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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