BUDDIES FOR THE GOLDIES

From medical and legal help to routine assistance, a unique service is filling the gap for elderly residents of Kolkata and neighbouring districts whose children cannot always be by their side

- By ARKAMOY DATTA MAJUMDAR

NABAMITA BHATTACHARYA, 39 SANGITA KHONA, 53 Kolkata

When Nabamita Bhattacharya and her husband, Sattam, left behind a comfortable life in London to return to Kolkata in 2013, it was not for career prospects, but for family. Their ageing parents needed them close. The decision would quietly plant the seed for a venture that, years later, would bridge similar distances for many others.

In 2020, as the pandemic sharpened the isolation of the elderly, Sattam voiced an idea to his wife: what if there were a service that could stand in for adult children who lived far away? Nabamita, a former HR professional, was immediately on board.