Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Chairman of the Executive Council, the Sharjah Social Services Department organized the Senior Services Forum in its 12th edition, today, Monday, October 02, at the headquarters of Al Qasimia University. The forum coincides with the International Day of Older Persons, which falls on the first of October every year. The forum witnessed the participation of a group of experts at the state and international levels, where two sessions were presented that addressed the importance of age-friendly practices and their impact on the health of the elderly. Discussions also centered on how to integrate technology into the care of the elderly and adapt successful models to the contexts of Sharjah society to improve their quality of life. The discussion sessions provided vivid examples of successful programs in other countries, such as the United States of America, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where government policies and initiatives aimed at improving care for the elderly and ensuring their quality of life were reviewed. As an embodiment of the sound vision, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Mail, Director of the Department of Social Services in Sharjah, spoke in his opening speech about the efforts made by the Department to serve senior citizens since its establishment in 1995, indicating that the Department reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Council Member. The Supreme Ruler of Sharjah, in his wise directives to ensure the provision of the latest social services using the latest practices in the field of social service to all segments of society. His Excellency stressed that the comprehensive vision of the Emirate of Sharjah contributed to the launch of many pioneering initiatives aimed at serving and caring for the elderly, most notably the home care service that has been implemented since the year 2003, as it reached all the homes of senior citizens in the Emirate of Sharjah, through doctors, specialists and nurses with disabilities. Experienced and competent, which contributes to providing appropriate and comprehensive medical care in their home environment. He explained that the Emirate of Sharjah was prepared before joining the network in 2016, and is still benefiting from the experiences of others, stressing that the department continues to work on improving infrastructure and services to ensure the provision of a positive and sustainable environment for senior citizens. His Excellency praised the Emirati society that appreciates and respects the elderly. He praised the ongoing efforts made by the Emirate of Sharjah to provide an integrated and positive environment for senior citizens, enabling them to participate effectively in social life. “Our Blessing” Project The forum also included the launch of an exceptional initiative entitled “Our Blessing,” which is implemented in cooperation between the Department of Social Services and the Sharjah Charitable Society, and aims to support the elderly in sustaining their current charitable projects or launching new projects that benefit society. During his speech, Counselor Abdullah bin Khadim, Executive Director of the Sharjah Charitable Society, expressed his pride in launching this noble project, which reflects the commitment of the Society and the Social Services Department to serving the community and achieving well-being for the elderly, as well as paying attention to their charitable work, indicating that these contributions embody the fruit of The many fruits of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, in supporting and stimulating community initiatives, stressing that this achievement reflects the emirate’s full dedication to achieving excellence in the social field. He pointed out that we hope that in the next edition of the forum, this initiative will increase in strength and influence, as it will continue to support and enhance the projects of the elderly and their charitable services, which contributes to building a more cohesive and prosperous society for all. Age-Friendly Practices The first session of the forum addressed the topic “The Importance of Age-Friendly Practices for Healthy Aging,” and was presented by Mr. Thiago Herrick De Sa, Technical Officer for Age-Friendly Environments and Demographic Change at the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. Mr. De Sa pointed out that current societies are witnessing an increase in average lifespan and an acceleration in aging processes, and there are health challenges facing individuals who live longer. These challenges relate to how to design the social environment and infrastructure to be friendly to the elderly and meet their needs. He explained that an environment suitable for the elderly enhances their health and well-being by removing physical and social barriers and increasing inclusivity among different ages in society. It also contributes to improving access to services and facilities for older people wherever they are, and addresses issues of gender inequality in this context. Creating age-friendly environments also represents an important part of the United Nations’ efforts to improve the health and well-being of individuals as they age, and this is consistent with Sustainable Development Goals for the year 2030, pointing out that this global trend aims to improve the quality of life of current and future generations and ensure the existence of environments that support health and wellness for all. “Age-Friendly Institutions” Asma Al-Khudari, Director of Sharjah Age-Friendly, gave a detailed explanation about the “Age-Friendly Institutions” initiative, which targets governmental and non-governmental agencies in the Emirate of Sharjah, civil society institutions, and private sector institutions, with the aim of identifying age-friendly institutions and facilities to be crowned with the title of “Age-Friendly Institutions”. An age-sensitive institution.” This initiative contributes to creating a harmonious environment that meets the needs of the elderly in the emirate, raising the readiness of the engineering and service environment of the institutions participating in the initiative in accordance with the needs of the elderly, educating the community about the best practices and programs provided to the elderly in the emirate, and highlighting the role of the authorities. Participate in the initiative with its age-sensitive services. The institutions participating in the initiative are also required to meet three basic standards, which are the structural design of the building and its vitality, the distinctive facilities and services provided by the institution to the elderly, and empowerment, integration and participation. She pointed out that the initiative does not make the requirements difficult for the entities, and they are provided with flexible solutions. Scholarships to study services for the elderly were also discussed by Ms. Eunha Suh, Coordinator of the Technical Assistance Program at the Age-Friendly Innovation Center in Columbus, Ohio, and she began with a success story of an elderly woman who was able to benefit from technology and her community environment in order to live her life normally. She pointed out The Age-Friendly Innovation Center in Columbus promotes many initiatives concerned with serving the elderly, as it provides many services, most notably research services for the benefit of Ohio University. A partnership has also been concluded with the university itself in issuing many research papers concerned with the lives of the elderly, in addition to Launching educational programs and virtual awareness workshops that enable the participant to obtain skills in dealing with the elderly. Scholarships were also launched for the program to study sciences concerned with serving the elderly. Many students benefited from these scholarships, which will reflect positively in the near future on serving the elderly. With many specialists available. Appropriate solutions. Ms. Mina Matsumari from the World Health Organization discussed the efforts made by Japan to confront demographic transformations and provide a healthy and social environment that enhances the well-being of the elderly. She also highlighted the “Mibo” program, which is part of these efforts, as it is used to measure the health status of the elderly. And their mental state. This program also helps in identifying appropriate solutions to meet the needs of the elderly, using advanced technologies and artificial intelligence to analyze data and guide health policies. She added that Japan faces great challenges in the field of demographics, as the number of elderly is expected to increase significantly in the near future, which requires the integration of governmental and societal efforts to meet the needs of this age group. Through the use of technology and artificial intelligence, innovative solutions can be developed to improve the quality of life. The elderly and support them better, which contributes to achieving better well-being and health care for them. The second session: In the second and final session of the Senior Services Forum 12, the experience of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in caring for and caring for the elderly through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development was reviewed, and it was entitled The Saudi Experience in Caring for the Elderly and the Active Role of the Non-Profit Sector, with participation in its presentation by Ibtisam Al-Humaizi. Director of Elderly Care at the Ministry, and Bathhi Suleiman, Director of the Wahat Al-Wafa Association for the Elderly. It addressed strategic axes, the rights system, service packages, and the wonderful integration with the non-profit sector, where Ibtisam Al-Humaizi indicated that data and studies show that in the next 30 years the number of the elderly will triple, which requires all of us to work with quality and institutional work to provide better services to this segment. They pointed out that the Ministry was keen to make a standard comparison with foreign experiences with the aim of developing its services and choosing what is appropriate for them, and currently provides many services, including the Living Center for the Elderly, which provides a variety of temporary and permanent residences, providing an environment that preserves and protects the elderly, awareness programs about their rights, and enabling social centers to take care of them for them. He also granted them a privilege card to support the breadwinners of the elderly, volunteer in their service, and empower the relevant associations. The Ministry also seeks to enhance their integration into society and support its transformation into a supervisory role in the field of promoting community participation in addition to providing social services. The Saudi experience also included the introduction of a special law for the elderly consisting of 13 articles to provide security, care and attention, and provide them with opportunities to work.