DEC People Fleeing Myanmar response - Phase 1 HelpAge has designed a highly mobile and agile project which will address the significant challenges older men and women have in accessing humanitarian services within the target camp. Three Age Friendly Spaces (AFS) will be constructed in the camp, where possible located close to health clinics, women's centres and mosques. The AFS will serve as a central point for information provision and referral mechanisms to services including health, food, WASH, shelter, protection and other humanitarian aid, and also the base for a wide ranging, mobile community service provision structure that aims to bring assistance to shelter-bound OP. Two AFS and associated outreach will be run by YPSA and one by RIC.

Strong linkages and formal referral mechanisms will be established to ensure that OP are registered and receiving items and services provided by other actors. All potential service providers and referral points will be assessed by HelpAge technical experts to ensure quality and consistency.  

A mobile team of field facilitators and supervisors in each AFS will identify OP requiring assistance and will establish case management plans for assistance and follow up. There will be 8 field volunteers in each AFS and 18 community leaders who will be dedicated to collecting information and providing support to the targeted OP. An AFS management committee of local people will sit fortnightly to review and plan for strengthening OP services. 

Each AFS will have a dedicated mobile health team (paramedics), with a medical doctor roving between sites. Health teams will provide comprehensive outpatient health services including on-site diagnostics and treatment, and referral to secondary healthcare services including home-based care, ensuring the accessibility of dignified basic care to OP who cannot reach clinics. Basic psychosocial support services will be provided by 4 psychosocial counsellors. 

The AFS will provide OP with safe and dignified spaces to access information, get referrals and participate in recreational activities. Other service providers will be encouraged to use AFS to reach OP, for example WASH/health actors could promote health and hygiene at the AFS, and through community outreach structures. 

HelpAge will provide technical support via its team of Technical Advisors to partners and other humanitarian actors on inclusion of OP and people with disabilities and will ensure that all providers on the health referral pathway have the necessary capacity and tools to meet the needs of people with geriatric illnesses and non-communicable diseases. BAIIGAM will provide specialist medical advice. The project will focus on delivery to the following groups: older people over 60 years of age, people with disabilities and women. Reduced morbidity and mortality rate amongst older men and women of the displaced population through increased access to integrated health services Exposure of OP to communicable diseases is reduced by provision of access to safe, appropriate, dignified WASH services at Age Friendly Spaces (AFS) Older men and women are provided with safe and dignified spaces and community outreach structures to access information, referral pathways and social/recreational activities. Humanitarian services are more inclusive of older people and humanitarian agencies have increased knowledge and capacity to ensure the inclusion of older people in project design, implementation and monitoring