Dubai: The Ministry of Community Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice (Judicial Training Institute) launched the “Senior Citizens Protection Specialists” to train team members on how to implement effective and immediate procedures that protect senior citizens and address the challenges they may face in various aspects of life.
The programme is delivered by experts from various authorities in the UAE with the participation of 14 government entities and authorities based on a government and societal partnership.
The implementation of the “Senior Citizens Protection Specialists” programme aligns with the Federal Law No. (9) of 2019 concerning the Rights of Senior Citizens, and the National Policy for Senior Citizens, in ensuring a safe and stimulating environment for these community members reaffirming the commitment of the Ministry of Community Development to provide them with welfare, support, appreciation and benefit from their expertise and experiences in all fields.
As many as 53 specialists from local and federal authorities across the UAE will participate in the programme, and the candidates will attend a 10-day qualification process of six hours per day.
The participants will be granted a judicial order certificate enabling them to intervene and perform their duties in protecting Senior Citizens when necessary.
Main themes
The programme includes six main themes specialised in the field of protecting senior citizens, presented by experts and specialists to highlight physical health and ways to promote it, mental health, welfare and sustainable protection, dealing with economic and financial challenges.
The programme’s themes include information on judicial order (legal nature and judicial order activities, judicial order rulings, competencies and powers of the judicial officer in the field of protecting Senior Citizens), while the second theme deals with the legal framework of Federal Law No (9) of 2019, concerning the rights of Senior Citizens and its executive regulations and United Nations principles related to Senior Citizens.
The third theme will discuss how to provide sustainable welfare and protection for Senior Citizens and their needs, identify their body language skills, follow-up and aftercare, in addition to assessing their surroundings and risk criteria, methods of mechanisms for reporting cases of abuse and violence.
Important procedures
The fourth theme of the programme will address ways to deal with the economic and financial challenges of Senior Citizens, correct financial management, assessment of misusing senior citizens resources and measures to be taken and familiarity with their income sources from authorities concerned, while the fifth theme will address mental health and support for Senior Citizens, changes they face, factors affecting their needs, and common health disorders that affect them.
The last, sixth, theme will highlight ways to enhance Senior Citizens’ physical health through identifying changes in sensory and motor abilities, ways to communicate with them and their relatives and how to convince Senior Citizens on the importance of providing them with proper healthcare through regular health check-ups.
The programme concludes with first aid training for all the participants.
