“Ageless” Club: How to Live Long and High Quality Life

October 1^st is celebrated as the International Day of Elderly in the UN Calendar. This gives an opportunity to address dignified old age issues as well as an additional opportunity to voice the simple truth that everyone has the right to a dignified old age that the state and each of us owe our duty to the elderly to feel themselves full members of the society.

Unfortunately, we cannot assert that elderly people live in Armenia with full-fledged life and are a full member of society. Meanwhile, while watching western films, many of us pay attention to the fact that people in that age group live full of lives – traveling, educating, taking care of their health and body, in short, – enjoying life. This attitude, of course, has a direct link with the social component of state policy on the one hand and, on the other hand, the stereotypical perceptions of the society towards elderly people. And we are very glad that there are people who are trying to overcome these stereotypes.

This spring in Yerevan a completely new club “Ageless” with its new concept was opened. The founder of the club is PhD, Head of the department of women’s consultation at Astghik MC, president of the Armenian Association of Antiinfection, gynecologist-endocrinologist Inna Persoyan. In an interview with WomenNet.am, Mrs. Persoyan mentioned that the association’s function is to educate doctors how to make people live longer and quality life. That is, to help people use the tools and mechanisms known to science and medicine to make their life long. But, according to Mrs. Inna, in time they realized that if the doctors are ready to deliver the information, their knowledge and capabilities to the society, the society is not ready to accept it and to perceive it.

“We have also decided to engage in public awareness rising so that Armenian women and men get this information from the internet, which is a source of wrong and inaccurate information, from other professionals who will deliver their message through seminars. The trainings aim to convey the mechanisms and tools that will enable people to prolong life and make it more colorful and high-quality, “said Mrs. Persoyan.

But the function of the newly opened club is not only health care, it also has a social component because, as our interlocutor says, if a person is healthy, but not socially active, life gradually fades, and the disease knocks at the door. The club will help people become socially active, such as training and retraining, people will acquire new skills and skills that will help many to solve their employment and income problems at that age. They will try to alleviate the age-old discrimination that exists in Armenia, where finding a job after a certain age becomes almost impossible. And the next function is the daily employment of club members.

“Our club members will be able to fill their day by day traveling, visiting theaters, cinemas and concerts, organizing parties with songs and dances, etc. This is our idea on the basis of which the club operates, “said Inna Persoyan.