International Day of Older Persons 2016: Elderly Worldwide: not a problem but a challenge for all of us

• 1st of October is the International Day of Older Persons 

The International Day of Older Persons is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and raise awareness of the issues and challenges of ageing in today’s world.

The theme for 2016, Take a Stand Against Ageism, challenges everyone to consider ageism – the negative attitudes and discrimination based on age - and the detrimental impact it has on older people.

• Also WSM, OKRA and GK are involved

For the 1st of October,  OKRA and WSM organized a flash mob of 500 elderly from all over Flanders at the Central Station in Antwerp, to draw attention to these challenges (pictures copyright Frank Bahnmüller).

GK organized sports activities with the elderly, a rally at the National Monument in the capital Dhaka, a statement addressed to the Bangladeshi government, mass medical consultations of elderly and other activities.

Andre Kiekens, director of World Solidarity (WSM) "Our partner organisation GK, a pioneer in the field of affordable health care for all, now wants to put the elderly on the agenda. By giving a voice to elderly in its own structures. Inspired by an exchange, GK -like OKRA - wants a movement with, for and by the elderly. It wants to greatly promote the independence of older people in the community they live in, because this is good for the health and quality of life." Or how working with, for and by elderly across borders can reinforce each other. Both OKRA and GK from Bangladesh released a statement.

GK: For decades, non-infectious or non-communicable diseases (NCD) have prevailed as the main cause of disability in many countries, affecting quality of life, in particular that of senior citizens. While progress in modern medicine has led to prevention of many diseases and mortality rate among elderly and aged people dropped significantly, such patients are now in need of more advanced care and rehabilitation than in the past. Life expectancy of the people of Bangladesh has risen from 56 years to 71 years over last 20 years and the trend is rising further. This will change the shape of age pyramid and led a huge number of aged people in the top of the pyramid.

GK is very much concerned about the life and situation of the elderly people: nearly 50% of all persons over 70 have at least one chronic illness severe enough to interfere with their activities of daily living. The acute medical problems of most people, young and old, are generally well cared for by our technologically-based health care system. The treatment of chronic health problems, such as Arthritis, Stroke, Road Traffic Accident (RTA) and spinal cord disease’s, has not been a national priority. However, this is beginning to change as a result of the aging of our society. There is now a growing interest in the treatment of chronic illness which focuses on improving function rather than cure. “GK’s overall objective for the elderly is to maintain the independence of older people in the community. If disabled elderly are able to preserve their independence, they will have enhanced overall health, have a greater sense of life satisfaction, avoid inappropriate institutionalization and be less of an economic cost to society.”

In this situation GK identifies three areas to work with:

• Strengthen the existing capacity and strategy of GK to work for the elderly and with the elderly: Based on the own experience of GK, existing national policy, experience from other national organization and experience and sharing from the networking with OKRA (a Belgian based reputed organization working for the Elderly), GK will revise its policy documents and will adapt initiatives which will be more sustainable for the Health & Wellbeing of the Elderly people both at community and institutional level. GK will also find means and ways to work with government facilities to conduct screening of cardiovascular and other non communicable diseases among the elderly.
• Strengthening Organizations and movements of, for and with the elderly: so they can take their own initiatives, taking care and support of their own problems and can create platform to participate in the future policy processes of the government.
• Strengthening network with Government, National and International Organizations: Develop bilateral partnership and networking with Government, National Organizations and International Organizations to work with some common issues for the elderly. It will be also tool for experience sharing and capacity building of each of the organizations. This networking will open windows of policy dialogue for the Elderly Policy of the country. In the mean time GK signed a MOU with Help Age International, Bangladesh for collaborative work in this field. So GK wants to play a key role in tackling the challenges for elderly in the BD society.  

GK believes that it can play a role in strengthening partnership and Networking in the North. Therefore, GK is a partner of OKRA, because this organization already created an example of the movement of elderly people for their better living.

Together we can make a difference for older people, anywhere in the world.