India Home is a facility open to any senior citizen with the hope of creating a special place for senior citizens of South Asian descent to foster Indian values. My inspiration for this project came from a personal experience. Towards the end of his life, my father, an avid Sanskrit scholar and a man well versed in many fields of study, suffered from vascular dementia. As a result, his cognitive abilities gradually deteriorated. It was definitely one of the most painful times for me to see my father, a lover of books, unable to recognize words and letters. In many instances, he forgot who he was, his family, and other aspects of his life that he loved so much. This illness was only worsened by the lack of mental stimulation in my village in India. There was no community center or congregational area for people of his generation to meet. In addition, even if I tried to bring him to the United States, there would be no such facility here as well.

My friend, Dr. Kiran Dave, on the other hand, did indeed bring her mother to live with her family in the United States. Dr. Dave's mother was a remarkable woman. She received a Masters of Science in Zoology in a 1930s India. This feat in itself was mind boggling due to the social pressures at the time. She then went onto to become a professor in the field. She took care of her grand children and travelled extensively with her daughter's family for the first 10 years of her stay in America. Later she developed Alzheimer's dementia. Though she had interactions with other senior members of the Indian community, it was not on a regular basis. Therefore, her mental powers deteriorated as well. A once brilliant professor became a small senile lady. There was no area for her come together with members of her community and talk about common subjects of interest. There lacked a community center for her.

Such situations affect everyone. Dr. Amit Sood, a close friend of mine, brought his father-in-law over the Atlantic as well. Severely affected by Parkinson's disease, his father-in-law, Dr. Nagarajan, knew exactly what was happening to him. As a well known anesthesiologist in Hyderabad, Dr. Nagarajan was familiar with the disease and the symptoms. His mobility is limited due to the physical disability caused by the disease. Although there was interaction with other Indian seniors at social events, there was no facility to care for his disability and needs. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to expect regular senior homes to be sensitive to Indian customs. This dilemma left Dr. Sood and his wife to take complete care of Dr. Nagarajan. If there was a facility where he could spend some time with others of his own age existed, perhaps it would decrease the effects of the disease. There are many more stories such as these, but they all have one thing in common: Indian senior citizens. These people need a place of their own, one that is reminiscent of their Indian roots. For this reason, it dawned on me that an idea such as India Home is just waiting to be materialized.

- Vasundhara Kalasapudi