Nursing home: The option for nobody's elderly<\/p>\n
By Ati Nurbaiti and Rita A. Widiadana<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Suharti, 72, never dreamed that she would spend
\nthe last years of life in a nursing home.<\/p>\n
She always fancied herself as a happy grandmother living in a
\ncomfortable house, surrounded by naughty but cute grandchildren.
\nThis dream didn't come true.<\/p>\n
When her husband died ten years ago, he left her penniless and
\ncompletely alone in Jakarta. She has no children.<\/p>\n
\"My relatives may still live in Purworejo (Central Java), but
\nI don't know how to find them,\" Suharti said.<\/p>\n
She previously worked as a maid and sold 'pisang goreng' (fried
\nbananas), but was forced by her weakening body to give up
\nworking. Thanks to a neighbor, she finally found a \"home\" in a
\ncity-owned home for the elderly in Cipayung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know whether I like living here or not, but this is
\nmy fate so I have to accept it and enjoy my last years with my
\nnew friends,\" said the tiny and sickly lady.<\/p>\n
Hari Ramlan, an officer at the home, explained that most of
\nits inhabitants are found wandering the city streets or are
\nbrought in by social workers or neighborhood officials.<\/p>\n
\"Most of them have no families. I can't remember anyone
\ndeliberately sending their aged parents here,\" Enny assured.<\/p>\n
The Cipayung Nursing Home provides shelter, food and clothes.
\nA health service is also available, but medical workers only
\nvisit once a month.<\/p>\n
The nursing home is located in a complex managed by the City
\nOffice of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Apart from the nursing
\nhome, the complex also includes an orphanage for toddlers and an
\ninsane asylum.<\/p>\n
Compared to other city-owned nursing homes, Cipayung is good.
\nThe rooms are quite clean, although four people must share one
\nroom. It has also large garden which enable the elderly to take a
\nwalk or sit under a shady tree. But the fact that this nursing
\nhome is beside an insane asylum is quite frightening.<\/p>\n
The Cipayung nursing home currently takes care of about 60 old
\nmen and women. This is beyond its real capacity of only 40
\ninhabitants.<\/p>\n
The management spends about Rp 4 million a month on running
\nthe place, not enough to meet basic expenses. There is also a
\nshortage of staff. To solve this problem, the stronger residents
\nare encouraged to help cook and wash the dishes, Harry explained.<\/p>\n
\"They are very happy if we give them responsibility,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
A shortage of funds, staff and volunteers is common at most of
\nthe 46 city-owned nursing homes, including Cipayung and one in
\nJelambar Raya, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Head of the Jelambar Nursing Home on Jl. Jelambar Raya, West
\nJakarta, Mawardji says managing the home is like managing on a
\ncivil servant's low pay. Electricity and water costs of Rp
\n200,000 are reimbursed only after three months, he said. The
\nmunicipality only gives each resident Rp 1,000 a day to survive
\non. Finding extra money is left to the manager.<\/p>\n
\"I also provide parking for the rich to bring in some more
\ncash,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Contributions<\/p>\n
Contributions are always appreciated and don't always come in
\nthe form of money. \"I appreciate our neighbors, some of them
\nregularly give fruit and cakes to each of the residents,\" said
\nMawardji.<\/p>\n
\"This way we can stretch the Rp 1,000 for emergencies like
\ntransportation to Husada Bakti hospital where care is free.\" Some
\nof the old men and women are also particular and demand luxuries
\nlike coffee.<\/p>\n
The Jelambar home is being renovated with funds from the city
\ngovernment and a few private contributions. The project will
\nraise the home's capacity to 80 residents, so private rooms have
\nbeen turned into wards. A new hall and toilets will be built, but
\nmake the place better?<\/p>\n
One resident commented, \"I really liked sleeping in a nice
\nroom alone, now I sleep in a barrack with fussy old ladies. Its
\nmiserable.\"<\/p>\n
Saliman, an old man, chooses to sleep outside the building on
\na mat. He said he couldn't stand the noisy women. He was picked
\nup by the city's security and order team when begging in Tanjung
\nPriok, North Jakarta. \"I was a construction worker but I lost my
\nstrength,\" he explained.<\/p>\n
Mawardji has only four male staff to help the 30, mainly
\nfemale, residents. The government has limited the number part-
\ntime staff he is allowed to hire so he has found another way.<\/p>\n
A few of the women are still strong, he says, and do a bit of
\npaid work.<\/p>\n
He plans to get sewing machines for the few who can still sew,
\nand says raising chickens may foster a feeling of appreciation
\nand trust among inhabitants.<\/p>\n
He also says that ideally the home should have experts to meet
\nthe specific needs of the elderly. \"So far I am limited to only
\ntaking care of them physically,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have special menus to suite the condition of
\ndifferent people yet.\"<\/p>\n
Mawardji notes that it isn't economic factors that drive
\nelderly citizens into such homes, but friction at home,
\n\"especially with daughters-in-law who only treat the old people
\nwell when their husbands are home.\"<\/p>\n
\"I don't know if I like it here, I'm new,\" said Inem, who
\ntalks endlessly about her former employer and the children she
\ncared for as a maid.<\/p>\n
So far, no one has dumped their parents in the Jelambar home.
\nThe residents are sent there by the police, from other homes and
\nfrom the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes there are old people who no longer can pay their
\nrent, and the neighborhood chiefs send them to us without any
\nfees.\"<\/p>\n
The Cipayung and Jelambar nursing homes illustrate the
\nhardship Jakarta's homeless and poor elderly face.<\/p>\n
Some of the 72 private institutions in the city provide better
\nfacilities. A nursing home run by the Ria Pembangunan Karya
\nBhakti Foundation is a good example. It is located in Cibubur,
\nEast Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The Cibubur nursing home is situated in spacious and contoured
\ngrounds, an ideal place for the elderly.<\/p>\n
\"Some of the elderly were sent by their children,\" said an
\nofficer but refused to elaborate.<\/p>\n
The home consists of several rooms. Some have private rooms,
\nwhile others share with their friends. The health facilities are
\nvery good. Before being admitted, everyone must undergo a
\ncomprehensive medical check-up and residents are usually examined
\ntwice a week.<\/p>\n
Some inhabitants, walking outside the nursing home, said that
\nthey are happy living with people of their same age.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes, people have to realize that they should not expect
\ntheir children to take care of them,\" said Mirah (not her real
\nname).<\/p>\n
She said that she is still strong and healthy and has money,
\nbut prefers to live at the home.<\/p>\n
\"Once or twice a week, the driver takes us to a nearby
\nsupermarket to buy our daily needs,\" she said cheerfully, while
\nhopping into the van for her shopping trip.<\/p>\n
Discourage<\/p>\n
The government is not likely to add to the number of nursing
\nhomes even though the number of old people in need is rising.<\/p>\n
\"The government will not encourage construction of nursing
\nhomes because the concept contradicts Indonesian tradition,\"
\nMinister of Population Haryono Suyono once said.<\/p>\n
This leaves the care of the elderly up to the community and
\nfamily.<\/p>\n
A number of non-profit organizations have been trying to
\nestablish a community-based program called Pusaka in some of the
\ncity's poorest districts.<\/p>\n
The Usaha Mulya Abadi Foundation, for instance, is working
\nhard to improve the living conditions of families in a slum in
\nKalibaru, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Sanitiyo, chairperson of the foundation, commented that
\nby helping poor families, the program enables the family to care
\nfor their old parents.<\/p>\n
The foundation provides working capital and adopts foster
\nchildren. The elderly are given free food, blankets, clothes and
\nmedicine.<\/p>\n
Every day, the foundation staff and neighborhood volunteers
\nset up a communal kitchen under a tent to provide the elderly
\nwith rice, soup and other nutritious food and beverages.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Sanityo added that they face a serious problem because
\nthe number of senior citizens in the district is increasing.<\/p>\n
\"There are no statistics because it is a slum where anyone can
\nset up a house any time. It is very difficult for us to provide
\nfood and other basic needs for such a large number,\" she
\nlamented.<\/p>\n
She finds it very hard to get the necessary funds and stressed
\nthat financial support from both individuals and the government
\nis badly needed.<\/p>\n
\"Jakarta has many rich people, but they aren't willing to see
\nthe extent of poverty around them,\" she concluded.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nursing-home-the-option-for-nobodys-elderly-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}