Ready to Support ATENSI, "Gau Mabaji" Elderly Center Strengthens Family Role

ENREKANG (October 23, 2020) – The Ministry of Social Affairs through the "Gau Mabaji" Social Rehabilitation Center for Elderly (BRSLU) Gowa as the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) within the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation is currently preparing the Social Rehabilitation Assistance program (ATENSI).

The ATENSI program is a form of state presence through the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs in improving social services for the elderly. Apart from being implemented on a Residential basis through Centers, this program also focuses on social rehabilitation services on a Family and Community basis.

As an effort to make the program a success, the “Gau Mabaji” Elderly Center in Gowa makes efforts to increase the role of the family through Family Strengthening activities. This activity is an activity that aims to provide education and information to families in providing services and care for the elderly.

On this occasion, two teams were deployed at once to carry out family strengthening activities in two regencies, namely in Pinrang Regency and Enkerang Regency.

One of the elderly people visited by the team in Enrekang Regency, Grandpa TB (83 years old) who previously received social rehabilitation services at Center, now lives with a substitute family (foster care).

It is known that this elderly person whose vision is not good due to cataracts has a child who lives in Malaysia. Due to the remote location and lack of funds, the elderly cannot live with their children. Therefore, now the elderly live with a substitute family in Enrekang Regency.

In a different place, in Pinrang Regency, the elderly LT (80 years old) also lives with a substitute family. Grandpa LT is now a potential and productive elderly by doing daily activities to help the family business as a gallon seller.

Eka Keswara Putra, one of the employees who carried out this family engagement activity, said that the replacement family is a solution for social rehabilitation services that can be provided to the elderly.

"The substitute family is a solution for social rehabilitation services that can be provided to the elderly, because essentially the best social rehabilitation services are carried out in the family," said Eka.

It is hoped that in the future the family and substitute families can provide optimal services and social care for the elderly through the assistance of the "Gau Mabaji" Elderly Center in Gowa.