SADH-VISA : Commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons

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Extract from the article: The International Day of Older Persons is celebrated every year on 1 October. To mark the occasion, the elderly of Lomé and the surrounding area took the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves. The Service d'Assistance à la personne à Domicile et

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The International Day of Older Persons is celebrated every year on 1 October. To mark the occasion, the elderly of Lomé and the surrounding area took the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves. The Service d'Assistance à la personne à Domicile et dans les Hôpitaux de l'ONG Volontaires Internationaux pour la Santé en Afrique (SADH-VISA) brought them together for a picnic on Sunday 1 October at Copacabana in Avépozo. The aim of the event is to help senior citizens to enjoy themselves, to have fun, to blossom, to break their isolation and, above all, to reflect on their well-being and health.

For those in charge of SADH-VISA, the aim is to enable senior citizens to meet up with each other on this day dedicated to them by the international community. Beyond that, it's also about enabling them to share moments of joy and cheerfulness so that they can feel better about themselves.

« The elderly often feel neglected within their family structure. Many of them tell us this very often.Some of them are even ostracised and don't know who to talk to. These situations are not conducive to their good health or their ability to flourish.As 1 October is their Day, we wanted to give them the opportunity to meet each other over a picnic and relax », explains Rosalie Benthywa Johnson, Director of SADHVISA. For the elderly in attendance, the event was an opportunity to share a meal and drinks, play ball games and then dance to a variety of musical rhythms.The seniors were made aware of the need to drink water on a daily basis and to adopt a varied, healthy and balanced diet, and they left with lots of gifts from the various sponsors and above all from the 'Mawunyo' establishment, which supported the initiative to a large extent.

« We can only say thank you to SADH VISA for this initiative. Coming to this party has made me feel better, because when I'm alone at home, I'm afraid of tomorrow.  Loneliness is not a good thing for us.  That's why the atmosphere here is so good for me, and it will certainly be good for the other elderly people who have accepted this invitation », said a delighted and cheerful senior attending the picnic.

Getting together with other seniors and sharing a good time is very good for their health. The delighted seniors hoped that such an event from time to time would do them a lot of good.With this in mind, Rosalie Benthywa Johnson called for more to be done at national level to promote the health of the elderly, and for this to be taken into account in all programmes and projects.

SADH-VISA is a company that assists the elderly, the disabled and those who are unable to meet their daily needs.  A dynamic, competent and responsible team is on hand to work in homes, hospitals and wherever else SADH-VISA is needed.Services include part-time, full-time and night services. SADH-VISA assists with check-ups or appointments, the purchase of products, the hire of medical equipment and medical evacuation. It also provides emergency assistance and first aid, placement of carers, control and monitoring of parameters (blood pressure, blood sugar), follow-up and care at home.

William O.