Hope EK A.S.H.A.

Beginning of Hope Ek A.S.H.A.

The founder of Hope Ek A.S.H.A., Dr. Sushma Chawla, who is a medical doctor practicing in Greater Kailash, New Delhi since 1980, established this NGO to aid Senior Citizens suffering from Alzheimer Disease and their caregivers since 2001.

Back in 1999, after the death of her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Chawla embarked on a solo mission to support Alzheimer's patients' families. She provided care for her mother for five years and then began counseling similar families. Over time, volunteers joined her, and on the first anniversary of her mother's death in 2000, an informal support group was formed. A significant turning point occurred when her article "LIFE IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE" was published in The Times of India in 2000, bringing together 265 families across India facing the same challenges due to Alzheimer's. This led to the formation of the NGO "Hope Ek A.S.H.A." on 03.09.2001, officially registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. The NGO received Special Consultative Status from the United Nations' Economic and Social Council on 24.07.2018, solidifying its impactful work in Alzheimer's caregiving support.

Back in 1999, after the death of her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Chawla embarked on a solo mission to support Alzheimer's patients' families. She provided care for her mother for five years and then began counseling similar families. Over time, volunteers joined her, and on the first anniversary of her mother's death in 2000, an informal support group was formed. A significant turning point occurred when her article "LIFE IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE" was published in The Times of India in 2000, bringing together 265 families across India facing the same challenges due to Alzheimer's. This led to the formation of the NGO "Hope Ek A.S.H.A." on 03.09.2001, officially registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. The NGO received Special Consultative Status from the United Nations' Economic and Social Council on 24.07.2018, solidifying its impactful work in Alzheimer's caregiving support.

Mission

Hope Ek A.S.H.A.’s mission, since its inception, has been to fill the lives of Persons with Dementia with love and compassion, ensuring their dignity. To do this, we have a set of goals to guide us:

Vision

On a macro level, an ideal future where there is sufficient awareness and resources for Dementia care is our vision. For this, we hope to establish a Dementia Village.…

Values

Caring for Persons with Dementia with compassion involves treating them with empathy, understanding, and kindness. A.S.H.A. is truly a beacon of hope towards anyone suffering from dementia and their loved ones. …

Founder President Hope Ek A.S.H.A.

Dr. Sushma Chawla is the Founder President of Hope Ek A.S.H.A., an NGO working for the care of Senior Citizens suffering from Alzheimer’s / Dementia (Memory Loss) and their caregivers through its committed team of medical professionals and volunteers.

Dr. Sushma Chawla is a medical practitioner and has been in family practice since 1979, she has been working in the field of Gynaecology & Obstetrics and runs her own clinic in Greater Kailash - II, New Delhi. She has an MBBS degree from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.

She has also served as the Chief Medical Officer For institutions IDBI, REC, PTC, IFCI, BMB, TFCI, and Bhartiya Mahila Bank, at the Delhi office. Presently she is the Chief Medical Officer at IFCI Ltd, IVCF Ltd, and IVCF Venture.

She is an active contributor to the medical fraternity in Delhi as a Lifetime Member of Indian Medical Association, Delhi Medical Association, Indian Medical Association (South Delhi Branch) Indian Menopause Society and Delhi Diabetic forum. She has carried the glory of Indian medicine to National and International conferences and presented papers on subjects of interest and research.

In the month of August last year, she was invited as a Plenary Speaker at 14th World Summit on Alzheimer’s Dementia Care Research and Awareness held in Boston. Her topic of the paper was ‘Legal and Financial Issues Of Dementia Patients’. To address issues related to Alzheimer’s and create awareness about the disease, she is running a memory screening camp at her residence. She is the proud mother of a daughter, an MBA, and a son, a dental surgeon working in the USA. She is now a grandmother fully supported by her husband in this endeavour.

Inspired to Start the Journey

Dr. Chawla started paying visits to the families who were facing similar challenges as hers with an Alzheimer’s patient at home. Few of the volunteers did join her to accompany her. It was then time to formalise the group to give a direction to the cause. On 28th December 2000, Dr. Chawla formed an informal support group for the caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients. But she knew that wasn’t enough, she wanted to reach out to more and more people who were suffering from this irreversible ailment.

A Step Forward

As it is rightly said, “Where there is will, there is a way”. On Saturday evening of 2001, she received a call from a journalist from The Times Of India where she was asked to share her journey as a caregiver and the challenges that she faced in caring for her mother. She had found a platform to spread information about a disease that people in the country were not fully aware of and about caregiving as a monumental task.

A Stepping Stone

Life In The Twilight Zone, an article published in The Times Of India the very next day had people calling her from across India. Dr. Chawla’s phone did not stop ringing. She received 325 calls to be precise from distressed caregivers.

A Dream Come True

This incident moved her so much that Dr. Chawla decided to give a structure to the informal group she had created and got it registered as an NGO called Hope Ek A.S.H.A., with her mother being the source of inspiration.

My Journey With My Mother

My mother, my friend, philosopher and guide was a very cheerful and committed woman. She was a caring mother and a loving grandmother.

Her life revolved around her four daughters and her husband. She was an extremely virtuous woman whose teachings will forever echo in my mission. The sad demise of my father led to the opening of Pandora's Box as explained.

Initially I thought she was lonely and depressed because of a large vacuum created after the loss of her life partner (my father). She suddenly became lonely in her own house which was always full of hustle and bustle. She loved having guests, so she would still work and supervise in the kitchen, wanted to prepare the best dish for her grandchildren and would always look forward to taking her son-in-law to Gaylord (a famous restaurant in Connaught Place, New Delhi).

I would often feel as if something was dying in her brain which could not be figured out. Suddenly she feared dark and sometimes later she refused any family dinners. Little did we know that it was Sun Down Syndrome that was showing up. My energetic and active mother slowly went down the stairs of a dark well despite my siblings’ occasional visits from the USA, to see her.

She started forgetting the calculation, forgot to switch off the gas and would come out of the bathroom without taking a bath. Sometimes my mother was irritable but most of the time she was still joyful and eagerly waiting for me to have lunch together. This raised a doubt in my mind, is she really losing her memory? Or is she just pretending to gain attention? Nonetheless, I never ever missed a day to visit her.

I physically stayed at home but mentally I was always with her and was stressed even in my sleep. I was deeply saddened by the deteriorating mental health condition of the woman (My mother) who gave birth to me and raised me. I already had the responsibility of my family and my profession but I accepted the responsibility of my mother gracefully and with gratitude.

It was in July 1999 she developed Hypertensive Encephalopathy and suddenly fell unconscious. The doctors in the hospital then did their best and I brought her home after a week. It was then that a neurologist advised brain biopsy to confirm her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

In the next six months, the deterioration was very fast and on 28th December 1999 she passed away very peacefully with a goodbye smile on her lips.