Umesh Grover, 68, is a former mechanical engineer. For the last two years, he has been at the helm of La Compassion, a facility for elders located in Bhayandarpada, Thane. Having converted a group of apartments in an upmarket high rise into a well-equipped care centre for seniors, he is often sought after by families looking to settle their elders in a residential set-up that cares for their age-related needs.

For the last few weeks, Grover has been setting out of the Thane facility to visit other old age homes in the neighbouring central suburbs. It's a recce, he says, to help some of his residents relocate. The lockdown has been a challenge for him and his staff of eight. No outsiders have been allowed entry. Grover is concerned that should one of his helps need to go on leave, finding a replacement will be impossible. Recently, he was compelled to request the families of two residents to take them home because they had grown "attendant-dependent". While the facility runs an assisted-living concept, with the staff helping the residents in their daily activities, including personal hygiene, feeding, grooming and assistance with meals, it's not equipped to handle fully-dependent seniors, especially during a staff crunch like now. Letting go hasn't been easy. Grover says he was deeply saddened to hear that one of the two residents, who had to leave, passed on barely 15 days after departure. "I thought they were taking him home. But I heard that the nursing home they moved him to was in deplorable condition."