CHENNAI: When 70-year-old S Rangasamy got a call last month about his wife's sugar level shooting up, all he could do was worry and pray that nothing untoward would happen. With his children settled in the US and he being away on a work tour, Rangasamy had no one to turn to for help during the medical crisis.Help came in the form of a stranger who now has become part of the family.With geriatric care business burgeoning in the past few years, companies are moving from merely providing medical and nursing services to companionship and daily support. From taking them out for weddings and birthdays to a visit to the hospital or engaging in a conversation, firms are helping the elderly physically and emotionally.The services are of help for the elderly , especially those who stay alone. "My wife is diabetic but this was the first time I realised that it was a risk to leave her alone. As we don't have any family nearby it's difficult to manage in times of emergency . It's not that my wife had to be hospitalised, but it would help to have someone around." said Rangasamy , a consultant engineer, who soon after registered with Naamcare Elder Services, a company providing medical and non-medical support to people.Doctors say that with joint families disintegrating, psychological support is most important for the elderly. Around 8% of Chennai's population consists of senior citizens, the largest percentage of elderly people among all metros, apart from Kolkata (10%), and roughly one out of every 14 people aged more than 60 in Tamil Nadu -7.5% to be precise -lives all by himself or herself.

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