CENTRAL JAVA — The Free Health Service OR Layanan Kesehatan Cuma-Cuma (LKC) of Dompet Dhuafa, Central Java, held a cadre training activity for Agents of Change (AoC) in Banyumas Regency, Central Java, on Thursday (29/9/2022). These AoCs are those who echo the Elderly Health Movement. This training is an action to optimize the role of the elderly as AoC in the scope of increasing knowledge, the ability to educate fellow elderly, being actively involved in screening and elderly health services, and commemorating HLUN (Hari Lanjut Usia Nasional/National Elderly Day)
Attend the training, dr. Yeni Purnamasari, MKM as General Manager of Dompet Dhuafa Health Division, Slamet Setiadi, S.Kep, Ns, MM, Secretary of Banyumas District Health Office, Titi Ngudiati as Head of LKC-DD Central Java and dr. Astrina Yulda as Senior Advisor for The Elderly of Dompet Dhuafa, who also acted as a speaker.
Dr. Yeni explained that the coverage areas in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in the HLUN program include Central Java Province, in Purbalingga Regency and Banyumas Regency, then South Sumatra Province, in Prabumulih Regency. LKC Dompet Dhuafa targets to train as many as 50 AoC and conduct health screenings on 1,000 elderly people, which will be integrated with the Elderly Fitness Examination Information System.
“This collaboration involves the active role of the Health Office, both provinces and districts, Health Center in the program area, and we target to be able to train 50 Agents of Change and carry out health screenings for the elderly, as many as 1,000 elderlies and will be integrated with the Elderly Fitness Examination Information System or SIPGAR which the Ministry of Health has socialized,” said dr. Yeni.
Furthermore, Setiadi appreciated Dompet Dhuafa for initiating training activities for elderly cadres today. According to him, this training is possible to be synergized with the programs of the Banyumas Regency health office.
“The current number of elderly in Banyumas is 257,000 people, and in 2021 only 43% of these 257,000 are covered for health checks at SPM (Standard Pelayanan Minimal or Minimum Service Standards), indicating that not all have been reached. So we hope that the increase in the number of elderly cadres currently trained by Dompet Dhuafa will increase the number of elderly cadres, and we hope that in the future, we will further increase our efforts in improving the degree of health, especially for the elderly residents in Banyumas Regency,” said Setiadi.
In addition, dr. Astrina explained that AoC is a movement to help or invite the elderly to care for other elderly and change their way of life to become healthy, independent, active, and productive older people and beneficial to the surroundings, not becoming a burden on the family.
“So with the AoC that we have trained and give provisions, it is expected that we can invite other elderly who do not want to join and also how to invite families who have not allowed old people to develop and become great in their old age,” she said.
One of the participants, Purwati (74), also the Head of Karang Ujung Elderly Health Center, South Purwokerto District, admitted that this activity was very beneficial and a matter of pride because it could add knowledge to foster the elderly at the Karang Ujung Health Center.