At the end of the previous financial year and the beginning of the current one, SHSRC-Kerala conducted a pioneering exercise intervention aimed at enhancing the well-being of the elderly. This initiative focused on training resource persons from Local Self-Governments (LSGs), community-living older adults, ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, and volunteers. The program featured a structured exercise regimen specifically designed for elderly individuals living in the community.

In the previous financial year, the program was implemented at Parackal U.P. School in Manickal, in collaboration with the Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies (AMCHSS), Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, Health Action by People (HAP), and Manickal Grama Panchayat, Thiruvananthapuram.

Following the success of this community engagement and training program for the elderly in Manickal Grama Panchayat, discussions were initiated to replicate a similar initiative in Nilambur Municipality, in collaboration with the NGO Health Action by People (HAP).

After ongoing discussions and communications, the Nilambur Municipal Council expressed its willingness to implement the program. Consequently, HAP organized a consultative meeting at KILA, inviting officials from various departments and SHSRC-Kerala. As a result, in the current financial year, SHSRC-Kerala conducted training for the program titled “Vayojana Souhrudha Nilambur,” which focused on fall prevention and social engagement among community-living elderly individuals.

Dr. Aravind Chandru B, Research Officer at SHSRC-Kerala, served as the resource person, providing technical and scientific support for the community engagement and training program. He highlighted the propensity of elderly individuals to experience falls, citing data from the research studies under the healthy ageing category of SHSRC-K. The training modules and practical demonstrations were designed based on SHSRC-Kerala's research insights and findings, ensuring a well-structured, evidence-based, and impactful intervention at the community level, showcasing organization’s ethical implications to the population and to the State.