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May 5, 2025Elderly Enthusiastically Participate in Elderly Posyandu
Laihau Village is located in the Lewa Tidahu Sub-district and directly borders the Lewa Sub-district. This village serves as the “entrance” for anyone visiting Lewa Tidahu Sub-district.
There is a Posyandu cadre for infants and toddlers named Yustina K. Moda, who cares deeply about the health of the elderly in Laihau Village. One day, Ms. Yustina had a conversation with an elderly person about the benefits of an elderly Posyandu in the village. In the middle of the discussion, an elderly man suddenly expressed that there was a need to establish an elderly Posyandu in the village. At that time, the total number of elderly people in Kambumoru was 75. Given the relatively large elderly population, Ms. Yustina and the elderly community became motivated to take the initiative to establish an elderly Posyandu. This Posyandu was named “Ceria Letis.” The name reflects the idea that Laihau is the gateway to Lewa Tidahu Sub-district, and thus, the people of Lewa Tidahu are always cheerful in welcoming every visitor. At the beginning of the Posyandu's establishment, many elderly people were reluctant to join and participate in the services. This was evident from the initial attendance of only 35 elderly participants. The main reason for the lack of participation was the perception that it would be a waste of time. However, over time, more and more elderly individuals realized that the elderly Posyandu was beneficial, especially for monitoring their health status.
During Posyandu services, Ms. Yuliana frequently held discussions with elderly cadres. She actively identified areas for improvement in the Posyandu services. In these discussions with cadres, the elderly, and village nurses, they identified a lack of medical equipment. As a result, they agreed to purchase blood sugar, cholesterol, and uric acid test kits using their own resources. This initiative was well received by the elderly community. Beyond this, to encourage elderly participation, Ms. Yuliana and the Posyandu cadres organized elderly exercise sessions every Saturday.
These elderly exercises boosted the enthusiasm of the elderly to attend regularly, share stories from their youth, and enjoy laughter in their senior years. Their joy in attending the Posyandu also motivated the village nurse, Rambu Kudu Hampati (Prolanis Manager at Lewa Tidahu Health Center), to continue providing services and lead the Saturday exercise sessions.
Elderly Health Check-up
Elderly Exercise
At the elderly Posyandu, the services provided go beyond routine health check-ups. There is also spiritual enrichment through Bible Study (in indonesia Penelaan Alkitab(PA)), held every Saturday morning before the exercise session. Some of the elderly participants belong to other religions or are Marapu believers. However, this has not made them feel uncomfortable during the worship activities conducted by their fellow elderly. On the contrary, it has further motivated them to participate in the Posyandu and exercise sessions. Additionally, it was mutually agreed that the offerings collected during worship would not be given to the church but instead returned to the elderly to be managed as additional food support for the elderly.
Elderly Enjoying Instant Herbal Immunity Drinks
With great enthusiasm, the elderly independently gathered herbal ingredients from their home gardens to produce massage oil and instant herbal immune drinks. UPKM/CD Bethesda YAKKUM conducted training on traditional medicine processing for elderly cadres and members of the Ceria Letis group. Ms. Yuliana admitted that at first, she thought the elderly Posyandu was a pointless activity, but after experiencing its benefits, she felt a great sense of loss if she couldn’t attend.
“I must attend the exercise and worship sessions with my fellow elderly. Previously, I suffered from chronic gastritis, as diagnosed by a doctor. After attending the training on making massage oil and turmeric extract, I started consuming instant turmeric regularly, and my stomach pain has gradually lessened. I hope more training can be held so that these herbal drinks can become a coffee alternative,” said Ms. Yuliana. (Elias Maku Eluhana)
