficial for their career in many ways. In the next step, we are also considering exchange of credit hours for care, getting care for a dear one and for self too in later life.

Status: Ongoing

VAYOSMITHAM : Enhancing Oral Health for Older Adults

Vayosmitham is a pioneering initiative aimed at improving the oral health and overall well-being of older adults. Launched by CEDAC (Center of Excellence for Developing Age-Friendly Communities), this project is dedicated to promoting awareness, preventive care, and early detection of oral health issues among the aging population. As oral health plays a critical role in the quality of life and overall health of older persons, Vayosmitham focuses on providing comprehensive oral health screenings, education, and community-based outreach activities.

Status: Ongoing

HANDYMAN SERVICES (Home maintenance and modifications)

Finding maintenance personnel for small repairs, plumbing, electrical maintenance, light masonry work, etc. is currently challenging for everyone, but it is especially tough for the elderly. Senior citizen crimes are also on the rise, with elderly people's homes being broken into by unknown individuals, putting them at risk. A person with expertise in maintenance is called a maintenance worker. These folks receive instruction and assistance in order to guarantee that their labors will provide greater results. The fundamentals of using and integrating new tools and technologies will be taught in classes that are organized in partnership with ITIs or engineering universities. In order to give older residents jobs, we will prioritize hiring senior maintenance personnel. Therefore, certified by the police and qualified maintenance staff in the city will solve the problem of availability of such workers and provide adequate recommendations regarding safety measures for the home.

Status: Initiated

SENIOR WALK TRAIL

"Senior Walk Trail" seeks to make Kochi a more age-friendly city by enhancing the health and wellbeing of its citizens, particularly the elderly. The project's specific goals are to encourage morning walks and, by creative solutions, create an urban environment that is health-conscious. A variety of activities will be available at kiosks. There will be kiosks for Blood pressure, Blood sugar monitoring, as well as water and health drinks for check-ups. The kiosks will have designs for educational banners about government initiatives, health, and other topics. Regular events at the kiosk will include YOGA classes, Laughter club activities, Music therapy sessions, Exercise training, Fall risk prevention, etc.

Status: Planning Phase

SALLAPAM

It is an innovative scheme to bring happiness to the elderly through intergenerational interactions. The project will encourage trained youth volunteers make regular phone calls to assigned senior with mutual consent and also to visit the homes if in need of services. Home visits help the elderly to open their minds and find solutions to many problems. They will be referred wherever counseling or other professional support is needed. Another component of this project is to help them go on an outing, tour, picnic, shopping or a walk. This will help them overcome the boredom of being alone at home and make new friends and networks.
Similarly, Sallapam team will also make regular visit to assigned retirement homes.

Status: Ongoing

G-TOURISM

Travel and tourism play a major role in improving the mental and social health of older people. As part of Mission Age Friendly Ernakulam, it is a creative program designed to provide relaxation and entertainment to senior citizens from their regular tiring lifestyle.

G-Tourism is a platform to bring together all the senior citizens of Kochi to visit some of the important tourist spots in Kochi.

The primary objective is to arrange visits to important tourist attractions in Kochi, allowing the elderly to escape from the shackles of their daily lives. Geriatric tourism aims to meet the travel needs and interests of the elderly. This is expected to improve the city's tourism industry as more elderly people visit the city from other parts of the country and international tourists.

Status: Ongoing

3G Agriculture

3G Agriculture promotes agriculture in small scales to provide part of essential nutrients through partnership of all the generations. Here schools and colleges are encouraged to have kitchen garden or a facility to provide sprouts or microgreens to older persons in partnership. Apart from microgreens, regular vegetable / fruit garden may be maintained jointly by students and older persons in the locality facilitated by teachers.

Microgreens are an excellent pastime for the older persons and are very simple to grow. Both daycare centers and assisted living facilities can implement it in their homes. Basic horticulture instruction and assistance with necessary instruments can be provided from the CEDAC. Consuming microgreen on a daily basis has been shown to improve health. Microgreens can be produced inside without the use of fertilizers or pesticides.

Status: Initiated

DEMENTIA FRIENDLY KOCHI

Dementia screening is done to identify dementia and those at risk of dementia early. It can help prevent dementia or delay the onset of dementia. Services for families affected by dementia will initiate telemedicine support to manage caregiver stress and provide follow-up. Awareness classes and trainings will be conducted to ensure the scheme. A comprehensive helpline and follow-up system will be set up for dementia sufferers and dementia sufferers. Dementia day care centers and therapy centers will be established as part of the project. Memory clinics will also be supported in this project.

Status: Ongoing

Building Blocks for Healthy Ageing

Kerala has impressive social indicators with a high literacy rate and a robust healthcare system. Despite Kerala's strengths, there are gaps in early childhood health services. These gaps can contribute to delayed diagnosis, missed opportunities for prevention, limited education, substance abuse and behavioral problems and so on. This programme aims on by promoting healthy behaviours and skills to be happy in life right from early childhood, strengthening well-child checkups to incorporate early detection methods for a wider range of health concerns, Integrating preventive measures and health education for children and caregivers into well-child checkups etc. Also aims by focusing on early detection and prevention, this project aims to contribute to a significant reduction in the future burden of NCDs in Kerala to build healthy ageing community from childhood itself.

Status: To Initiate

GENERATION GAMES

This is a concept pioneered in Norway and we have adopted and adapted through collaboration with the International Generation Games Association based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is a scheme to promote physical activity and sport throughout life. Prevention and management of lifestyle diseases, the aim of this project is to bridge the gap between generations. Some of the major achievements of the project are to make the city of Kochi age-friendly, improve the socio-psychological health of the elderly, and provide opportunities for sports competitions at all ages. The rule of the game is that each team will have at least two generations participating, where one will be a senior citizen. The objectives of the project are also to conduct athletic meet and other sports competitions for senior citizens only

Status: Initiated

SENIOR TAXI

Senior Taxi is an innovative program, which aimed to transform public transporting system to make age friendly district as part of Mission age friendly Ernakulam. This project encompasses selected auto-taxi drivers who will be given training for elderly care and basic life support. To promote mobility among elders in the city.It will help to create more opportunities for elderly citizens and disabled persons to interact with the community and they become more socialized.Age friendly taxies for the transportation needs of elderly, dedicated and committed for addressing the transportation needs of elderly. Trained drivers are helping the senior citizens throughout the travel and other kind of needs.

Status: Initiated

SENIOR CITIZENS SPORTS

The Senior Citizens Athletic Meet serves as a platform to promote physical well-being, social interaction, and a sense of community among elderly individuals. Engaging in sports and physical activities at an older age contributes to overall health, reducing the risk of chronic conditions and enhancing mobility. Beyond the physical benefits, the event fosters a supportive environment, encouraging seniors to stay active, build friendships, and maintain a positive outlook on life. It celebrates their resilience, promotes inclusivity, and highlights the importance of lifelong fitness, reinforcing the idea that age should not be a barrier to an active and fulfilling lifestyle.

Status: Ongoing

University of Third Age (U3A)

U3A is a concept that provides opportunity for life long learning and ensuring access to right information and recreation for fulfilling their social and mental emotional and existential needs. Apart from opportunities to contribute and learn, it opens opportunity for intergenerational activities through Age-friendly colleges. Such colleges provide learning opportunities for seniors where they can interact with other students and be part of the alumni. In some instance such as computer training, students become teachers while seniors are students and teachers are mentors. Scope of U3A is immense in a development angle as far as seniors are concerned.

Status: Ongoing

BRAIN GYM EXERCISES

Brain Gym exercises are a series of simple movements designed to stimulate brain function and improve cognitive abilities in elderly individuals. These exercises are specifically tailored to promote mental alertness, memory retention, and overall brain health in older adults. Engaging in Brain Gym exercises regularly can help prevent dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and functional decline by keeping the brain active and agile. By incorporating these exercises into daily routines, seniors can enhance their cognitive skills and maintain mental sharpness as they age. Brain Gym exercises focus on coordination, balance, and sensory integration, which are essential for maintaining brain function and preventing cognitive decline. Incorporating Brain Gym exercises into the daily routine of elderly individuals through oldage homes, residential area in the city can be a proactive approach to maintaining brain health and reducing the risk of cognitive decline associated with aging.

Status: To Initiate

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Emergency alert systems, call centers and helplines for the elderly will be developed. Elderly people can communicate with the push of a button, similar to the 911 system in countries like the United States. Emergency services can be provided with the help of various vigilance committees in the area while communicating through the latest centralized communication systems. Ambulance networks, hospitals, police departments and NGOs will be part of the network to provide services through a single platform.

Status: Initiated