Theme Talk: Care for Macau’s Elderly to build a protected, respected and advancing later life

Further to several theme-talk lectures held earlier by the College within this 2009/10 academic year respectively on topics of Guangdong-HK-Macau cooperation, gaming, world heritage and women around the theme of the year “Showing Concern for Our Nation and Macau SAR”, which had successfully inspired faculty and students’ patriotic passions as well as their senses of responsibility, a talk to explore the elderly development and aging population was organized on April 9, on the theme of “Care for Macau’s Elderly to build a protected, respected and advancing later life. Principal Lao Sin Peng, Vice-President of The Chinese Educators Association of Macau and a member of the Elderly Affairs Committee, was invited as speaker.

Explaining and discussing from different perspectives with teachers and students in her talk, from the image of aged people to the right attitude towards the elderly, from the current support given by the society to the actual demand of the aged, Principal Lao pointed out that only the legislation, enforcement, popularization and carrying forward of the related laws, could the elderly people be in real protection and have rights to ensure leading a respected and advancing later life. In the light of the physical law of birth, age, illness and death of one’s life, only when we would cultivate the ethical society value of honoring, protecting and supporting the aged, could an integrated society of intergenerational harmony be built, said she. For retirement system, with the continuous growth of average lifetime, we may consider a flexible retirement system to put the talented elderly people into full play, so that a society where all aged people have their adequate support, medical care, accomplishment, learning and enjoyment could be realized through such policies, thus finally an image of “the success elderly” could be portrayed.

Principal Lao praised the KWNC students for their active and lively hosting style to bring the audience into the theme of “elderly people” and make a sound effect for the lecture meeting. She encouraged the College members to keep on the efforts and nurture more excellent nursing talents to be of service to the citizens in need. Through the talk, faculty and students got to know more about the significance of constructing the required society for the elderly and what attitude a nurse should has toward the aged people. The meeting came to a successful end after a number of hot questions raised by the participants and presentation of souvenir to the guest speaker.