Minister Sabeeh marks Int’l day: In-home care for 3,219 elderly
15,000 senior citizen cards distributed to nationals
KUWAIT: Kuwait social care authorities provide ongoing care to the elderly not only in the social care institutions but also inside their houses, a senior official re-affirmed yesterday. The Ministry of Social Affairs provides housing to 30 old people, including 16 Kuwaitis and 14 non-Kuwaitis, said Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Dr Hind Al-Sabeeh yesterday in a statement to journalists after ministry sponsored ceremony marking the International Day for Older Persons.
The number of old persons who receive inhome care reached 3,219, including 2,301 women, in all Kuwaiti governorates, said Minister Al-Sabeeh, citing statistics released by the Elderly Care Department at her ministry, last month. Minister Al-Sabeeh revealed a plan to establish an integrated leisure resort and clubs for the old citizens in each of the country’s six provinces.
Meanwhile, the ministry undersecretary, Saad Al-Kharraz, disclosed that the Elderly Care Department had distributed Senior Citizen cards to more than 15,000 nationals. The card is issued to facilitate senior citizens’ access to various institutions, facilities, government departments, companies or establishments. Special stickers will be distributed to senior citizens to enable them to benefit from special parking, Al-Kharraz announced. As to the planned resort for the old nationals, he disclosed that it would be built on a 100,000 square meter plot of land. For her part, the director of the elderly affairs department at the ministry, Amani Al-Tabtabaei said the care for the seniors is one of the objectives of the national sustainable development strategy. — KUNA