By Motolani AbdulGafar
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Centre for Happy Elderly People (CHEP) has urged the government to make the elderly persons part of decision making body as a way to make them happy.
The NGO empahsised that one of the ways to make the elderly ones happy is to make them part of decision making especially on matters that concern their affairs.
Speaking to ECHONEWS, the founder of the NGO, Mrs Lilian Jeringho said there are basic factors residents and governments need to take into consideration to make the elderly ones relevant and happy in their communities.
According to her, apart from making them part of decision making body, the elders should be provided psycho-social needs such as freedom to relate with people, making recurrent visitation to avoid loneliness and keeping them active through exercise.
According to her, care of older people extends the limit of concentrating on only their health status due to old age but an inclusion of how comfortable they are in the environment they find themselves.
Jeringho, a medical practitioner, said she established a nursing academy (CHEP Geriatric Human Resources Developmental Limited) where medical personnel are trained on how to cater for the older people.
She also affirmed the need for more exposure and participation of older people in the digital world, stating that their involvement in the technology will aid them to see their ability to learn despite their age.
She noted that involvement in technology would give them access to easily connect with family and friends from afar.
She said the society should encourage the elderly to contribute through volunteer work, sharing their experiences and knowledge, and participating in paid labour.
Meanwhile, a 75-year-old woman, Janet Bakare, a resident of Ejigbo who spoke to ECHONEWS, said the elderly ones really need the support of the residents and the government, noting that many of them do not have family members to cater for them.
She acknowledged the recent establishment of a new agency – National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC), under the care of its Director General, Dr Emem Omokaro, which he said has been providing social welfare, healthcare needs and more to older persons in Nigeria.
Bakare appealed to the government to aid private establishments that are fully concerned with elderly care by providing free amenities and health care services for them among other common needs to help boost their contributions to social services.
