411008_Report_BaselineAssessment_NRCS_final

Nepal Red Cross Society Ageing & Health Project Baseline Study Report
hospital/health facility within last three months for varied problem. But interestingly, those who
visited health facilities (N=122), majority had gone to private hospital/facility and very few (only two
person) went to government health post, which is very close and in the same ward. For majority
(63.93%), the cost of health was paid by the family members, only 12% got their cost covered through
government health insurance and 8.2% paid from their own savings.
The current data indicated that a small percentage of older people require assistance and complete
care while majority did not require full assistance. But the scenario may change rapidly, therefore
ageing and health programme in this area needs to plan and prepare the community to be more
resilient in responding to such change.
These are the area where Red Cross might play a role by advocating with municipality mayor and local
ward authority to approach Ministry of Health to redress this health insurance concern. Senior citizen
would be happy to join hand with Red Cross in this. Along with encouraging the people to get
registered in health insurance, Red Cross can also facilitate routine health check-up (monitoring blood
pressure, blood sugar, routine urine test etc) and conduct health education sessions either
coordinating with local health post or mobilising semi volunteers (i.e. community nurse) to do such
test. Such volunteers ideally selected among from the community can also be mobilised for many
other health activities (health education, healthy living, encouraging for physical activities, monitor
the need to complete care and assistance and so on). Senior citizens forum or club could be a good
entry point.
Data pattern of limited physical activity, limited time spent in leisure and lack of meeting forum, (day
centre, park or open space) where people could meet friends and walk together should be of a concern
to policy makers. Many older people were not physically active or do any physical exercise and meet
friends reclining and talking. Engaging in mind concentration activities (meditation, Yoga) was limited
among the older people in this area. To maintain physical and psychosocial health such activities are
important.
While the community attitude and behaviour towards the old age people in this area was generally
felt to be good by the those who participated in this study, but their actual involvement in community
activities (i.e. member in clubs or tole sudhan samittee, NGOs or political party etc) is low. Engaging
in social/community activity and developing a sense of belonging is crucial for psychosocial health
which reduces the feeling of loneliness.
Despite the positive attitude among the policy makers towards the older people, rhetoric is prevalent.
More practical thinking is necessary to build age friendly community and address the specific needs
of the older people. A regular interaction of older people with policy makers at different levels,
lobbying and advocacy for better policy and for resources allocation needs to organised.
5.2 Recommendations
Building age friendly community should be the mainstay of the programme intervention. A forum or
self-help club needs to be established where senior citizens can freely come, meet friends, share their
ideas and feelings and try to do some creative work for themselves and for the larger community. In
other words, support organising various activities by the older people for the older people (and
beyond) through the established forum that empower the older people. Red Cross can initiate this in
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