UN decade of healthy ageing

By Ryhaan Shah

This decade – the years between 2021 and 2030 – has been declared the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing.
The global collaboration being implemented through the World Health Organisation expects to bring together Governments, civil society, academia, the private sector and the media to foster longer and healthier lives for the world’s ageing population.
There is universal growth in the ageing population as people everywhere are living longer. In just five years, one in six people in the world will be 60 years or older. By 2050, the elderly population will double from its current number of one billion to over two billion. And it is not only the developed countries that are seeing this increase; the developing world is now experiencing the greatest change.
During this decade, the UN expects every country to implement policies that will improve the lives of older people, their families and their communities not only through the delivery of health care services designed specifically to respond to the needs of the elderly but also to change how we think, feel and act towards ageing and ageism.
Our Government has been spending much of the new national wealth on infrastructural development such as roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and health centres, which benefits everyone. There is also much emphasis on educating our youth in order to prepare them to take up new careers and job opportunities in the private and public sectors.
These initiatives are all good. However, there should be more consideration given to establishing wellness centres for the elderly in every region where senior members of the community could get free health check-ups, medications and help with such necessities – depending on their physical condition – as walking sticks and wheelchairs.
The centres would be staffed by an interdisciplinary team of doctors, physical therapists and social workers who could streamline the care needed to address any medical and mobility issues as well as any mental health care that may be required.
A “one-stop-shop” approach would help coordinate the care and services needed and make it easier for us to receive prescribed treatment. The medical issues that most often arise with age are hearing loss, cataracts, diabetes, stroke and heart disease, arthritis, and depression and dementia.
Some of us may have more than one medical condition, and dedicated wellness centres would improve efficiency and care by providing a range of services at one location, such as diagnostic services, lab work, and on-site doctors, physical therapists, and counsellors.
While our healthcare services are improving, elder care still falls within the remit of general medical practice whereby the elderly often have to sit and wait for lengths of time in full waiting rooms.
Wellness centres will not only assist in more streamlined care for the elderly but also help family members who often have to take time off to accompany their older relatives to the doctor’s clinic.
If centres are established in each region or community, we will be able to meet peers and build friendships, which will improve our mental health and reduce any feelings of loneliness. Managed well, such centres can even become hubs for social interactions and foster a sense of community through shared activities and social events geared for the area’s senior members.
We, the elderly, are often seen, or even dismissed, as being frail and dependent when, with proper care and support, we can continue to make valuable contributions to our community.
Hospice care is another area that needs development not only by way of infrastructure but also in the training of professionals who could deal competently with the physical and mental health needs that arise with end-of-life care.
The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing provides an opportunity for the state to work with respective communities in order to improve the lives of older people and our families. The UN Decade sets out an ambitious vision of a world in which all people can live long and healthy lives.
Nelson Mandela said, “A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future.”
A long and healthy life for every citizen would add to the welfare, wellbeing and cumulative contributions that could be made to our society. Additional years of good health would provide us with opportunities to pursue further life achievements, but the extent of our success would depend on the support provided to help us reach our goals.
There are still five more years until the end of this UN-designated decade. Time enough for our Government to consider establishing wellness centres for the elderly in every region.