Can you imagine your 60-year-old grandparents racing to build pyramids out of paper cups — and then blowing it down, laughing their hearts out throughout the relay? New community projects in the UAE are proving that no one is too old for fun and games.
Non-government organisation SmartLife Foundation has been organising free-of-cost meetups for seniors every month. Usually, these gatherings include yoga sessions, a talk, in addition to a lot of healthy exchanges. But in September, Manjula Ramakrishnan, project lead for Smart Senior Citizen and Single Mums, decided to try something different.
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“Instead of us organising the meetup, we asked the elderly people to plan it,” she told Khaleej Times. “Two of them — Kamakshi Masne and Kanchana Sampathbabu — came forward. They were assisted by our volunteers Bhawana and Namrata.”
The group was surprised by the kind of activity the seniors came up with.
“It was an absolute treat. There were games and prizes. You should have heard them laughing,” Manjula said. “One of the games involved writing down names of actors who were active between 1960s and 1980s. Another one required them to build pyramids out of paper cups and blow it down.”
“When they went home that day, the winners tucked their gifts under their arms and marched home like little children,” she said.
At risk of ‘loneliness epidemic’
These gatherings are just some of the facilities that various UAE organisations are putting forth to keep the elderly entertained and engaged in the country.
With humans living longer than ever before, senior citizens are at risk of facing an epidemic of loneliness and neglect. October 1 was observed as International Day of Older Persons by the UN. This year, the theme centred around ageing with dignity and strengthening the support system for older persons worldwide.
Internal medicine consultant and geriatrician Dr Salwa Alsuwaidi highlighted how people are now living longer.
“Before the unification of the UAE, the average life expectancy was 53 years,” she said. “But now, with the improvement of health services in the country and the interventions we have, the average life expectancy is 80 years. People are living longer and the management of their health is becoming an important topic.”
Manjula said that since the organisation started its activities for older adults, a firm bond has been created among the 26 registered members.
“We are all grandparents,” she said. “We have lived a full life but we still have a lot to contribute to society. We were all strangers but now, a deep friendship has been built.”
Elderly people should socialise
Geriatric consultant Dr Rahul Unnikrishnan explained why such bonds of friendship are extremely important. “With ageing, there is social isolation,” he said. “As people get older, they lose their social skills, have cognitive impairment and suffer from lack of mobility. It is important to have places where older folks can mingle again.”
Elderly people should have a club or a majlis where they can play board games, mingle with others their age and socialise, he said. “There should also be some outlet for them to play traditional games or sing and dance as these are activities they might have done in their youth,” he said. “These bring back happy memories, which is great for stimulating their brain and making them feel like an important part of society.”
He lauded the UAE for doing their bit to promote leisure activities for older adults. There are several avenues for those living in the country. Here are some:
- The Seniors’ Happiness Centre, part of the Dubai Health Authority, provides 24-hour medical and nursing care for senior citizens, catering to the medical, social, rehabilitation, nutritional, cultural, and recreational needs of the elderly.
- The Thukher club in Al Safa provides a gym, health centre, library and social space for Emiratis above the age of 60.
- Khaleej Times had earlier reported about the Elder Square, a daycare centre for senior citizens.
Raising awareness
In a bid to increase awareness about the field of geriatric medicine, the Emirates Geriatrics Society (EGS) was formed in the UAE under the umbrella of Emirates Medical Association.
Dr Salwa, who is the president, explained that the EGS was the concerted effort of several geriatric medicine practitioners across the country.
“It is much better for the elderly to consult geriatricians because they require a holistic approach to their health,” she said. “The doctors need to take into consideration their physical, cognitive, medical, social and family issues.”
Dr Salwa said geriatrics was still in its infancy and the EGS was looking to change people’s mentalities. “There are several issues which impact the elderly population, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia,” she said. “These are called geriatric giants. No one really talks much about it. We want to increase awareness about these issues.”