'Pergeri' helps elderly people fulfill themselves<\/p>\n
By Rita A. Widiadana<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Elderly, happy, active and creative! That is the
\nmotto of the Indonesian Society of Gerontology, a non-profit
\norganization for the elderly.<\/p>\n
\"Getting old is a natural process. It is inevitable, but
\neverybody can prepare for it properly,\" Sri Mulyono Herlambang,
\nwho chairs the organization, said.<\/p>\n
He believes that people should eliminate the common prejudice
\nthat old people are \"rocking-chair society\" -- sickly, helpless
\nand unemployable.<\/p>\n
Many people are still productive in their old age. History has
\nrecorded the facts that British prime minister Winston Churchill
\nstarted to write his memoirs when he was 80, former U.S.
\npresidents Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan were in power
\nduring their 70s and Albert Einstein made important discoveries
\nin science when he was aging.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, people recognize Dr. Roeslan Abdulgani, Dr.
\nSoemitro Djoyohadikusumo, Rosihan Anwar and many others as
\nproductive and intellectual elderly people, to name a few. Even
\nPresident Soeharto, currently among the above 70 group, is still
\nhealthy and bright.<\/p>\n
Yaumil Agus Achir, a professor of psychology of the University
\nof Indonesia, said although people cannot resist the process of
\ngetting old, it is not an immediate change. Everyone must come to
\nthe realization that they will eventually undergo physical and
\nmental changes. It depends on each person whether or not they
\nprepare themselves to face their retirement period.<\/p>\n
She added that in the past aging Indonesians expected to rely
\non their children to take care of them during their old age. But
\ntoday, the elderly have to learn to be more self reliant. Despite
\nthe fact that the extended family system used to be the key
\nsocial unit in Indonesia, more and more young people are adopting
\nnew nuclear family values.<\/p>\n
Previously, people believed that taking care of their elderly
\nwas a real blessing.<\/p>\n
\"I remember vividly how we tried hard to have our parents
\nstaying with us. Therefore, they had to visit each of their
\nchildren's houses for a certain period of time,\" Herlambang said.<\/p>\n
Today, young people migrate to urban areas to seek a better
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
With this continuing trend toward migration, the once tightly
\nknit extended family units are slowly breaking up. Young people
\nare busy pursuing their own careers and raising their own
\nfamilies in towns. It is very difficult for them to take care of
\ntheir aging parents because of limited time and economic
\nconstraints.<\/p>\n
Times are changing and many young people in Indonesia, as well
\nas in other Asian countries, believe that taking care of parents
\nhas become too expensive a responsibility. The duty of caring for
\nelderly parents is viewed as a heavy burden now, which is quite
\nsurprising since eastern societies mostly have strong and long
\nstanding family traditions.<\/p>\n
This shift in values, coupled with the fact that the aged
\npopulation is continuing to expand rapidly, has extended the
\nimpact of the gray society into both a national and a global
\nissue.<\/p>\n
Herlambang said the government is now working hard to
\ninclude the problems of the elderly in the State Guidelines. The
\ngovernment plans also to make various adjustments in its policy
\nto benefit senior citizens, including stipulations on housing,
\nsecurity systems, health and the workforce.<\/p>\n
However, many people are of the opinion that such policy
\nmaking is a long term task and that much time is sure to pass
\nbefore formulation and enforcement can be achieved. Moreover, at
\npresent the government is focusing its endeavors on dealing with
\nthe homeless and neglected elderly people. What about active and
\nhealthy seniors?<\/p>\n
Herlambang, 65, once a high-ranking Air Force officer,
\ncommented recently that the problem of the elderly has become so
\nalarming because immediate concrete action has not been
\nforthcoming.<\/p>\n
\"What is needed now is prompt actions to deal with the
\nproblems otherwise they will become more complicated,\" Herlambang
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In order to accommodate active and dynamic elderly people, a
\nnumber of prominent senior figures established the Indonesian
\nSociety of Gerontology (Pergeri) in l984.<\/p>\n
The organization has been active in carrying out research and
\nstudies on elderly people in an attempt to encourage greater
\nawareness of problems regarding the aged.<\/p>\n
The organization now has eight branch offices in several major
\ncities, including Bogor, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya. The
\norganization hopes to open new branches in other cities in order
\nto provide a forum for the elderly nationwide.<\/p>\n
\"Our main focus is to keep our senior citizens physically,
\nmentally and socially well and to increase awareness among the
\nyounger generation about the need to pay serious attention to the
\nproblems of the elderly,\" Herlambang said.<\/p>\n
Various seminars and discussions involving both young and
\nelderly people are held to bridge the wide gap between the
\ngenerations. The organization also provides scholarships for
\nanyone interested in studying gerontology.<\/p>\n
Another important activity is to seek job opportunities for
\nsenior citizens.<\/p>\n
\"We can imitate other countries's efforts to employ these
\npeople. Certainly, we will not grab the employment markets for
\nthe younger generations, but administrative or part-time jobs
\nmight be considered appropriate for the elderly,\" Herlambang, who
\ncurrently holds top positions in several companies, said.<\/p>\n
Citing an example, he said that elderly people in some Asian
\ncountries like Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong are still
\nemployed at public parks or bus terminals as ticket sellers.<\/p>\n
The organization also provides mental and health consultation
\nand counseling to prepare the elderly for the immediate shock of
\nbeing out of work and of felling abandoned by their adult
\nchildren.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Ratna Madjid, a member of the organization, commented
\nthat she obtains various benefits through involvement in the
\norganization. The most immediate of those being that she can
\nshare activities with other elderly people of around her age.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Ratmini Soedjatmoko, 69, who is active in various social
\nactivities said she did not know that a group dealing with the
\nelderly existed in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I have to know the goal of this group before I decide to join
\nit. But, the establishment of such a group is a positive step,\"
\nshe remarked.<\/p>\n
Herlambang added that several suggestions on how to benefit
\nthe elderly have been submitted to the authorities, including the
\nestablishment of special geriatric health units in every
\nhospital.<\/p>\n
Traffic signs and special public facilities for the elderly
\nare also needed. A recent report says that Depok, an
\nadministrative region about 30 kilometers south of Jakarta, is
\nthe only place in the country where streets have special traffic
\nsigns for the elderly.<\/p>\n
\"None of the needed facilities are aimed at spoiling or
\ncomforting old people. But, how many young people are still
\nwilling to give their bus seats up for the elderly ? And we
\nrarely if ever see young people helping the elderly to cross the
\ncity streets,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
Although most of the elderly know that all of the suggestions
\nrequire serious consideration from the authorities and that it
\nwill surely take a long time to establish them as policy, they
\nare still optimistic and are of the opinion that any action is
\nbetter late than never.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pergeri-helps-elderly-people-fulfill-themselves-1447893297",
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