Tamkeen Al Madan: Sharjah University Project Envisions...

UOS PROJECT PUSHES FOR SMART CITIES AND COMMUNITIES, THAT CATER TO SPECIAL PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF SENIORS WHILE KEEPING THEM CONSRUCTIVELY ENGAGED

One of the many groundbreaking projects of the University of Sharjah (UoS) that has been attracting everyone's attention at the UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah is the project envisioning smart and safe UAE cities that are fit and ideal for the elderly and cater to their special physical, emotional and psychological needs.

Titled Tamkeen Al Madan Al Emarateeya Lirreyayah Al Musaneen' in Arabic, the project provides a new role for the elderly in the UAE by urging cities to become more sensitive to the needs and conditions of the elderly.

Given the UAE's strong family and social infrastructure and world-class healthcare, the country is going to host a substantial chunk of elderly population in years and decades to come and it needs to be ready to care for them.

Making a presentation about the project at the UAE Innovation Week at Expo Centre Sharjah, Dr Faker Al Gharaibeh, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Sharjah said that as part of the project the UAE cities are expected and urged to integrate the elderly through rehabilitation and integration into society, making positive use of their skills and their energies. This includes special services and facilities that are unique for senior citizens.

This positive interaction offering the elderly opportunities and involving them in volunteer activities would help them retain positive and optimal mental and physical health as well as overall sense of security and participation, said Dr Al Gharaibeh. This would in turn contribute to and enhance their quality of life and longevity.

Fortunately, UAE cities already have communities that are responsive to the special needs and conditions of the elderly. But there is a greater need for more such special gated communities and towns that offer senior citizens both the security and protection of a sheltered life while offering freedom of movement and keeping them connected with the outside world, said Dr Gharaibeh.

Such cities and towns need to have special housing, modes of transport, healthcare, buildings and outdoor spaces that are designed to help practical and easy interaction and integration process, increasing the chances of community support and the productivity of older people, explains Dr Gharaibeh. Such special communities are both socially and economically viable and would contribute to family unity and social empowerment.

The UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah is being held from November 20 to 26. The week-long festival of ideas at the Expo Centre Sharjah brings together hundreds of experts, innovators and academics representing public and private sector organisations, universities and government bodies and is set to see more than 110 activities including, workshops, exhibitions, debates and skits.

All the activities of the UAE Innovation Week in Sharjah are open to members of public and media. The exhibition hall of Expo Centre Sharjah has been divided into six sections with innovative names denoting a scientific spirit.

LINK:	http://www.sharjahmedia.ae/en/media-centre/news/22/11/2016/tamkeen-al-...
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