Caritas Bangladesh has established a special training program for workers to enhance their capacity to serve the needs of the elderly. The program was launched during a seminar on gerontology that ended September 23 at the group’s headquarters in the capital. Indira Jai Prakash, a professor of gerontology at Bangalore University in India, headed the training seminar, the first such program by Caritas to target elderly care. Silvia Rozario, who attended the training program, said she benefited from issues addressed. “I work with elderly people at the grassroots level. This training helped me discover my limitations in identifying potential problems,” she said. Benedict Alo D’Rozario, executive director of Caritas, said the training represented a departure from the group’s usual programs. “Gerontology is a comparatively new thing for us. We’ve been working with elderly people but we didn’t have good knowledge on the subject. Now, we can deliver better service.” Following the forum, Prakash said the Caritas training was an important step for the organization. “In today’s world, families are breaking down. Bangladesh is no exception. People are migrating and eventually the elderly people are left out. Even the government is not much concerned. I think the time has come to introduce gerontology as a university subject,” she said. About eight percent of the country’s 160 million people are classified as elderly, according to government data, though poverty, poor working conditions and malnutrition create health issues much earlier in life for many in the country. Montu Palma, a Caritas project coordinator, said Caritas established its own fund for elderly people last year. The project comprises 46 welfare clubs across the country that offer entertainment facilities and a library, among other things, and provide the elderly with 300 taka (US$4) per month for health care. The welfare clubs have more than 2,200 direct and 20,000 indirect beneficiaries, Palma added. “The clubs bring elderly people together for companionship and help them claim their due rights from society. People share their experiences with each other and don’t feel so lonely.” Related reports: Benevolent clubs offer mutual aid for elderly Elderly join innovative interfaith initiative Caritas reaches out to learn how to serve the elderly