The Director of the Happiness Center for Senior Citizens of the Ministry of Community Development in the Emirate of Ajman, Hamda Al Shamsi, stressed that the center is not to house or accommodate senior citizens except in exceptional circumstances and conditions, noting that its primary role is to be a social, sports and cultural center where the elderly residing with their families, from During their visits to the center and their participation in the activities organized by the center on a daily basis.

She said that the center is the only one affiliated with the Ministry of Community Development and provides integrated services for guests and senior citizens residing in their homes with their families and registered in the Ministry of Senior Citizens Care System, noting that the center is currently permanently residing there with three elderly people suffering from aging and Alzheimer's diseases, where it is difficult for them to communicate with Others.

Al Shamsi indicated to «Emirates Today» that the center accepts the residence of some elderly people according to exceptional conditions, the most important of which is living alone due to the absence of a family, family, children or relatives who can take care of him during his stay alone in his home, and in this case it is necessary to stay in the center to ensure his safety and stability of his condition Healthy.

She added that the Ministry implements programs to care for senior citizens on the basis of caring for them and integrating them with groups of society, motivating them to participate in various activities that support them psychologically and healthly, and helping them to build a healthy and sound relationship with members of their families, which ultimately serves the stability and cohesion of the family and society.

Al Shamsi explained that the center’s services include social, psychological and health care services, as well as physical and occupational therapy, which is provided to senior citizens who are not residing in it daily, each according to his need, in addition to organizing recreational and treatment trips for senior citizens, receiving visits from individuals, organizing celebrations on different occasions, and receiving school visits Various institutions and associations to consolidate the relationship of senior citizens with the external community.

She pointed to the program for the rehabilitation of senior citizens' companions, which is based on implementing practical training workshops to rehabilitate the facilities of senior citizens, so that they are able to serve them, care for them, and provide them with safety and security in a proper way.

Al Shamsi went on to say that the goal of implementing the program is to ensure security and safety for senior citizens by introducing companions to the most important requirements of senior citizens and common health problems that they may be exposed to, and what may accompany them from emergency crises, and how to deal with them and prevent them in a way that achieves for senior citizens a safe environment, as well as teaching escorts How to deal with senior citizens in psychological, health and nutritional terms.

On the ways of implementing the program, Al Shamsi explained that the accompanying persons are trained in practice under the supervision of the work team and explain the importance and necessity of dealing with the person from senior citizens in a healthy way during the practice of daily life that includes his diet and eating his medications and motor activities.

She added that modern means of explanation are also used from showing films and the use of modern assistive devices, to teach facilities how to care for senior citizens, noting that work is also made to educate facilities about the most changes that may occur to individual senior citizens, and the need to monitor and record them for presentation to specialists.

39 residence requests

The number of requests submitted to the Ministry of Community Development to reside in the Citizens Happiness Center during the past five years reached 39, including 14 in 2015, and 12 in 2016, so the number would decrease to three during the year 2017, and return to rise to eight during the year 2018, While no cases were received last year, the number is currently only three.

Terms

Conditions for accommodating senior citizens in the Happiness Center for Senior Citizens include that he be from the United Arab Emirates, and has exceeded the age of 60 years, that he has no family or someone to serve him, and that social and medical research demonstrate his need to reside in the center.

A program to rehabilitate the companions of senior citizens to be able to serve and care for them.

- 3

Permanent residents only at the Happiness Center for Senior Citizens in Ajman.