People told to take care of the elderly

JAKARTA: To mark World Elderly Day on Tuesday, the government encouraged citizens to take care of their parents at home instead of putting them in nursing homes.

"In honor of our culture, I call on younger people to let their aging parents live with them," said Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar when introducing the Three Generations Under One Roof campaign.

According to data from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the number of people in the country over the age of 60 has risen to approximately 16 million, up from 14.4 million in 2000. By 2020, the number of people over the age of 60 is expected to surge to about 28.8 million, or 11.34 percent of the total population. -- JP