MoSA Takes Action, Mak Benah, Elderly Lives Alone in Tambora, West Jakarta Can Live Healthier and Comfortable

JAKARTA (FEBRUARY 10, 2023) - Handayani Centers responded quickly to viral news about elderly living alone in Tambora, West Jakarta. This is following the direction of the Minister of Social Affairs, Tri Rismaharini, who pays special attention to this case.

Grandma Benah (76) is elderly and lives alone because of her husband and only son who followed her father in December 2021 and her grandchildren whose whereabouts are unknown.

Nek Benah (76) has found it increasingly difficult to live after she no longer works after her heel joint surgery on her right leg which resulted in difficulty in doing activities, so she uses a cane to help her mobility in carrying out her daily activities. Due to these conditions, Nek Benah depended on her neighbors for her everyday life.

Living in a row house with an area of ​​2.5 x 5 m² which she has lived in since 1972, Mak Benah has never felt the warmth of sunlight due to inadequate ventilation in the house which makes the house damp, smelly, and lots of rats and cockroaches roaming around the house. This also made Mak Benah's health condition decline.

Representing the Head of Handayani Center Jakarta Acting Head of Administrative Subdivision, Meerada Sariaty immediately mobilized a Team to follow up on the report. Together with the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for the Elderly, Handayani Team provided health services and handed over Atensi assistance in the form of house repairs, nutritional and personal hygiene packages, and household furniture worth IDR 7,541,400.

ATENSI assistance was handed over directly by the Coordinator of Handayani Center Elderly Working Group, Dyah Wijayanti, and the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for Elderly, West Jakarta Social Office, UPTD Tanah Sareal Health Center, Tambora District, and Tanah Sareal Village.

Currently, Mak Benah can feel happy because her house has started to be repaired and rearranged with the help of the Public Facilities and Infrastructure Management (PPSU) of Tanah Sereal Village. Hopefully, Mak Benah can feel more comfortable and healthier living in her old age in her modest home.