Nursing homes lack funding to support residents<\/p>\n
By Devi M. Asmarani<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Unlike orphanages, nursing homes in the city
\nreceive very little attention as they strive to support their
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
\"In the nursing homes, people's conditions are constantly
\ndeteriorating, while in orphanages, one can watch children grow,\"
\nR. Daud Palilu, the secretary of the City Coordination Board for
\nSocial Welfare said.<\/p>\n
People tend to forget about nursing homes because of their
\ngloomy impression, Palilu told The Jakarta Post after a Christmas
\ncelebration held by the board for residents of nursing homes,
\norphanages, and homes for the disabled, at Bank Harapan Sentosa
\nbuilding, Central Jakarta over the weekend.<\/p>\n
She blamed the difficulty of funding nursing homes on the
\nlimited financial resources.<\/p>\n
\"Unless the nursing home was founded by a church or charity,
\nit usually provides poor facilities,\" Palilu said, citing the
\nKarya Kasih Nursing Home in Kwitang, Central Jakarta which she
\nalso manages, as an example.<\/p>\n
The nursing home, founded by the Indonesian Christian Church
\nin Kwitang, usually spends around Rp 5 million (US$2,127) monthly
\nfor the cost of hosting 35 senior citizens, she said.<\/p>\n
Although Yayasan Dharmais, owned by President Soeharto, gives
\nevery resident of the privately run nursing homes Rp 30,000
\n($12.50), she said the amount was inadequate to support the
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
\"A senior citizen needs an average of Rp 150,000 a month.
\nFunding the remaining Rp 120,000 for each resident can be
\ndifficult for the nursing home operators,\" she said.<\/p>\n
In addition, out of the 15 privately run nursing homes in the
\ncity, only a few are established by other foundations or
\nchurches, which makes it hard to accommodate all the senior
\ncitizens.<\/p>\n
Because of limited space, nursing homes like Karya Kasih,
\nwhich are open to all senior citizens over the age of 60, must
\nput applicants on waiting lists, until a resident dies.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the familial system in Indonesian culture, which
\nessentially requires families to take care of older relatives,
\ndoes not encourage sending elderly people to nursing homes.<\/p>\n
\"Sending an older family member to the nursing home is still
\ntaboo in our culture. It could spark controversy among the family
\nand talk among friends,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Contributing to the social limitation is the government's
\nrepeated call for people not to send aging parents to nursing
\nhomes unless they really have to, as it contradicts the concept
\nof Indonesian tradition.<\/p>\n
What is often forgotten by people, Palilu said, is that many
\nnursing home residents had voluntarily moved into the homes,
\nwhere they have people of their age to relate to.<\/p>\n
\"Many do not want to be a burden on the family, and some just
\ndo not get proper care because everyone in the family is occupied
\nby work and school,\" she said.<\/p>\n
At the nursing homes, the elderly are provided with food and
\nactivities which enable them to live comfortably during the last
\nfew years of their lives.<\/p>\n
The celebration<\/p>\n
During holiday seasons such as Christmas, organizations,
\nsocial agencies and schools throw parties and give gifts to the
\nelderly to include them in the spirit of the festivities.<\/p>\n
The celebration that took place Saturday was enjoyed by 1,000
\npeople, including senior citizens of six nursing homes.<\/p>\n
Among those attending the Christmas party was Kornelia
\nAnggraeni, a 70-year-old resident of Melania Nursing Home in
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Kornelia, from Padang in West Sumatra, has been in the nursing
\nhome for four years, after the death of her sister with whom she
\nwas living at the time.<\/p>\n
\"My husband passed away and I did not have a child, so I moved
\nhere,\" she said. She said many of the elderly people living in
\nthe nursing homes also did not have children and were not
\nmarried.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Lusiawati who has been living in Melania for 11
\nyears, said she enjoyed celebrating Christmas with her friends in
\nthe nursing home, although the celebrations in previous years had
\nbeen much better.<\/p>\n
\"We had a lot more food before the new nurse came,\" she said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nursing-homes-lack-funding-to-support-residents-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }