AMMAN — The Ministry of Social Development announced on
Saturday that 397 residents live at nursing homes in the Kingdom, which is
witnessing a current demand for elderly health and home care services,
according to Al-Mamlaka TV.
اضافة اعلان
This year’s
International Day for Older Persons, which fell on Saturday, was titled
“Elderly Resilience in a Changing World” in light of the COVID-19 crisis. The
pandemic has brought attention to the world’s elderly community and the
services provided to them, revealing many shortcomings in elderly care,
according to National Council for Family Affairs Secretary-General Mohammad
Miqdadi.
Miqdadi called for
the establishment of daytime care centers for the elderly. These centers would
not provide accommodation, but rather, entertainment, digital learning, and
volunteer opportunities for older persons to leverage their experience to
benefit various institutions.
The Kingdom should
offer home-based health services for the elderly at their places of residence
“to preserve their dignity and facilitate good relationships between them and
their children”, he said.
Miqdadi also called
for the expansion of geriatric medical specializations in the country,
mentioning Al-Mamlaka TV reported. He also spoke of Jordan’s “severe” shortage
of geriatric care services and the need for appropriately priced home-based
care.
What is more, he
said, Jordan does not maintain any database on older persons. Such records are
important in identifying the whereabouts of the elderly and their health
concerns, according to Miqdadi.
He called on the
government to intervene to improve the services provided to elderly citizens,
especially due to their high numbers.
Assistant
Secretary-General for Welfare and Development at the Ministry of Social
Development Mahmoud Jabour told Al-Mamlaka about a government directive to
issue legislation to meet the needs of the elderly, offer them home-based
services, and establish a special financial account at the ministry for elderly
care services.
Jabbour
referenced the ministry’s targeted services for older persons, in addition to
nursing homes, exemptions for domestic workers who serve the elderly, and the
support of clubs specialized in activities for the elderly, which boost their
involvement in society.
Read more National news
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
