Networking to the Grassroots, MoSA Believes Aisyiyah Can Accelerate Fulfillment of Elderly Rights

JAKARTA (June 28, 2021) – Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini instructed her staff to continue to improve services for the elderly. These efforts include synergizing with the social potential of the community.

Following up on the Minister's directive, Director General of Social Rehabilitation Harry Hikmat stated that it is important to do synergy with the social potential of the community. MoSA cannot work alone, in line with the complexity of fulfilling the rights of the elderly.

On that basis, Harry appreciates and continues to encourage MoSA’s synergy plan with grassroots forces such as the Central Manager of Aisyiyah.

“The presence of Aisyiyah's branches can strengthen what is happening at the community or resident level, such as strengthening Posyandu (Health Services Post) for the Elderly, ensuring the distribution of various social assistance to the elderly and caring for the elderly. We ask for synergies in the implementation of national programs, including ensuring food assistance, assistance for the Family Hope Program (PKH), which is spread throughout the country," said Harry Hikmat who was present as the main speaker in the webinar with title “Fulfillment of Rights Towards Happy and Prosperous Elderly organized by the Aisyiyah.

Aisyiyah as a large and experienced organization is believed to be a strategic partner of MoSA in providing services to the elderly. "We are directed by Social Minister to always be responsive, go to the field quickly, pay attention to the elderly, including those affected by Covid-19 and ensure that there are caregivers as the persons in charge," said Harry Hikmat.

He hopes that there will be a synergy between Aisyiyah and MoSA by synergizing directly with the Social Rehabilitation Centers, which are currently centers of service and protection for the elderly throughout Indonesia.

A total of 41 technical service units (UPT), namely the Social Rehabilitation Center of MoSA, have now run multi-services, including services for the elderly. "The Aisyiyah branch network in the regions is expected to be able to synergize with the UPT in question," he said.

Harry said, as a vulnerable group, the elderly are a group at risk from violent/criminal behavior and acts such as sexual harassment, theft, molestation, et cetera. This is due to the decreased ability of the elderly to protect themselves. The mobility problems faced also affect the capabilities of the elderly.

Challenge 2045

In Law Number 13 of 1998 on the Welfare of the Elderly, the age limit is set at the age of 60 years and over. These limits can be shifted or revisited considering the life expectancy of the Indonesian population reaches 71 years and over.

In 2045, Indonesia will experience the phenomenon of an aging population, namely a population with an elderly population that has a very high dependency ratio as a result of increasing life expectancy and declining fertility rates. Thus, the demographic structure of the Indonesian population will have many elderly aged 60 years and over.

Based on data, 44% of the elderly in Indonesia have multimorbidity (Pusdatin Kemenkes, 2020). The most common diseases experienced by the Indonesian elderly besides dementia are hypertension, dental disorders, arthritis, oral disorders, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and cancer.

"This needs to be prepared well in advance and it is necessary to anticipate the future of the nation which will lead to an elderly population," said Harry.

The policy going forward is how parents, children, or families who have elderly, the surrounding community have awareness of the presence of the elderly in their environment and have an understanding and response that has become a community movement called Elderly Posyandu," said Harry.

The Elderly Posyandu is a community-based protection movement for the elderly and has shown real success as Minister Risma did when she was mayor of Surabaya city.

Family-Based

From the existing conditions, according to Harry Hikmat, the elderly are also faced with the problem of poverty. The elderly, especially those aged 60 years and over, many life below the poverty line. This shows that the poverty rate for the elderly population is still significant.

Therefore, the Ministry of Social Affairs has taken various strategic steps, including providing social protection for the elderly, whether they are in the family or for some reason outside the family (at Social Rehabilitation Centers/Social Institutions and Social Welfare Institutions).

The elderly, especially the poor and vulnerable, who are in the category of the lowest 40% of socioeconomic status, around 12.6 million (DTKS, 2019) will be sought to be handled through social protection programs, such as PKH. Currently, there are only around 1.1 million (Directorate of Family Social Assistance, 2019), and limited to the elderly aged 70 years and over.

Interestingly, the elderly want to be cared for by their families. "When the elderly experience a decrease in functional capability that requires long-term care, the care carried out by their spouse and children (as companions) becomes the Center of Attention in the future," he said.

Long-term care cannot fully rely on the availability of Tresna Werdha center or social care homes for the elderly because their reach and availability are limited. In addition, it also does not expect a transfer of Atensi from elderly families and neglect from families due to old age so that families no longer care about the condition of the elderly in their families.

"We optimize how the elderly who still live with their partners, families, grandchildren, or 3 generations are the social capital of this nation to continue to provide care for the elderly (as caregivers) in the long term, by prioritizing a family-based approach," he said.

SKA Optimization

MoSA through the Social Rehabilitation Assistance Program (ATENSI) is very concerned about strengthening family-based services for the elderly, in addition to community-based strengthening and increasing the capacity of residential care which can become service centers to encourage families and communities to play an optimal role in providing protection, respect, and fulfillment of rights - the rights of the elderly.

For potential elderly, potential can be developed through various empowerment programs. One of them is through the ATENSI Creation Center (SKA) which was initiated by Social Minister Risma.

The ATENSI Creation Center is a center for entrepreneurship and vocational development as well as a medium for promoting the work of beneficiaries in one area, including the work of the elderly. SKA is expected to be a choice for productive elderly to continue to display their productivity and benefit from their productivity.

The Minister of Social Affairs reminded us to ensure that there are integrated activities at the grass-root level by improving the quality of physical, mental, psychological, and social activities carried out from, by, and for the community as a form of Posyandu for the Elderly. "MoSA from the aspect of social welfare services will also strengthen the presence of Posyandu for the Elderly throughout Indonesia," said Harry Hikmat.