The appearance of the Law on the Elderly has enhanced the society’s responsibility for the elderly, confirming their role and position in residential communities.
Ceremonies to wish elderly people longevity must be organized solemnly and meaningfully as prescribed by the law
Practical meaning
It can be said that since the Law on the Elderly came into life, levels and sectors’ responsibilities for the generation have significantly improved. The socialization of care and role promotion for elderly people has been attracting the participation of more and more organizations, agencies, and enterprises. The building of the fund “The entire society cares for and promotes the role of elderly people” is considered a responsibility by people from all walks of life.
To date, the fund balance of Associations of the Elderly (AE) at all levels in the province has reached over VND7 billion, VND27 million/ commune on average. The fund contributed by members has hit over VND32 billion.
Thanks to the above fund sources, the association levels annually visit and pay their last respects to more than 27,000 sick and deceased members with over VND1.7 billion.
Especially, the care for elderly people has obviously changed. The provincial AE’s Representative Board has signed a series of elderly people caring programs with the health sector. Many communes have well brought into play the role of Health Stations in medical examination, treatment, and periodic check-ups for elderly people.
The provincial AE’s Representative Board has also coordinated with relevant centers and units to provide free advice, examination, and medicine for the elderly at grassroots level. Each year, over 245,000 times of elderly people in the province receive free counseling, health care, and medicine worth more than VND7.3 billion, three times higher than the time when there was no law for the elderly.
Implementing the program of bright eyes for the elderly, the province in 2012 and 2013 had more than 58,000 elderly people examined and treated for eye-related diseases, valued at VND3.4 billion, and over 1,000 elderly people entitled to vitreous humor replacement worth close to VND5 billion.
Ceremonies to wish elderly people longevity must be organized solemnly and meaningfully in accordance with the law. The sector of labor, war invalids, and social affairs has counseled the provincial People’s Committee to issue specific regulations on longevity wishing and instruct elderly people in making dossiers to enjoy allowances when of eligible age.
The province now has over 23,000 elderly people annually wished longevity and more than 44,000 elderly people monthly receiving allowances (a twofold increase over the time when there was no such law).
Notably, AEs at all levels in the province, together with the Fatherland Front and unions, have mobilized people, clans, and businesses to repair and newly build 2,762 houses worth over VND13 billion along with thousands of workdays to help disadvantaged elderly people, a threefold increase compared with the time when there was no such law. Typically, Cam Giang district built and repaired 700 houses, Kim Thanh 400, Nam Sach 347, etc.
Position heightened
Though newly established, the intergenerational self-help club has brought about good results
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Truyen, Head of the provincial AE’s Representative Board, said many elderly people, with their prestige in the community, had actively taken part in movements for crime prevention and fighting, security and order maintenance.
Grassroots AEs have collaborated with the public security sector to hold nearly 3,000 classes for members to learn about laws and solutions to prevent and fight against crime and drugs.
For the last three years, AEs at all levels have detected 467 cases in residential areas and persuaded 230 people to undergo detoxification. More than 9,500 elderly members have participated in mediation and people’s inspection; over 15,000 elderly people have joined in tasks of the Party, authorities, and unions (each establishment averagely had 50 – 60 elderly people involved in tasks at commune and hamlet levels).
In learning and talent encouragement, elderly people have become the cadre of not only families and clans but also residential areas. Many elderly examples in learning encouragement have become the pride of rural areas. The province has more than 37,000 studious families and over 2,600 studious clans with positive contributions of elderly people.
Despite advanced age, the elder generation still actively participates in working and production. 50 – 60% of healthy elderly people frequently engage in production and service business, according to records from the grassroots level. The whole province has had over 14,000 elderly people earning the title of proficient producer and entrepreneur at all three levels so far.
In particular, when the new countryside construction task was deployed, the elder generation clearly showed their vanguard and core role.
The provincial AE’s Representative Board has contracted with the agriculture sector for each grassroots association to get 5 – 6 contents in the criteria of new rural building to mobilize members and descendants to perform.
According to statistics, 110,000 elderly people and their families in the province have donated thousands of square meters of land worth billions of dong for the making of rural and field roads, etc.
NGOC HUNG
Đăng ký: VietNam News