The Community Development Authority helped them return to their daily lives
63 elderly people get rid of “social isolation” in Dubai
A senior citizen is watching a virtual social activity.
From the source
Maryam Al Hammadi: “The Elderly’s Case File identifies the obstacles and gaps in various aspects of his life.”
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The Director of the Senior Citizens Department in the Community Development Authority in Dubai, Maryam Al Hammadi, revealed to "Emirates Today", the empowerment of about 63 senior citizens, and the success in integrating them into society, which helped them return to the daily practice of daily life normally, after they were living in isolation. social empowerment, as a result of the existence of gaps and problems in their lives, adding that the specialized team in the authority worked on studying their challenges and solving them in accordance with the standards of social empowerment programs applied in the authority.
Al Hammadi explained that the authority considers the case of every elderly person who applies for a service to the authority, where he is registered in the Empowerment Department, and a file is opened for him that includes information on the details of his life and needs, then criteria are set for his empowerment, according to the deficiencies and living, health, financial and social problems that exist in his life, to work on filling gaps on each side.
Al Hammadi indicated that these elderly people lived in isolation and a negative psychological state during the past three years, before they were registered in the empowerment program that the authority applies to community groups that receive services or financial or social benefits, according to specific criteria.
She explained that there is a group of senior citizens who were registered with the authority's home care service because their family members were busy with work, or they had to be absent from home due to the nature of their professions.
She added that studying their case and transferring them to the integration and empowerment program revealed the possibility of them carrying out life and societal tasks that would make them able to leave the house, instead of staying isolated and waiting for the caretaker to pass by them daily.
Al Hammadi referred to criteria that include the basic rights of the elderly, such as achieving security and safety conditions, his access to basic services in life such as adequate housing, health status, recreational status, financial stability and ease of access to services, and whether he obtains them himself or does he need help, in addition to the criterion of his ability decision-making or the need for support and participation in order to be able to take it.
She added that the specialist who prepares the case file for the elderly monitors the obstacles and gaps in various aspects of his life, then sets the standards and their content to work on solving his problems and empowering him.
Al Hammadi reported that these elderly people are now going out to entertain themselves and participate in social activities, and they also receive psychological and social support from those around them from members of the community, whether from neighbors or volunteers, noting that their psychological condition has improved and their daily life is normal, especially with the start of The gradual return of social activities in the wake of the “Corona” pandemic.
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