Kohima, June 11 (MExN): Old Age Home Kohima, Managing Director Neithonuo Liegise asserted that the social workers, NGOs and government need to set up day care centre, old age home, recreational centre, mobile medicare service, elderly educational institute etc. for elderly/old people.
“Age care, givers should organize awareness programmes on active and graceful ageing. Pre-retirement counseling is necessary to encourage senior citizens for successful ageing,” Liegise said while speaking at the one day seminar on awareness on Geriatric Care (Old Age) held on June 8 under the aegis of Good Samaritan Women Society and Angami Women Organisation at Kohima. She also stated that volunteers, NGOs, social workers care givers should identify old people in their community/locality to avail old age pension for them.
Also speaking on the occasion, Kevinourheno Seyie, President Angami Women Organisation stressed on the need to provide gospel counselors to the elderly to tackle the problem of unhappiness, fears, anxieties and irritations if any and restore hope and future in them.
She also stressed on the need to conduct conferences and seminars as to how to be helpful caregivers to the needy elders amongst the NGOs and government agencies.
“Promoting some business and cottage industries for those elderly who are able to do some light physical work and protecting the existing handicrafts and handloom and reviving the old tradition is very important,” Seyie said.
She also observed that strengthening the existing traditional institution like family system, neighborhood, community interactions and inter-generational bonds, will not only be helpful to the elderly but also for the younger generations.
Provide adequate and regular pension scheme or old age homes to those who are working in unorganized and agricultural sectors, where there is no social and financial security in old age, she.
Policy makers, planners and social scientists shall have to access carefully the genuine needs and choice of the elderly, Liegise added.
Seyie also viewed that free medical facilities should be provided at their doorsteps through mobile medical units particularly in rural areas where the problem of health care centres as well as transport facilities are almost nil.
As far as practicable employment should be given to sons and grandsons or any one on whom the elderly people stand dependant, she said adding other helps like sanitation for the elderly in general but particularly for the disabled, housing facilities, which do not separate the elderly from their family, be provided.
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