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As a step to stem the spread of Covid-19, the government had set the Implementation of Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) from July 3 to July 20, 2021, specifically in the Java and Bali islands. In line with this, the government was also pursuing vaccination coverage for the elderly. The Minister of Health asked all regions and health workers to optimize vaccination for the elderly. This aimed to minimize the morbidity and mortality of Covid-19, especially in the elderly group, as a vulnerable group. People who have entered the elderly or aged 60 years and over are the group most vulnerable to contracting Covid-19. Decreased immunity and the possibility of comorbidity are factors. Not only that, the elderlies also have the potential to experience long symptoms of Covid-19 or called Long Covid-19, this is because the capacity of the elderly body organs is no longer running optimally compared to the age below them.

In addition to vaccinations that must be given to the elderly, it is also necessary to provide activities for them, for example by providing light exercise such as healthy walks, light exercise or reading activities at home. As what was done by the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) last month.

4/11/2021, community service activities were carried out which were attended by lecturers and also students of the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Sebelas Maret (FK UNS). The activity was led by the director of the UNS Hospital, Prof. Dr. Hartono, dr., MSI, who is also the head of the Group Health Professional Education and Collaboration (HPEC) research. This event was located at the Pratama clinic and was managed by a lecturer from the UNS Faculty of Medicine, doctor Adji Suwandono, dr., SH., SpF located in the Nusukan Banjarsari area. Surakarta. This activity was attended by the elderly who were in the area around the clinic.

The purpose of this community service was to provide education to the elderly regarding the importance of reading activities that are carried out regularly for at least 30 minutes every day. This reading activity is very useful for maintaining the cognitive abilities of the elderly who have begun to decline along with the aging process that occurs in their brains and bodies. By reading regularly, it is empirically proven to improve cognitive abilities, especially in the ability to speak fluency and also the ability of episodic memory possessed by the elderly. The elderly people were very enthusiastic about this activity. Hopefully, through this activity, the elderly would not only read during the implementation of these activities, but made this activity as a routine that would help them in maintaining their mental health condition to welcome old age so that they would always healthy and happy.

 

Public Relation of FK UNS: Ari Kusbiyanto
Translator: Wartini