The slogan for this year’s National Seniors Week (September 26-October 2) is “health and social welfare for elders, a symbol of sustainable development,” said Farid Barati Saddeh, head of the Secretariat of National Council of the Elderly (SNCE), at the State Welfare Organization.
“In addition to their need for physical care, older people also need social care,” the Persian language newspaper ‘Iran’ quoted him as saying. There are 6.4 million elderly in Iran and their number will rise steeply in the next two decades as life expectancy improves further. “Special attention should be paid to the elderly in the upcoming five-year economic development plan,” he said, pointing out that their problems including low pensions, loneliness (13 out of every 100 old people live alone), and lack of people’s awareness on appropriate care of the elderly, should be addressed.
