Hope For Elderly To Stay Productive

JAKARTA, Oct 2 (Antara) - The world at large considers the process of aging as something to be evaded, avoided, and postponed as long as possible. All kinds of devices are employed to prolong the illusion of youth. It is usual to consider that aging is simply the natural consequence of the inexorable passing of time, to be greeted with nothing but regret. Aging is more than an unavoidable biological process, and is not just something to be endured as an unfortunate, but when properly accepted, it may constitute the finishing school for character education and enrichment. In the light of this, Health Minister Nila Djuwita F Moeloek has given hope to the elderly, and invites them to apply a healthy lifestyle in order to stay fit and productive in old age. Speaking at the National Congress of Indonesian Medical Gerontology Association over the weekend in Padang, West Sumatra, the Indonesian health minister remarked that by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the elderly will remain fit, active, and productive in old age. Results of Basic Health Research has recently shown that the pattern of diseases in the elderly are hypertension 57.6 percent, arthritis 51.9 percent, stroke 46.1 percent, and followed by dental and mouth health problems 19.2 percent. "The elderly people who maintain a healthy lifestyle, a normal weight, not smoking, and drinking alcohol at moderate levels can lower the risk of such degenerative diseases," Moeloek affirmed. She also encouraged the elderly to avoid stress, with adequate rest and regular exercise, eating nutritious foods, maintaining ideal weight, and avoiding smoking and alcohol. However, Health Minister Nila Moeloek has emphasized that inter-ministerial coordination in dealing with health problems is now getting better, and should be further enhanced through the program of Healthy Living Community Movement (Germas), initiated by President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi. Germas aims to change people's behavior and encourage them to adopt a healthier lifestyle, as health does not happen by accident but requires work, smart lifestyle choices, and the occasional medical checkup and test. Making small, consistent changes to their daily routine can become healthy habits that improve their overall well-being. Maintaining a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep and being physically active can become a part of their regular day. Hence, the health minister has expressed hope that the awareness of health will increase both in society and government in issuing policies that support a healthy lifestyle. To build a strong country, Moeloek said it would start from human quality that was also closely related to health. "The basis is health, family planning, children with ideal body weight; and therefore, a mother should be able to maintain the health of her children," the health minister remarked. She acknowledges that the work to awaken everyone about the importance of maintaining health is quite difficult, and this is proven by statistics showing that only 20 percent of Indonesians really understand the importance of maintaining health. To continue improving the health of Indonesians, Moeloek emphasized the importance of inter-ministerial roles in dealing with health issues that cannot be handled by the Ministry of Health alone. "All the relevant ministries should cooperate and integrate to address these health problems," the health minister remarked in Jakarta recently. She explained that the Ministry of Health needs the role of other ministries to create a healthy lifestyle in the community. Moeloek acknowledged the challenges faced by health personnel in providing services to the community in different geographical areas of each region of Indonesia. In addition, budget limitations for the procurement of health facilities and provision of health equipment have been prioritized for the needs of the community health centers. She invited health workers to change the pattern of health services from curative or healing approach to a more promotional and preventive approach. Moeloek urged the personnel of the community health centers to proactively identify the cause of the disease from the neighborhood domain and to encourage a healthy lifestyle at an early age in the community. Adopting healthy habits at an early age can makes it much easier to stick to it, as it can be difficult enough to change them later in life. Hence, various preventive efforts need to be done by every individual in Indonesia as the best possible solution to reduce the economic burden caused by high health costs. Various preventive efforts need to be done by every individual in Indonesia as the best possible solution to reduce the economic burden caused by high health costs. Indonesia's economic burden to finance health is predicted to increase following a higher number of people with degenerative diseases such as stroke, ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease, and diabetes. According to World Health Organization (WHO) report, stroke, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes are the top killers in Indonesia, and therefore, preventive efforts must be done. Indonesia is currently experiencing the degenerative and man-made diseases stage of epidemiological change which is identified by its leading causes of death. WHO has reported that stroke is responsible for 21.2 percent of all death, or the number one killer in Indonesia, and is responsible for 328,500 deaths per year. Hence, the government has invested in public education initiatives and increased stroke units in an attempt to prevent stroke-related deaths in response.