Policies to tap into potential of the aged

KOCHI: A policy-making workshop on ‘Facilities for the aged to do voluntary service,’ was organised under the Vayomithram project of the Kerala Social Security Mission, in Kochi on Wednesday. The workshop focused on how the potential of retired professionals can be utilised for the betterment of the society. “Our aged population is a treasure trove of knowledge which can be tapped into for helping out the present generation. For this to be possible, there has to be policies in place. A core committee to form such policies will be constituted in Kochi by the end of this month,” said Ramya K S, who is part of the Vayomithram project in Kochi. Veteran journalist K M Roy opined that a detailed socio-economic survey to spot the potential of the aged must be conducted in the city to know our resource pool. “Meanwhile, the elderly belonging to the marginalised communities continue to be a neglected lot. The policies must also accommodate their needs,” he added. The project was started in Kochi recently and focuses on providing a health-care package to the 65-plus-year-old population of the city.