Care Centre

Jacob’s Care Centre is a traditional village house, situated in Chettipalayam in South India. It has been renovated to provide a home for elderly people who are homeless or distressed; for those who just have nowhere else to turn.

The Centre is organised and run by manager Viji, as a simple South Indian family house rather than a Home. There are nine other staff members who cover everything from administration, nursing, cooking, cleaning, exercise and personal care. The doctor is nearby and on call whenever needed.

Our ethos

The ethos of Jacob’s Care Home is to provide care and security for as long as the resident needs help, to nurse them back to health where possible or to provide a protective and nurturing environment for the remainder of life.

Viji is wonderfully serene, and promotes harmony tolerance and co-operation, encouraging the residents to help to clean and tidy the house as well as care for and support each other. Residents help Ruckmani the cook in the kitchen by cleaning the rice, preparing vegetables and packaging meals for Outreach trips. Visitors are always welcome and neighbours and local donors often pop in.

There is a yoga session every day for residents and staff, and most mornings those who can, go for a walk around the village or visit the tea shop. Often Viji instigates an impromptu sing-song, and sometimes there is an outing to the cinema or the park. Some of the residents have been tradesmen in their younger days and they love to help with the regular maintenance jobs.

Students from the local Global Pathways School and from nearby Colleges visit regularly and provide entertainment – these are always very jolly occasions and everyone joins in enthusiastically! Vasanthi, the Jacob’s nurse, will sometimes organise afternoon games which they all enjoy. In spite of the difficult circumstances that brought them to Jacob’s, the residents are at ease with each other, and there is a great deal of joy and laughter at the Care Centre.