"I admit some of us are overwhelmed to take care of the elderly, but in the end, we should be patient and not neglect our duty to care for them," Wardoyo remarked during an online interview hosted by ANTARA Bureau in Central Java on Saturday.
According to Wardoyo, family functions can be summarized based on three principles: to enlighten, to love, and to nurture.
To support the first principle, a family should care for the elderly and facilitate them to develop new skills to ensure a productive life and that their time is utilized to the fullest potential, he noted.
"We should teach skills necessary for elders to live productively and keep pace with the current developments, for instance, by teaching them to adapt their prayer position according to their limitations and to use the current technology. Socialization skills are also essential for them to interact with their peers," he explained.
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In supporting the second principle, the family should be attentive and devote love to the elderly, particularly when they start experiencing health or psychological issues and physical limitations due to their old age, he elaborated.
The function of nurturing entails the family's obligation to nurture and satisfy the daily needs of the elderly, including their economic needs or safety assurance. To ensure their health, provision of healthy and nutritious consumables is essential, he affirmed.
Apart from fulfilling the three family functions, Wardoyo also accentuated the importance of exercise for the elderly to ensure a healthy body and prevent health issues, such as osteoporosis, while urging families to exercise together with the elderly routinely.
"We should remember, the elderly in our family are the closest living relatives to our ancestors, so we should devote our love and care to them," Wardoyo emphasized.
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Translator: Hreeloita DS, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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