AristaCare Health Service, celebrated the 20th anniversary of its visionary Indian Nursing Home Program October 19, 2025. The event also celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights, a memorable time for residents of the Cedar Oaks venue in South Plainfield, NJ. More than 100 guests as well as parents housed in the senior care facility, gathered to celebrate the anniversary as well as Diwali. Sweets and delicacies decorated the tables, as did religious images.
The event began with Ganesh Vandana led by founder and president of the Indian Nursing Home Program, Mukund Thakar, who also spoke about his experience over the two decades. More than 20,000 Indian parents have been served by the facility, he said, calling it “my parents’ temple,” adding that currently he has “800 parents.”
Young children performed a dance number, and women did the garba dance in a circle, all dressed in traditional finery.
Thakar, who saw the need for culturally appropriate care needs for Indian seniors, worked with his wife Rama, and daughter Ankita Patel, to make it a reality. Ankita Patel is the director of the Indian Nursing Home Program. Among other services, Patel, noted, since the elders cannot visit temples easily, “We brought the temple here,” and programs such as Annakut etc. are held at the nursing home.
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Support staff who work at the facility were also present at the event, as were residents, some of them in wheelchairs.
Thakar received support in his initiative from co-founder Sydney Greenberger, president of AristaCare Health Services, who was also present at the event.
Greenberger, in his speech, wished everyone a Happy Diwali. He praised Thakar calling him a “really special human being, saying what he does, “It is always been from his heart…. This was never a job. It was a calling. And you (Mukund Thakar) succeeded beyond anybody’s wildest imagination.”
For two decades the Program has been dedicated to providing senior care services specializing in post-acute rehabilitation, memory care, and long-term care given to Indian senior citizens, Aristacare notes. Thousands have been served over the years with what families see as a nurturing community built on compassion, culture and care.
Edison, NJ Mayor Sam Joshi arrived and mingled with the guests, chatting with community leaders and family members of the residents. He spoke in mixed Gujarati and English, saying he was “humbled and honored” to be present. Joshi spoke of some of his city’s programs since he became Mayor 4 years ago, that have been inclusive and reached out to Indian seniors with services. The Mr. Fixit program he said had helped seniors with simple daily chores like buy and installing light bulbs in their homes, or programs to pick up and drop people for their doctor’s appointment. The Mayor was honored with a shawl, as were several other supporters who were key to the success of the AristaCare facility for Indian seniors.
Edison Councilman Biral Patel, Sunil Nayak of the organization AIANA (Association of Indian Americans in North America), and community leader Pradip Peter Kothari also spoke, as did several others.