Roshan Jacob
Our Founder, Roshan Jacob got inspired to start a care facility for the elderly after working few years in many corporate hospitals. While in the hospital environment, he watched many of his patients – especially seniors – leave the hospitals and return home, but not necessarily return to good health. He then started advantAGE Seniors which is now a well established organisation in elder care services in Bangalore.
Sowmya Lakshmi
Today, advantAGE seniors mantle is taken over by Sowmya Lakshmi, a renowned social gerontologist and she carry forward the mission with the same zeal and passion. Truly, Sowmya Lakshmi is compassion unlimited and from a very young age she discovered social work as her calling. She had her schooling and college in Mysore and even before she completed her studies she has been keenly associated with the HIV positive orphaned children’s education. In her college days she used to find time for teaching and helping these underprivileged children. Her deep in involvement with unfortunate underprivileged children taught her an appreciation for life, resilience, determination and is deeply passionate about service to humankind.
Sowmya Lakshmi co-founded advantAGE seniors, and few years later she took over the mantle. Following the footsteps of Mr.Jacob, the founder of advantAGE seniors, Sowmya at the helm has transformed the organisation as a household name in long term care in Bangalore. Today known all over Bangalore as pioneer in social gerontology, cared more than 30000 patients of different ages and in different care settings. Sowmya Lakshmi is without question the most sought after geriatric care professional in the realm of social gerontology in Bangalore.
She promotes senior-friendly practices and civic engagement through her Nurse Competency Lectures and regular columns in newspapers. Additionally, she extends her support to infirm elderly and long-term care patients through her two NGOs, engAGE and Swavalambhini. These organisations offer a range of services including elder care, long-term care, education, training, counseling, and healthcare to both urban and rural populations. Her most recent endeavour, “Continuing Competency for Nurses,” strives to provide the nursing fraternity with the necessary skills in guided care nursing.
‘India Today’ describes Sowmya as one of the most revered senior service providers due to her approach as a social gerontologist and her role as the driving force behind two organisations dedicated to causes close to her heart: senior welfare and the empowerment of distressed women through skill development. In their profile of her as a low-profile yet dedicated female entrepreneur, Sowmya believes that her work with the infirm elderly and rehabilitated distressed women should serve as inspiration for the younger generation. She emphasises the importance of increasing awareness and sensitivity among women towards elder care issues.
Sowmya’s daily schedule revolves around organising seminars on pre retirement, conducting workshops on Continuing Competency for Nurses, counseling senior citizens and their families, and training young individuals for caregiving roles. Today, Sowmya serves as a beacon of hope for numerous senior citizens and their families navigating the challenges of aging, illness, and caregiving responsibilities. She finds solace in the smiles of elderly patients, viewing each one as a precious bonus.
Sowmya finds fulfilment in her work with patients and families, striving to make a meaningful impact in their lives. She offers consultations across India to assist infirm elders and families, addressing their concerns about long-term care. Many families of coma patients have found her guidance invaluable, given the unique challenges they face. Similarly, long-distance caregivers benefit from her expertise. Through telemedicine, she connects with the children of patients who may live alone or spend much of their time in solitude, providing much-needed support and reassurance.
Apart from her work in social gerontology, Sowmya, a passionate dog lover, delights in feeding community dogs and tending to her garden. Approximately 100 community dogs benefit from her generosity each day, ensuring they rest with full stomachs. Every single day, without fail, she ensures her four legged wards like Gucci, Elves, Gowree, Tiger, Browney, Blacky, Thankam, Murthy, and others are fed. These personal endeavours not only help prevent compassion fatigue but also serve as a creative outlet, contributing to her holistic approach to patient care.
Sowmya’s vast experience, coupled with her unwavering commitment to delivering personalised and empathetic care, establishes her as a reliable consultant in social gerontology. Moreover, her current role enables her to play a pivotal role in educating and training aspiring gerontology nurses, underscoring her dedication to advancing the field of social gerontology.
Swetha Shree
Swetha Shree has been a valuable asset to the advantAGE seniors team since joining as Sowmya’s trusted assistant in 2011. She began her journey with our organisation as an assistant, before progressing to an administrator role. Her warm communication skills were noticed by Us and she was offered the Facility Manager position in December of 2016. In her capacity as an Facility Manager, she oversaw various operational aspects, including recruitment, HR functions, caregiver counseling, public relations, and coordination with hospitals and clinics.
She diligently keeps detailed records of both caregivers and patients, ensuring our adherence to policy requirements. Her responsibilities extend to coordinating admissions and discharges, as well as overseeing death services and funeral arrangements in her role as Facility Manager. Working tirelessly around the clock, she has proven highly effective in assisting patients and caregivers navigate any care related challenges.
Having her management skills like this in place 7 days a week is the kind of support we are proud to offer the families that choose us. Her meticulous attention to detail, adept problem-solving abilities, and practical approach to enhancing operations perfectly complement her role as facility manager. She shares our compassion and dedication to caregiving, and we have found her to be the ideal candidate for the role.
