BY SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA & GABRIEL LIHAN
SAMARAHAN: The Hari Warga Emas celebration at Klinik Kesihatan Kota Samarahan is back after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some 500 seniors, including their family members from nearby residential areas and villages, are expected to attend the celebration on Oct 1 at the health clinic.
Dr Sally Suriani Ahip said there are many fun and attractive activities lined up and the celebration is in conjunction with the International Older Persons Day.
The family medicine and community geriatrics specialist said the event is celebrated yearly to raise awareness on the opportunities and challenges of an ageing population.
“There will be a zumba session, cooking competition, poco-poco (line dancing), and trivial quizzes. These activities are good for our seniors because it involves physical, cognitive, and coordination activities.
“Besides that, we are organising a telematch for our seniors and their family members. There will be a colouring competition for their grandchildren too,” she told New Sarawak Tribune.
There will be a special ‘bermukun’ performance by a senior couple who are patients of the Geriatric Community (GeKo) Unit.
Dr Sally said a health screening station will be set up for seniors who wish to undergo health checks, especially for those who are not under the GeKo Unit’s care.
There will also be a fitness assessment station to evaluate the seniors’ level of vulnerability and frailty.
“Sometimes the older person does not know or realise that they are vulnerable and frail. We want to detect as many of them as possible and include them in our GeKo Unit’s follow up,” she said.
