International Day of the Elderly

AMMAN — Jordan's elderly celebrated the United Nations International Day of the Elderly on Friday, with complaints of loneliness and boredom.

"There is nothing for elderly women to do here, no clubs, and no activities. Social outings have to be with their husband, and they are looked down upon if they think of going out on their own to see their elderly female friends," says Juliet Nimri, a retired teacher.

Najla Haddad, also a teacher, believes that the most important thing for an elderly person to do is keep busy: "Even though I'm an elderly woman, I hate the notion of being dormant. I used to go to homes for the elderly and read to them, but as I am gradually losing my sight this activity has become difficult for me," she says.

Haddad wishes for "a place where old people could meet, exchange views, and do something with the knowledge and experience they have accumulated over the years."

The U.N. annually recognises October 1 as the international day for the elderly, and has designated this year as the year of the elderly.

Even though the elderly are estimated at only four per cent of the Kingdom's 4.8 million population, this number is expected to grow drastically when the young population begins to age.

Senior citizens are defined as those 60 years old and above. According to a World Health Organisation and Ministry of Health study on the Kingdom's elderly released this year, senior citizens suffer from loneliness boredom, anxiety and depression.

Private initiatives to encourage and support the elderly like Awatef Khoury's newly-established "Grandmother's Club," have only begun to take root in society.

"When my husband died just over a year ago, I felt that I would go mad if I did not do something. So, I decided to establish this club for elderly women at my home," Khoury told the Jordan Times.

Every month, more than 30 elderly women meet at Khoury's house where they chat, have tea or coffee and discuss an interesting topic pertaining to issues of concern such as health or social relations topics.

"I try to make these meetings interesting. Once I took these ladies to a park where the host spoke about her project and prepared a special tea for them. You should have seen how happy they were. Another time we went out to a restaurant, and now UNESCO has offered to teach us how to use the Internet and computers," enthused Khoury.

Another initiative began last month by Reverend Joseph N'amatt, founder of the "Human Care Home" in Fuhais, just west of the capital.

The Reverend poured JD5 million into the project.

Reverend N'amatt told the Jordan Times: "I'm not married, and have no one to inherit my money. What can one ask for when he sees that he has done something useful in this world before he dies?"

Jordan currently has eight nursing homes; four of which are non-profit voluntary societies financially supported by the Ministry of Social development, the General Union for Voluntary Societies and charitable contributions.

These homes house 200 elderly citizens who pay a monthly fee ranging from a minimum of JD60 to a maximum of JD350. Some do not have the means to pay, but are housed at the expense of the ministry because they have no living kin.

Some health workers say that these homes only make use of half of their capacity, since more than 70 per cent of senior citizens live with their immediate family.

However, senior citizens say that even living with families has not necessarily lessened the burden of old age.

According to Reverend N'amatt, the Human Care Home currently houses 16 elderly, most of whom are females.

The Golden Age Home in Jweideh, south of Amman, has the capacity to accommodate 120 people, but actually houses 50 elderly. In many instances the elderly are mixed with those who have mental health problems.

"I just sit here all day like the rest. I don't like to exercise and I don't go beyond the walls of this home," says Um Shehdeh a resident of the Golden Age Home for the past three years.

Um Shehdeh's memory is beginning to fail her, and she is visited only by her son on a regular basis. He is being treated for a mental disorder, but, as he is her only relative, he is allowed to visit his mother.

Um Shehdeh says she spends her time smoking and matchmaking, and waits for the day when she will remarry and leave the home.

Fahed, another resident, says his situation is depressing. The thin man spends his time writing poetry, sculpting and painting. He complains that he cannot communicate with his colleagues.

"They just don't want to do anything. They've given up. Some are not there altogether, and the majority are just waiting here to die," he says.

"We make it a point to call up relatives to come and visit their relations. When we notice that relatives do not visit, we really hound them until they come. These visits are very important to the elderly," says Reverend N'amatt.

The University of Jordan has embarked on a community service programme to encourage a better understanding of those in need of our help. The programme will be implemented next month.

"This community service will be a graduation requirement for every baccalaureate student. Therefore, each student has to complete 10 hours of community service per semester. Students can fill the requirement by visiting homes for the elderly, or reading to the blind, for instance," says Sausan Majali, director of the Community Service Office.

"We believe that once students participate in community service they will feel more connected with their community and more aware of its needs," says Majali, who is also assistant professor at the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Jordan.

She said the care of the elderly should be integrated in the curricula of all faculties.

Jordan's National Higher Committee for the Elderly, hampered for the past year- and-a-half by shortcomings in legislation and changes in ministries, this week formulated a 10-point strategy for the elderly.

The three-year plan calls for the introduction of concepts specific to the elderly in the country's educational system, both at the school and university levels.

The plan is a response to the United Nation's International Plan of Action on Ageing which calls for the development of "educational programmes featuring the elderly as the teachers and transmitters of knowledge, culture, and spiritual values."

The national committee, headed by the Minister of Social Development, with members of relevant ministries and organisations working in the field, discusses opening day care centres for the elderly.

A series of activities will be launched this month including a workshop to improve the capacities of those who serve society's elderly.

The Ministry of Social Development aims to revive the substitute family project launched unsuccessfully more than ten years ago. The "substitute family" project intended for families to "adopt" and care for an elderly person with no relatives and with limited financial resources.

Another goal the committee has advanced is the adoption and enforcement of building code requirements that would aid senior citizens who have difficulty climbing stairs or negotiating elevated pavements.

The strategy also calls for the formulation of the Friends of the Elderly Committees.

"Through these committees, members would visit senior citizens at their homes to lend them a listening ear," committee member Nabila Karyouti told the Jordan Times.

Above all, the committee stresses the need to review and activate legislation pertaining to the elderly such as health insurance.

"In both the public and private sectors, a senior citizen does not have adequate health insurance or has no access to health care or insurance at all," explains Karyouti.

The WHO social development ministry study found that an elderly person usually relies on his or her children, retirement or social security as the main source of income.

The study said the majority of senior citizens, however, have no retirement salary and three per cent of the sample had no source of income at all.

Health workers and psychologists believe that more effort and resources should be exerted to enhance the lives of the elderly through the adoption of clear policies that provide coordinated support to them.