Review retirement age – UG lecturer advises gov’t

Professor Joseph Atsu Ayee of the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, has urged the government to review the retirement age to tap into the experiences of the aged.

He said there was a severe disconnect between the aged and national development in the country, and to bridge the gap, the country needed to involve the aged in social issues by tapping into their vast experiences.

“The aged have become part of national development in other parts of the world because they have been made productive even at their age. Hence, we must move away from the mentality of retiring at 60 and becoming redundant.”

Speaking at the inauguration of the COMi Relief Foundation’s Respite Facility dubbed “The CRF Respite”, an aged Day Care Facility, Prof. Ayee noted that ageing was a global issue, but unlike in other developed countries where states had made provisions for the aged, in Ghana ageing has become a family issue without any institutional goals.

He said there was the need to make ageing a critical issue, develop a support scheme for the aged and establish an institutional home where the aged could go in for refuge.

“As a country, if we want productivity to improve among the youth, we must invest more in the aged so that the young ones will be motivated to go all out and work, having in mind they would be catered for in their old age.”

He commended the Foundation for the efforts to support the aged across the country and encouraged them to engage proactively and in a coordinated manner with government agencies to receive the needed support.
“Liaise with other institutions also in the area of ageing to have a critical mass to engage government.”

Dr Edward Danso, the Chief Executive Officer, CRF, said the aged have been seriously marginalised in the country, and there was minimal support for them, hence the establishment of the Foundation eight years ago to see to the care of the elderly.

He said, “our Vision is to provide high-quality healthcare and supportive services to the aged in Ghana. Our mission is to promote, enhance and innovate healthcare and the well-being of the aged. Our objective is to provide quality care in the comfort, respect, and in dignity to the aged who suffer rejection and neglect.”

Dr Danso said the United Nations and WHO had informed developing countries about the growing concern of the ageing population and urged third world countries to plan and prepare to take care of them; hence the CRF had taken the lead role in providing innovative healthcare for the aged as the Ghanaian society was getting greyer.

He said the respite was established out of funds raised from the sale of some awards presented to the CRF during its eighth-anniversary celebrations.

“The Respite Facility will provide natural health solutions to the issues that affect the aged. We have a well-resourced Clinic with non-evasive equipment, Caregivers and Therapists handy for the comfort of the aged. Our integrated programme will provide maintenance daycare, social activities, and rehabilitation on demand. It will also provide extensive respite care support for the aged to maintain their general, physical, and psycho-social well-being.”

The CEO reiterated that “the CRF is committed to seeing the aged smile because of what we do for them. At the facility, the aged will participate in cognitive engaging programs and maintenance exercises that enable them to be more socially active. Physiotherapists,

Nutritionist and occupational therapy services will be provided at a minimal cost. This will include breakfast and lunch (depending on the schedule of Service for the day).”

He urged nonprofit organisations, corporate bodies and individuals with similar vision and mission to join them and support their efforts financially and materially while encouraging the public to take advantage of the facility and its services.

Mr Daniel Nii-Noi Adumuah, the Adentan Municipal Chief Executive, pledged the Assembly’s continuous support for the initiative to achieve its aim of providing care for the aged across the country.

Some pensioners used the opportunity to appeal to the government and other organisations to support their health and accommodation needs, saying, “ageing is very expensive, and so we cannot survive on our pensions. We need the support of both government and institutions like CRF.”