Shelter For Old People

As one of our compulsory task, we were asked to do a field work in any organisation inwhich our knowledge in psychology can be used. Some of my friends went to hosptal, NGO's for street children, AIDS, and so forth. Me, I chose the shelter for old people.

The shelter I visited is located in Jalan Bina Marga RT.009/02 No.58 Kelurahan Cipayung Kecamatan Cipayung, east Jakarta. The shelter has 5 barracks, in each of the barracks live approximately 14 people. One barrack is for male, and the rests are for female.

When I for the first time enter the female barrack, I saw many grandma lied down on bed, when Mr.Asep (local staff) introduced me as atudent who want to have a little chit chat with them, I saw a light in their eyes. Mr.Asep told me that the grandma are very pleased to meet new person for they can have new friend.

Then the interview began. I talked to 32 people.

After talking with them, I found that majority of them stay there because they have nobody to take care of them. The reason I heard most is because they have no children, second most because of divorce.

Mostly they are very sad that they have to live in a shelter, if they may choose they prefer to be take care of by their families. But the fact is they have no families.

Like Mak Ijah, she came from Sukabumi, now she and her husband live in shelter. "If I may choose, of course I would love to be surrounded by my family by this age, but what to do?? I am the youngest in my family, all my brother and sister are already passed away, and we had no children".

Or Mr Abdul Muin, He married and have children, but because he kept on sick, and make him unable to earn money fot the family, and he said that his wife had enough with the situation and divorce him. He had no home to live and make him stay in mosque, till the Head of the area (RT) sent him to shelter. He now feel better, cause he can eat three times a day, and focus in religious things.

some things I got from this visit are:
1. Some people decide not to get married, then they won't have children who will take care of them as they grow old. Unless they have a very reasonable reason, it's better to get married.
2. Please avoid divorce as hard as possible, for it'll endanger you and your big family.
3. Some people just don't want to have babies. They are making a big mistake!

Dear friends, if you have time, come to such a place, our visit and little chit chat means a lot fot them. Beside shelter for old people, there are also shelter for babies, children, teenagers.