WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1984
MRS GOODSTADT SAID WHEN DEATH DEPRIVED AN ELDERLY PERSON OF HIS OR HER SPOUSE. THE RESULTS WERE OFTEN HARDER TO ADJUST TO THAN WAS THE CASE WITH YOUNGER PEOPLE. +BEREAVEMENT FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE CANNOT BE CURED, SHE SAID.
BEREAVEMENT FOR AN ELDERLY PERSON ALSO MEANT A DRASTIC CHANGE IN THE HABITS OF A LIFETIME.
+ IN ADDITION TO THEIR DEEP LOSS AND NEED FOR EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT, THEY ARE FACED WITH THE NECESSITY FOR A MAJOR RECONSTRUCTION OF THE IR WAY OF LIFE AT A TIME WHEN SUCH RECONSTRUCTION IS PARTICULARLY HARD TO ACHIEVE, MRS GOODSTADT
SAID.
ANOTHER PROBLEM WHICH USUALLY MUST BE FACED BY A SURVIVING SPOUSE, SHE SAID, WAS THE DIFFICULT ONE OF WHETHER TO LIVE WITH THE CHILDREN'S FAMILY, WITH A FRIEND, OR ALONE.
+EVEN IF THEY WERE TO MOVE IN TO LIVE WITH THEIR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN, PROBLEMS WOULD STILL ARISE, MRS GOODSTADT SAID.
+RARELY DO THE ELDERLY SHARE ENOUGH OF THE OUTLOOK AND THE INTERESTS EVEN OF THEIR CHILDREN - LET ALONE THE IR GRANDCHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO TOTALLY RELAX WITH YOUNGER PEOPLE.+
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ANOTHER PROBLEM OF THE WIDOW OR WIDOWER CONCERNED FINANCE AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SINGLE-PERSON HOUSEHOLD. THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE ELDERLY INDIVIDUAL IS OFTEN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE ELDERLY MARRIED COUPLE, SHE SAID.
REFERRING TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, MRS GOODSTADT SAID THAT OLD AGE ALLOWANCE, OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE WERE NOT ENOUGH BY THEMSELVES TO OVERCOME THE DIFFICULTIES.
SHE SAID SOCIAL CENTRES COULD BE A SOURCE OF COMFORT AND STRENGTH AT THIS DESOLATE TIME.
+THEY PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SINGLE ELDERLY TO INCREASE COMPANIONSHIP, TO WORK FOR OTHERS THROUGH VOLUNTEER SERVICE, TO START NEW HOBBIES AND SPORTS,+ SHE SAID.
MRS GOODSTADT SAID IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, THERE WOULD BE 67 MORE SOCIAL CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY.
+OUR PLAN IS TO PROVIDE ONE SUCH CENTRE FOR A POPULATION OF 30 000. IN OTHER WORDS, WE SHALL EVENTUALLY HAVE 200 SOCIAL CENTRES TO LOOK AFTER THE EMOTIONAL, RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL NEEDS OF ELDERLY, SHE SAID.
MRS GOODSTADT PRAISED THE TUNG WAH GROUP FOR ITS FINE TRADITION OF MEETING COMMUNITY'S MEDICAL AND SOCIAL NEEDS AND SAID IT HAD EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IN PROVIDING SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY.
OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE GROUP WILL ESTABLISH TWO MORE CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES, THREE HOSTELS, TWO SOCIAL CENTRES AND ONE DAY-CARE CENTRE. AS A PIONEER PROJECT, IT WILL ALSO RUN A SELF-FINANCING HOME FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PRIVATE MEANS.
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