Senior Citizens’ Centre - Accra

World-wide, the issue of ageing is a recent phenomenon. The United Nations, for example, covered the World Assembly on the elderly only as recently as 1982. There, it was observed that the ageing is more of a social issue than a scientific one. Mortality rates used to be high all over the world. In Ghana for example, the extended family caring system was intact and the elderly who grew very old had prominent positions in society as they were believed to be depositions of wisdom and bequethors of economic inheritance to their children. The problems of the aged as a social group only became apparent in the 1960s. Various ways were found to address the issue, especially in the United Kingdom and Germany, which have the highest number of elderly (55+). Solutions included the provisions of old peoples’ homes, nursing homes for the terminally ill and retirement communities. The attendant problems of increased “dumping” of the elderly in such facilities, the increase in their social isolation and loneliness with their consequent deaths, led to the advent of a new solution - SENIOR CITIZENS’ CENTRES. This facility evolved in the United States of America, and involves the provisions of day care facilities for the elderly. It is organised on community basis. In Ghana, for the past twenty years, mortality rates have decreased and life expectancy has increased from 49 years to 55 - 65 years. The extended family system which traditionally cared for the aged has broken down, with a high incidence of migration by the youth from rural to urban areas. The increase in the number of elderly and the breakdown of the social structure in Ghana has led to an increase in the problems of the aged in terms of (1) Loneliness (2) Social isolation (3) Increased diseases (4) Acceleration of death This problem is compounded in the urban areas due to the characteristic anonymity and tendency towards nuclear families. A need has therefore arisen to provide specialised facilities for the aged. THE PROJECT HelpAge Ghana, formed in 1988, is therefore providing a Senior Citizens’ Centre in Accra, along the United States model to help alleviate the problems of the elderly. SCOPE OF THESIS The centre aims at providing the following facilities at the centre to make the elderly comfortable: - Entertainment facilities - Occupational therapy facilities - Health therapy facilities - Food - Counselling - Communication facilities - General Activities OBJECTIVES The main objectives of this project are: - to provide spaces where the elderly can socialise with their peers - to provide a place with activities that will help the elderly to age successfully - to provide a place where the elderly can have fun at their own pace - to provide facilities that will help to alleviate the problems of ageing TARGET GROUP The target group for this project is middle to high level income elderly for example, retired professionals who live in the Greater Accra Region, especially around West Airport, East Legon, Dzorwulu, Airport and Madina. FINANCWRS HelpAge International Metropolitan and Allied Insurance Company Overseas Development Agency Metalico Limited MODE OF PRESENTATION This report is presented in parts in order of execution of the study: (1) Stage one deals with introduction documentation and analysis relevant to the project (2) Stage 2 deals with general studies and analytical basis related to the project (3) The 3rd stage deals with information on the design proposals including: (i) Design Concepts (ii) Site Analysis and Development (iii) Graphic presentation. The underlying aim is to present this report with a dainty and lucidity that the layman, engineer, minister, etc. can understand its implications. The use of graphics is for the presentation of salient points.

Source: KNUST