Chembur-based senior cardiologist Dr Sandip Rane’s eyes light up as he recalls ringing in a patient’s 100th birthday at his home, in the company of the centenarian’s family. “On his 102nd birthday, they moved him into an old age home,” the 67-year-old sighs. Moved by such first-hand experiences, corroborated by the recent spike in old age homes in the city, Rane’s Helping Hands initiative aims to make ageing a tad brighter in the seniors’ own neighbourhoods.

For the past three weekends, old-timers have been beelining to the Pestom Sagar Citizens’ Forum hall in the mostly quiet, residential neighbourhood of Chembur. The walls of the hall will have a different story to tell. With the help of young local volunteers, the group swayed and twisted to dance-y tunes. They might as well have been shaking off a few years off their age, Rane believes. “Once you’re past 30, your body loses muscle with every passing day. By the time you’re 60, you will have lost nearly 30 per cent of your muscle mass. The only way to counter it is using the muscles to move,” he reminds us.  

A participant is engrossed in a game; (right) volunteers help a senior citizen at the session. Pics/Dhiraj Bhoir, Rane Hospital