Bylaw stipulates providing care for the aged at their homes

elder
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AMMAN — An account will be opened for the elderly at the Ministry of Social Development that aims to provide appropriate social, health, physical, and psychological care for the elderly at their homes and among their families, the newly issued 2021 Aged Care Bylaw stipulates.اضافة اعلان

The bylaw was recently published in the official gazette after it was endorsed by a Royal Decree, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
The move came as Jordan joined the world in celebrating the UN’s International Day of Older Persons, on Friday October 1, under the theme, "Digital Equity for All Ages."

Omar Hiyasat, director of the Family Protection Department at the Ministry of Social Development, in a report in Alwakeelnews, said that the ministry places the elderly at the top of its priorities. He said the bylaw aims to encourage and support care givers who may not have the financial means to support their elderly relatives, and those who volunteer to care for their aged relatives at home.

Hiyasat said that the ministry spends around JD517,000 annually on supplying residential care for the elderly from various charity associations at a rate of JD280 per elderly person per month. He said that there are around 359 elderly persons in care homes throughout the Kingdom, 126 are at the ministry’s expense and the rest are in care at their own expense.

The importance of deploying technology in the service of the elderly by helping them use technology and by using technology to make their lives easier and help them achieve a dignified life, was stressed by various authorities.

The secretary general of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA), Dr. Mohammad Fakhri Miqdadi said that the national strategy for the elderly, which was established in 2018, stresses the importance of conducting training workshops for the elderly, especially in the computer and Internet fields, so as to enhance their abilities to use technology.

The Department of Statistics revealed that one out of ten people between 60 and 64 can use a computer, while one out of 26 people over 65 can use a computer.

Despite the fact that advances in technological developments raise hopes for achieving sustainable development goals more quickly, half of the world population are still off track, according to the UN General Assembly’s website.

Recent reports by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) indicate that women and older persons experience digital inequity to a greater extent than other groups in society; they either lack access to technologies or are often not benefitting fully from the opportunities provided by technological progress.

Miqdadi said that the motto “Digital Equity for All Ages” sheds light on the importance of benefitting from technologies to mitigate the challenges that come with growing old. He said that some countries developed applications for mobile phones that help remind the elderly what time they should take their medication and help them avoid falls.

Miqdadi also pointed to Jordan’s many achievements in elderly care, especially after the Cabinet approved the Elderly Fund. The fund will enhance services provided for older persons and enhance their abilities and skills.

The number elderly people over 60 in Jordan is estimated at around 588,000, who make up 5.4 percent of the total population, according to official figures for 2020.


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