Elderly persons in Jinja Northern division were visited by EPAFU OUTREACH team to review their health status. The healthy conditions of these elderly people are so wanting to the extent that while interacting with them (the elderly persons), some broke down into tears while explaining the challenges they face everyday in their lives.

Challenges

As old age is easily vulnerable to disease attacks, the elderly persons are always weighed down by the various attacks such as high blood pressure, diabetes, bone diseases, eye issues and the list continues. This is all due to the poor state of living in which they stay as seen below. Their houses are made of mud which gets affected when the heavy down pour of rains take place making them vulnerable for disease attacks.

 Solutions

The elderly persons need a balanced feeding to improve on their bodily nutrition and health status so as to help them fight against high blood pressure, diabetes, bone diseases, eye sight issues, and malaria among others. There is need for different types of foods such as beans, posho, rice, soya beans, sugar, salt and the like.

They also need other necessities for a good health like mosquito nets under which they need to sleep, fumigation of their houses and beds against various pests and insects, sanitation equipment such as bathing and washing detergents and not forgetting the need to sensitize them on how to practice good health methods in order to improve on their health statuses which makes their bodies strong to fight against diseases and experience a better life.

LONG TIME IMPACT:

We need the elderly persons for their advice, counselling, and guidance in matters pertaining to life through the stories that they narrate as these always carry a lot of meaning in their stories.

The elderly persons are role models in the young generations’ lives as they try as much as possible to give instructions over issues concerning to living in a society.

They are good care takers of the grandchildren most especially the vulnerable ones. They endeavor to teach them good morals, hardworking habits, and many other ways of living in the community.