To date, the growth rate of the elderly population in almost every country has increased drastically. According to the 2021 Central Statistics Agency (BPS), it is projected that in 2045, the elderly population in Indonesia will reach almost one fifth of the total population. In dealing with this, plans and programs are needed that are supported by the availability of adequate data and information. This aims to ensure that the programs implemented are right on target and able to improve the quality of life of the elderly which has an impact on development.
For this reason, the Faculty of Administrative Sciences (FIA) at Universitas Indonesia (UI) is organizing a community service (pengmas) program by increasing the capacity of Puskesmas cadres in mapping the elderly in Depok City. According to BPS Depok City, the population aged 60 years and over in 2020 was 170,648, then increased to 185,705 people in 2022. However, data on the health conditions of the elderly is still inadequate due to the lack of Community Health Center (Puskesmas) staff who are able to serve and monitor the elderly condition in their area.
In its implementation, FIA UI collaborates with Sakubi Teknologi Indonesia and the Regional Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) Sukamaju Baru Health Center. Apart from providing training, this community service also utilizes the “Lantera” application which is the result of innovation from Sakubi Teknologi Indonesia, a company supported by UI. Lantera is an application for early detection of elderly health that optimizes the contribution of integrated service post (posyandu) cadres as part of a community that cares for the elderly. Therefore, using this application can help monitor the population and health conditions of elderly people spread across Sukamaju Baru Village, Tapos District, Depok City.
Sukamaju Baru Village was chosen as the destination location for community service because the number of existing health workers is not enough to serve the large elderly population. Based on data from the Sukamaju Baru Community Health Center, currently there are around 2500 to 3000 elderly people spread across 15 Community Units (RW). Meanwhile, the number of staff at the Sukamaju Baru Community Health Center who are tasked with providing services to the community every day is only 26 people. Therefore, community health centers need additional assistance to carry out health mapping to elderly homes.
Chair of the FIA UI Community Service Team, Drs. Kusnar Budi, M.Bus., said, “as a form of implementation of the Three Principles of Higher Education, apart from carrying out teaching, we are also mandated to carry out community service activities. Due to FIA UI’s concern for the elderly, the Lantera application was formed, which means Lansia Sejahtera (Prosperous Elderly). Thank you to the mothers who attended and became cadres that will be able to improve the welfare of the elderly in Sukamaju Baru through coordination with the Community Health Center. Hopefully our activities will not be the first or last, but can continue.”
The training program given to cadres was carried out in the Sukamaju Baru Community Health Center Hall, on 20th–21st of October 2023. The training provided included Mobile Health Clinic Operator Training (OKKB) and Training on Using the Elderly Monitoring Information System. The first day of training was filled with the delivery of the Mobile Health Clinic Operator Training Module (OKKB) by Susilawati Sastrahadi, S.KM., M.KM. Through this training, community health center cadres gain knowledge and good interpersonal communication skills to serve the elderly group. The material covers the purpose of communication, how to prepare for communication, the benefits of communication, and the keys to effective communication.
Apart from that, cadres also receive health screening training so they can practice how to use health equipment properly, such as weight scales, blood pressure monitors, glucometers, pulse oximeters and thermometers. “This training is part of something that female cadres might later be able to apply in society, namely increasing knowledge and skills regarding how to identify and self-detect problems or issues that occur in the elderly,” said Susilawati.
On the following day, the training focused on using the Lantera application led by Nisa Ismundari Wildan, A.Md. AKP. Nisa explained that the Elderly Health Monitoring Information System was created with the aim of helping the elderly get their health continuously monitored by the health center to prevent health problems from continuing to become more serious and require large costs.
Meanwhile, Wahyu Nofiantoro, S.Sos, MSi., one of the Lantera developers, also emphasized that this application is designed to create more routine interactions between the elderly and community health center cadres so that the elderly do not feel lonely. It is hoped that the Lantera application can be used optimally by community health centers and elderly families to monitor their health conditions. Cadres can also visit elderly homes regularly to ensure their health is well monitored.
A total of nine community health center cadres took part in the training and were equipped with sufficient skills to provide better services to the elderly. “Thank God, apart from receiving training and assistance in using the Lantera application, we also received education on how to visit and communicate with the elderly so that the words we say do not offend the elderly,” said Astuti as one of the Sukamaju Baru Community Health Center cadres. In the future, it is hoped that this program can be expanded to other areas so that its benefits can reach more people.
