What We Do
ACM is committed to providing services to older persons to improve their quality of life and well-being. Update. Have updated text.
Exercise programmes and maintenance rehabilitation
As people age, their activity routines tend to go into decline. Especially with regard to physical activities, this may result in poorer mental health and pave the way to disorders such as dementia and other lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Exercise at any age is key to maintaining good health. We conduct exercise and yoga programmes to assist the ageing to maintain mobility and limit functional disabilities, with an emphasis on the activities of daily life. These programmes focus on maintaining strength, mobility, stability, and endurance.
Friendly visits
We provide older persons in need of friendship with volunteer companions who provide the opportunity to have conversations on a regular basis. These visits can help maintain independence, the ability to cope with difficulties, and positive self-esteem. This is done face-to-face or through telephone calls made by a group of friendly volunteers registered at Aged Care Maldives.
Home healthcare
Living at home is often possible with the help of healthcare provided by nurses or trained healthcare workers. Services provided through home healthcare programmes play a critical role in the health maintenance of an ageing population at a community level. Such services complement the formal healthcare systems through which partially dependent or fully dependent older persons can continue to live at home for longer.
This service is provided through a personalised plan, which is updated regularly to ensure that each senior citizen receives the appropriate care. Home healthcare or assisted living facilities offer help with bedridden care, eating, assisted bathing, dressing, tube feeding, feeding tube insertion, catheterisation, injection, assistance with medications, and physiotherapy consultations.
Health promotion and community awareness programmes
Raising community awareness is fundamental to promoting healthy ageing. This is achieved through media (newspaper, radio and TV), and engagement with schools, community organizations, clubs and centres at central, atoll and island levels. This is further enhanced by means of open forums, social and recreational activities, seminars, and workshops.
Outreach programmes
Outreach programmes to outer islands are carried out depending on availability of funds. Apart from having screening programmes for the whole population of the island, an important feature of such visits are doctor consolations. ACM seeks assistance from hospitals and clinics for the release of their doctors for Outreach programmes. Hospitals and clinics are very forthcoming; they oblige us by sending their doctors whenever they can.
Health screening
The purpose of health screening is to detect early warning signs of diseases to facilitate timely referrals and other preventive measures. The screening programmes are provided free of charge and comprise monitoring weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, testing eyesight and dental screening. These programmes are carried out in the islands, as well in public places such as harbour fronts and marketplaces to enable easy access to simple health screenings.
Advocacy
Aged Care Maldives (ACM) tries to be at the forefront of issues concerning older persons and in raising its voice for the elderly in the Maldives. Aged Care Maldives continues to highlight such issues and brings them to the attention of policy makers and the public.
Some of the issues are:
- Ensuring better social and health security for the elderly
- Reducing crimes against the elderly
- Addressing negligence and abuse of the elderly
- Reducing loneliness among the elderly
- Special health and nutrition need of the older persons
Training and capacity building
It is essential that all healthcare workers are knowledgeable on ageing, and on common health issues associated with ageing. Apart from providing on the job training for healthcare workers, Aged Care Maldives conducts workshops across the country to increase the knowledge base on ageing, thus enhancing quality of aged care services in the country.
Events
Aged Care Maldives hosts regular social gatherings, including potluck events, discussion forums on selected topics, and picnics for its members. These activities aim to engage members both physically and mentally, fostering community building and camaraderie among members.