Towards Building an age Friendly Community

TOWARDS BUILDING AN AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

Dr Alakananda BanerjeeFounder Chairperson

Dharma Foundation of India

04/18/23 1

COMMUNITY AND HEALTH SERVICES

04/18/23 Towards Building an Age Friendly Community 2

The ageing of population is on the increase world over in recent times

According to the Indian census 2001, the population of the elderly (age 60 years and above) in India was 75.9 million, i.e. 7.4% of total population.

It is projected to be 113 million, i.e. 8.9% of total population by the year 2016.

Population Ageing

Why a new focus on older people?

• The biggest achievement of the last century was greater longevity that has resulted in an increasing aging population worldwide.

• The survival of an increasing number of people beyond their traditional adult roles causes population aging.

• A healthy lifestyle is required during old age. But in the Indian context, there exist different trends that are seriously threatening the chances of meeting such needs.

• These are a rapidly growing elderly population; the gradual erosion of the traditional joint family system .

• However, an aged person has the right to decide about personal needs and aspirations, depending upon his/her capacity.

• Neither the government nor the public sector alone can formulate requirements of the elderly in India; the private sector cannot develop it in isolation either.

• Joint approaches and strategies will be required to design and build up a robust old-age social security system.


Have they been ever asked ..what do they want?Are elders treated like expended resource of family

and community?IT CANNOT GO ON!


Participation of older persons in finding solutions

•Old age home•Assisted living•Age in place

Building Community and Health Services

• Active Ageing: WHO Framework• Active ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance

quality of life as people age. • The word “active” refers to continuing participation in social, economic, cultural, spiritual and civic affairs, not

just the ability to be physically active. • Self management and Community Wellness Program• Self-Management program consisted of education on home exercise and diet modifications for prevention of

chronic diseases by Community Physiotherapist• The community program consisted of participation of subject’s in workshop and group exercises given two and a

half hours, once a week, in the space in the Wellness/Neighbourhood Rehab Clinic run by community physiotherapist

Community emergency planning for health takes into account the vulnerabilities and capacities of older people.

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A plan developed with older people, not for them.

• Older people are at the heart of the strategy, and their responses and contributions will be vital to developing the plan further

• A linked-awareness that everyone has an interest in these developments, because we will be older in time, and hope to live in a community and a society that respects ,includes and cares for us

• It presents the vision of the new partnership, its aims and approaches, and an outline of practical and cost effective ways to achieve them through technology social and environment changes.

• DFI is determined to set standards and lead the way for other cities in India.


MODEL FOR ELDERLY IN INDIA

COMMUNITY CARE CENTRE (CCC) SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF OLDER PERSONS IN URBAN AND SEMI

URBAN INDIA

Voluntary Elders-Coordinator of CCC-Emergency Healthcare Duties-Workshop scheduling

Ageing in Place

Age Friendly Initiative of Dharma Foundation of India (DFI)

Allied Health Professionals• informing and encouraging people to stay healthy and prevent illness(Prevention)• Early Detecting health conditions• Having the capacity to treat disease (Curative)•helping patients with rehabilitation (Chronic/long term care)

Managed by

Education/Empowerment-27 workshops on health and social issues- Distribution of booklets

Groups formation-Selection of voluntary elder members as a group leader/local supervisor-10-15 elder in a group

Integration of community care and hospital services through CCC - Small space allocated by Senior Citizen Organization (SCO)-Neighborhood hospitals

Technology for active ageing- mHealth- Point of Care Testing

2011:Focused area CHATTARPUR EXTENSIONTowards Building an Age Friendly Community 9

ADOPTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS OF VARISTHA NAGRIK KENDRA

SANSTHAN(VNKS)Chattarpur Extension,New Delhi

PROGRAM MANAGED BY THE ELDERLYVNKS : Patron Mr K K Vajpayee

•Street•Water logging on roads•Road lights

HELP HEALTH:•DFI has set up a COMMUNITY CARE CENTRE run for the elders in a small space at the VNKS office.•They have employed a Physiotherapist who visits the centre for 3 hours/day.•Educational Workshops in the centre by the Physiotherapist.•Physiotherapy takes care of elders in the centre and visits homes of those who cannot visit the centre.•The Physiotherapist hold small campaigns/projects within the community.•The organization pays a small fee of Rs 4000 to the Physio therapist.•Those who require her services for therapy session pay her a small token amount.•The Physiotherapist earns around Rs 7,000/month for a 3 hours duty.

VNKS PARTICIPATION IN DFI HEALTH PROJECTS

Collaborative sessions/Workshops for elders on prevalent chronic diseases

Training of local supervisors by health experts

Project 1:Effect of Smart breathe in community elders

• Home based therapy program • Group therapy• Outcome measures: Pulse rate, Hypertension,

Community life, Respiratory Status(based on International Classification of Functioning)

• N= 37 subjects (Male 69 %)



Key Findings:•Participation of elder women

•Better Social participation in group activities

•Improved community life

ResultsICF- Function and activity

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Item code

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WEEK 1

WEEK 8

Improvement in Community Life and Respiratory Status(ICF)

Effect of exercises and home modification in fall prevention

• Home based therapy program • Group therapy• Outcome measures:, community life, fatigue, fall

efficacy scale.• n= 120 male 73%• Duration 15 months


PROJECT 2:BALANCE AND FALLS IN ELDERS

EXERCISES

HOME MODIFICATION

INTERVENTION

PROJECT 3: Intergenerational Bonding


•Create awareness about elder problems.•Falls due to imbalance in elders.•Introduce technology to prevent falls in elders.•Valuable future learning of their own life.

Workshop with youth: falls in elderly

Community Wellness: Group counselling

Brief Pain InventoryHypertensionQuality of Lif

•80 elder women members and spouse of members of VNKS•Target disease: joint pain ,hypertension

Project 4:Self management and Community Wellness Program

Home Visits to teach exercises and Diet Modifications

OUTCOMES:Brief Pain InventoryHypertensionQuality of Life

ALL HEALTH ACTIVITIES RUN BY ELDERS THEMSELVES

With introduction of the Active Ageing Program at

Chattarpur Extension Enclave the DFI utilized the inexplicable resource of the elder members of VNKS through self care, mutual help and self promotion

Feedback of Elders:• Increased exercise.• Better coping strategies and symptom management.• More energy and less fatigue.• Looking forward, positive approach


2011-2014Focused Area: Chattarpur Today

LETS WORK TOGETHER TOWARD BUILDING AN AGE FRIENDLY

COMMUNITY

Health & Medicine

Towards Building an age Friendly Community