Chu Viet Nga of HelpAge International shares her work on intergenerational model to help care for the older people
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"The COVID-19 pandemic is causing untold fear and suffering for older
people across the world", said United Nations Secretary General Antonio
Guterres last week on the launch of the policy brief on older
persons and coronavirus disease (COVID-19). "The fatality rate for older people
is higher overall, and for those over 80, it is five times the global average."
Beyond its immediate health impact, the pandemic is putting older people at
higher risk of poverty, discrimination and isolation. It is likely to have a
particularly devastating effect on older people in developing countries, added
Guterres.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
also declared, "older people are at highest risk from COVID-19, but all must
act to prevent community spread." In India, government
data shows that although only 19% of confirmed COVID-19 cases were among
the elderly, 63% of deaths happened among them.
According to the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), population ageing has reached a level
where it is having a significant impact on all sectors of the economy. To
deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), governments need to ensure
that people of all age groups can live healthy, active and fulfilling lives. We
cannot leave the older people behind! The UNFPA
adds: "In order to cope with the ageing of the population, it is therefore
no longer sufficient to meet the expectations and needs of the older population
only, but it requires a more comprehensive approach to address its effects on
all population groups." It recommends taking a life cycle approach.
Preparing for old age from youth time will be very useful for a better life in
old age and reduce the health burdens that may occur if unprepared otherwise.
One generation can learn from one another, and aid each other to build stable,
healthy and wholesome communities.
Intergenerational approach
In the ongoing Sustainable Development
e-Talks (#SDGtalks) series, co-hosted by Indian Institute of Management
Indore and CNS, Chu Viet Nga from HelpAge International in Vietnam, shared that
any programme aimed at helping the elderly should not merely focus on food and
medication. It should be fulfilling in a multitude of ways. One of the critical
ways they try to achieve this is through an intergenerational approach, where
the focus is on building interaction between different generations, such as
children and the elderly. The children train and spend time with the elderly
and they, in turn, teach the children traditional arts and skills.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had also underlined this aspect and said:
"While physical distancing is crucial, let us not forget we are one
community and we all belong to each other. We need improved social support and
smarter efforts to reach older people"". He added, "that is vital to older
people who may face great suffering and isolation under lockdowns and other
restrictions."
"When individuals reach old age, the various problems that they have to experience include a decline in health conditions, retirement, financial problems, loneliness and dependence upon others," wrote Dr Radhika Kapur, in her research paper: "Problems of the Aged People in India". Chu Viet Nga rightly pointed out that health support is not the only support that needs to be extended, and that is the gap which this intergenerational model aims to fill. According to Chu Viet Nga, social-psychological care is the first crucial part of the process. It primarily includes befriending lonely people, updating them on the latest information, especially about COVID-19 in the current scenario, and helping accompany them to nearby places. They try to find other ways to provide support by reciting poetry to them and spending more time with them, for example.
The second most crucial part is personal care support which is essential to elders as they grow older and doing mundane tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, becomes difficult for them. HelpAge makes use of its volunteers to pitch in and help them out with cooking food, cleaning the house and surrounding areas and other such tasks. Apart from this, the volunteers also help in the maintenance of personal hygiene such as taking care of nails, hair and bathing.
Thirdly, living support care is quintessential. Living support includes having enough money (through local fundraising), helping them access their pension and helping them out in their gardening and farming. Living support also includes procuring devices such as walking sticks or wheelchairs that will help them live with dignity.
Finally, the important thing in these uncertain times is health. There are regular check-ups for diabetes and hypertension patients as well as informing them about the ways they can/should take care of themselves. In case their health situation deteriorates, referring them to the nearest hospital/medical centre is also an integral responsibility taken up by HelpAge volunteers.
No person, young or old, is expendable
This is a pandemic, that needs not only individual awareness but also a collective
awareness and action, and thus there is a lot to learn from this model adopted
by HelpAge International. There are particular challenges we, Indians, face as
a country. Though we are the second-most populous country in the world, we do
not have secure enough public health systems and social security, and this has
given us serious setbacks. António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, pointed
out last week that "No person, young or old, is expendable and that older
people have the same rights to life and health as everyone else." He also
added that, "Difficult decisions around life-saving medical care must
respect the human rights and dignity of all." Social isolation,
self-quarantine and the fundamental concern for the well-being of others can
take us all ahead by significant leaps and bounds. This pandemic serves as a
grim reminder that if even a single person amongst us gets struck with the
virus, we all are in danger. While we can go ahead and contribute our money for
the cause in various relief funds set up all over the country in this time of
dire need, we can also do more by taking up the psychological and social
approach on a personal level.
As countries move into lockdowns, it not only affects the economy of the
country but can also affect the people in the country emotionally and mentally.
Especially in increasing feelings such as, a sense of doom, depression, anxiety
and loneliness. This is especially prevalent in people living alone. Being in
touch with others despite distances is not difficult these days. A simple
message, a timely phone call to your grandparents, and sharing a meme on
Instagram can go a long way to help people those who have access to these
methods for a virtual connection. The lonely student in your class? Your maternal
grandmother you have not spoken to in the last few months? Your mom living in a
different city alone? They are just a text message away. These small activities
not only promote emotional support, but they also play a role in strengthening
our bonds, because whether we like it or not, the pandemic is going to change
us and our future significantly.
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