The positive impact of development efforts is the increase in life expectancy. Meanwhile, fertility rates tend to decline. Both of these have an impact on the occurrence of a demographic transition in which the proportion of older people is increasing (ageing population). Therefore, the number of residents aged 60 years and over or elderly will climb up.
This condition made Universitas Indonesia (UI) take action through Center for Ageing Studies (CAS) UI in collaboration with Kerta Wredatama Depok City to carry out Kelas Lansia (Elderly Class), on Saturday (11/2). This activity brings the theme of Long-Term Care for the Elderly and Elderly Companions. “Long-term care for the elderly is important because it provides long-term care support that allows the elderly to stay at home alone as long as possible so that it will greatly help improve the health condition of the elderly,” said Executive Secretary of CAS UI Vita Priantina Dewi.
This activity was attended by 72 participants, consisting of Kerta Wredatama members from Depok City who are retirees and wives and widows of retired civil servants. In its implementation, the activity began with a social gathering which was then opened by the Chairperson of Kerta Wredatama Depok City Sri Ayu Rahayu.
Subsequently, material regarding Long Term Care for the Elderly and Elderly Companions was conveyed by Vita Priantina Dewi, and followed by a religious lecture delivered by Ustadz Anwar Nasihin.
In her presentation, Vita said that the World Health Organization (2012) defined long-term care as a system of activities carried out by caregivers or informal or professional companions. This activity is to ensure that the elderly who are not fully able to care for themselves can maintain the highest quality of life in accordance with their choices in terms of autonomy, participation, fulfillment of personal needs, and human rights. Then the Elderly Class was closed by Sri Ayu Rahayu as the Chairperson of Kertawredatama Depok City.
Still related to that, Sri Ayu stated that the elderly need to gain knowledge about long-term care. The elderly are one of the groups experiencing a decline in health. “For this reason, the elderly need to be armed with knowledge about long-term care so that various diseases or health problems can be treated. This elderly class is helpful, so we can prepare cadres who understand the elderly and their problems,” said Sri.
Previously, CAS UI had collaborated with the National Commission for the Elderly (before it was disbanded in 2020), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) and several universities in Indonesia. Internationally, CAS UI collaborates with several institutions such as WHO SEARO, WHO Indonesia, HelpAge International, Active Ageing Consortium Asia Pacific (ACAP), and University of Oxford (UK). This collaboration includes research collaboration, community service, and publications.
