Abu Dhabi rolls out home upgrade service for seniors under ‘Our Blessing’ initiative

Abu Dhabi: In cooperation with the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Abu Dhabi Housing Authority announced the details of the home improvement service for senior citizens under the “Our Blessing” initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him. The initiative aims to facilitate their daily lives, enhance their comfort at home, ensure a safe and suitable living environment, support their health needs, promote independence, and provide them with a more stable and comfortable life.

Maryam Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Director General of the Family Development Foundation, said: “The Foundation seeks to fulfill the vision and directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (Mother of the Nation), which focus on building a stable family and cohesive society since the Foundation’s establishment. This is in line with our strategic vision to promote sustainable social development, enhance the quality of life for families, senior citizens, and residents—whom the state highly values—to shape a better future that reflects the aspirations of the wise leadership and the UAE’s vision for comprehensive and sustainable development.”

Al Rumaithi emphasized the importance of the home improvement service for senior citizens launched under the “Our Blessing” initiative, given its significant role in enabling the primary caregiver of either parent to apply for approval to rehabilitate the main home facilities used by the senior citizen (mother or father) living in the same residence. The goal is to ensure safety and security in accordance with their daily needs.

She explained that certain eligibility criteria must be met by both the applicant and the senior citizen (those over 60 years old, according to the National Policy for Senior Citizens). They must be UAE nationals, registered with family data issued in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and permanent residents of Abu Dhabi. The applicant must be the senior citizen’s primary caregiver, be a first-degree relative (son or daughter), live with them permanently in the same household, and be primarily responsible for providing care.

Abdulrahman Al Baloushi, Director of Strategic Planning and Institutional Development at the Family Development Foundation, praised the efforts of the FDF and Abu Dhabi Housing Authority and their pioneering role in enhancing the quality of life of senior citizens, supporting family stability, and strengthening social cohesion in Abu Dhabi. He stressed that both the senior citizen and the primary caregiver must be beneficiaries of the Social Support Program from the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, and the home requiring improvements must have been obtained through a government housing program. In addition, the senior citizen must have mobility difficulties and require assistance with daily activities.

He affirmed that the Foundation places the utmost importance on senior citizens and residents, making great efforts to provide supportive programs that ensure their stability, and to develop strategies that enable them to live in an environment that meets their aspirations and needs, making them active partners in the nation’s development journey. This supports the vision and directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, “Mother of the Nation,” to enhance their stability and improve their quality of life.

Wafaa Mohammed Al Ali, Director of the Family Development Department at the Family Development Foundation, explained that caregivers of senior citizens must meet specific requirements to qualify for the service. These include logging in to the “TAMM” platform using the UAE Pass digital identity, submitting the application, receiving an application confirmation notification, scheduling a home visit by the Foundation, and receiving a confirmation of the visit for a social assessment via the platform. The Foundation’s team will then conduct a home assessment, after which an approval or rejection notification will be issued. The process to obtain the home improvement service for senior citizens takes 30 working days.

She also highlighted the importance of home improvements for senior citizens, including the rehabilitation of bathrooms, bedrooms, and home entrances—such as installing ramps, railings, doors, hand supports, shower chairs, emergency buttons, floor mats, and anti-slip features—to enhance their quality of life and ensure a safe and comfortable home environment. These upgrades support their physical and mental health, improve their functional ability to complete daily activities, reduce the risk of falls, and enable them to stay healthy for as long as possible.

Driven by its deep belief in the importance of family stability and its role in community cohesion, the Family Development Foundation has worked to provide a supportive environment that ensures a dignified and safe life for senior citizens. It has invested in studying the needs of families and senior citizens to develop integrated systems and plans that improve the quality of services and programs offered to them. The Foundation also implements innovative initiatives and projects to enhance quality of life, offering a range of programs including counseling, awareness, prevention, social support, assistance, and recreation.