Hemal Rathod is the founder and CEO of Amrit Sabha ADHC Inc. Hemal graduated from St. Johns University with a B.S. in Finance and Juris Doctor degree from Yeshiva University – Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Hemal has worked in the corporate world for number of companies such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, EY, Alliance Bernstein and regulatory entities such as FINRA and the NY Department of Consumer affairs. Hemal is a native of Zimbabwe and currently resides in Massachusetts with his wife Priya.
Could you tell us a little about Amrit Sabha?
-Amrit Sabha is a South-Asian focused Adult Day Health Care ("ADHC") center located in Northborough, Massachusetts. Amrit Sabha's inspiration came from a quote from Mahatma Gandhi which states " Where love is, There is God also". Our goal is to provide the best in class service "sewa" with the reverence that our participants deserve and while strive to adhere to our nine (9) core business principles.
We endeavor to have an ADHC where the participants not only have the joy of community but have a safe environment where they can be mentally nurtured and physically enthused. We are the largest South Asian ADHC in the country in terms of square footage and when we reach participant capacity - in the number of members. We follow a Medical Day Care model as set forth by the Department of Public Health. We are fully licensed and ADA compliant.
How does a Adult Day Care differ from a nursing home?
ADHCs and nursing are different on 3 levels:
1) ADHCs promote independence - they allow individuals to remain in their home settings rather than an institutional setting, which is what the majority of caregivers and care recipients desire.
2) ADHCs have a lower cost for the participants and the insurance companies (i.e ranging from 1/3 to a 1/12th cost of a nursing home)
3) Lastly, nursing homes are an integral part of geriatric care, they are equipped to handle cases which ADHCs cannot (e.g. round the clock care and medicine management, advanced Alzheimers care etc.).
In summary ADHCs are an important first step in geriatric care as they promote independence and lower the need for nursing homes in the latter part of life however they are not a complete replacement for a nursing home
Who is your typical client? Are they recent immigrants or long time residents of the US?
Typical clients can range as young as 18 with no upward limit on age. Our average age is around 65, our youngest being 51 and oldest being 89 years of age.
We accept both recent immigrants as well as long term residents. There is a caveat for recent immigrants as their insurances may not cover the cost of the ADHC (every case is different) for them we have a pay as you attend program that we are piloting right now. For long time residents we do need to bill insurances such as Masshealth standard, United Healthcare SCO, Fallon - navicare sco etc.
What services do you provide for the seniors?
We provide 5 core services at Amrit Sabha for qualified participants:
I) Transportation: We provide complimentary transportation to and from the residence of the participant within a thirty minute drive of the facility. We also provide transportation to and from local medical appointments.
II) Nutritious Meals: We provide a Breakfast, Snack and a Hot Lunch daily to participants. All meals are vegetarian. Our nutrition program is reviewed and approved by a dietitian and conforms to all local guidelines.
III) Social Services: Our trained staff assist participants with all their Social work needs. This includes (but limited to); Insurance applications and re-certifications, Social Security applications and needs, Minor Immigration paperwork, bill payment assistance etc.
IV) Medical Services: We have a CPR trained Registered Nurse(s) on staff at all times providing a safe/secure environment for all participants. Furthermore we monitor vitals for all participants including Blood Pressure, Glucose monitoring, BMI etc. Our nurse (s) provides ongoing training to participant on wellness, health and safety. We work hand in hand with the primary care physicians to ensure that participant health needs are adequately addressed and monitored.
V) Therapeutic Activities. We provide over 30 different activities that our participants can be involved in. All activities are reviewed by a certified Occupational Therapist. Some of the activities include:
Daily Meditation/Spiritual Discourse/Yoga
Ping pong/Bingo/Carrom
Cinema room/Lectures and current events/ Hindi megapack
ESL/Computer training/US civics for citizenship
Gym/Exercise
What advice do you have for people who are living with seniors?
Coming from a south asian background i understand that elder care is something that most people wrestle with. There is a stigma of sending parents/seniors to nursing homes (in some cases rightfully so). ADHCs is the service that can bridge the gap and get rid of the stigma. Using an ADHC - the parents/senior stay at home, they are taken care of during the day by trained professionals (i.e. RN, Social workers etc). ADHCs can alleviate multiple burdens of taking seniors/parents to doc appointments, seniors/parents social needs (e.g. insurance claims), medical needs while providing safe, secure and fun environment.
You are a lawyer by training and have worked in the corporate sector. What motivated you to make a career change?
Leaving a positive legacy where i can measurably say that my work has had a positive impact on someones life is probably the main motivation behind the career change. I have found that although corporate sector does have its perks; i find being able to interact with people and the community on the grassroot levels is more fulfilling.
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