Cosmopolitan Home For The Elderly
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- Cosmopolitan Home For The Elderly
Cosmopolitan Home for the Elderly (Guarantors of Favour), under the umbrella of the Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation, is established in Ghana as a charitable Trust Deed, duly registered on 21st February 2014 at the Registrar-General's Department in Accra with the registration number CG089012014. On 16th January 2015, the foundation's name was changed from Mawuena Foundation to Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation.
We ensure that our elders are treated with care, dignity, and the utmost respect during their final years when they can no longer take care of themselves, thereby extending happiness to them. We aim to provide a voice platform for action on the concerns of the elderly, social justice, and poverty reduction through self-help initiatives to achieve sustainable development practices and influence policy and practice to end social exclusion and poverty.
Our philosophy is based on the reality that every human being is a unique individual and that we all have a right to good health and basic needs and should access means to a comfortable life in one way or another.
Gone are the days when the elderly of Africa were well taken care of by their loved ones. These days, because their daughters/sons are married and due to the influence of the western world, it is no longer easy to take them to their marriage homes because of previous situations that occurred. Additionally, some have almost all their children living abroad and/or very far from their hometowns because of their professional responsibilities. The scenario in Ghana is now looking like that of first-world countries. In these cases, the children rely on close relatives who they pay to take care of their parents.
At the Cosmopolitan Home for the Elderly, we will be widely known and highly regarded for our comprehensive and individualized treatment. Quality care will characterize each service provided by our deeply committed staff. Whether helping new residents to comfortably adjust to nursing home life, administering medical treatments, or performing clinical assessments, we shall always be mindful of residents' welfare. Staff members will take pride in seeing our residents chatting, laughing, and enjoying themselves with new and old friends.
We shall have the following services:
• Clinical Services
• Short-term and Long-term Rehabilitation
• Physical and Occupational Therapy
• Resident Social Life and Personal Care
• Social Work and Advocacy
The Board of Trustees of the Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation, led by Dr Emmanuel Yao Voado, MD, the Founder, will select the Management Committee that will see to the day-to-day administration of Cosmopolitan Home for the Elderly. He is a Ghanaian neurosurgeon trained in Cuba. He was the medical doctor who first opened a neurosurgical service in the country of Belize. He practised there for 5 years and worked in the United States for 6 years before relocating to Africa in September 2013. He is working diligently on the cure of Spinal Cord Injuries.
The home for the elderly will be headquartered in Tsopoli in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana.
Cosmopolitan Home for the Elderly (Guarantors of Favour), under the umbrella of the Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation, was established in Ghana as a charitable Trust Deed, duly registered on 21st February 2014 at the Registrar-General's Department in Accra with the registration number CG089012014. On 16th January 2015, the foundation's name was changed from Mawuena Foundation to Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation.
We pursue breaking the backbone of generational poverty where the captives of destiny, the marginalised, shall become the frontliners.
We have the purpose of ensuring that our elders are treated with care, dignity, and the utmost respect during their final years when they can no longer take care of themselves, thereby extending happiness to them.
We aim to provide a voice platform for action on the concerns of the elderly, social justice, and poverty reduction through self-help initiatives to achieve sustainable development practices and influence policy and practice to end social exclusion and poverty.
Our philosophy is based on the reality that every human being is a unique individual and that we all have a right to good health and basic needs and should access means to a comfortable life in one way or another.
The Board of Trustees of the Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation, led by Dr Emmanuel Yao Voado, MD, the Founder, will select the Management Committee that will see to the day-to-day administration of Cosmopolitan Home for the Elderly. He is a Ghanaian neurosurgeon trained in Cuba. He was the medical doctor who first opened a neurosurgical service in the country of Belize. He practised there for 5 years and worked in the United States for 6 years before relocating to Africa in September 2013. He is working diligently on the cure of Spinal Cord Injuries.
The headquarters of the Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation will be located in Bundase in the Greater Accra Region.
Ghana is located in West Africa and borders Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Togo, occupying a total area of 238,533 square kilometers and a population of approximately 34.8 million as of July 2024. The population of West Africa is estimated at 451.5 million people as of August 2024.
Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a series of coups before Lt. Jerry Rawlings took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, Rawlings won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John Kufuor of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) succeeded him and was re-elected in 2004. John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president, John Dramani Mahama, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election. In 2016 and again in 2020, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the NPP defeated Mahama, marking the third time that Ghana’s presidency has changed parties since the return to democracy.
Economy:
Ghana is the fastest-growing economy in the West African subregion with a projected growth of 7.6% in 2019. Due to the global financial economic slowdown, the growth of the real gross domestic product in Ghana was forecast to continuously increase between 2023 and 2028 by a total of 3.4 percentage points. The growth is estimated to amount to five percent in 2028. Ghana has a market-based economy with relatively few policy barriers to trade and investment in comparison with other countries in the region, and Ghana is endowed with natural resources. Ghana's economy was strengthened by a quarter century of relatively sound management, a competitive business environment, and sustained reductions in poverty levels, but in recent years has suffered the consequences of loose fiscal policy, high budget and current account deficits, and a depreciating currency.
Agriculture accounts for about 20% of GDP and employs more than half of the workforce, mainly small landholders. Gold, oil, and cocoa exports, and individual remittances, are major sources of foreign exchange. Expansion of Ghana’s nascent oil industry has boosted economic growth, but the fall in oil prices since 2015 reduced Ghana’s oil revenue by half. Production at Jubilee, Ghana's first commercial offshore oilfield, began in mid-December 2010. Production from two more fields, TEN and Sankofa, started in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The country’s first gas processing plant at Atuabo is also producing natural gas from the Jubilee field, providing power to several of Ghana’s thermal power plants.
As of 2018, key economic concerns facing the government include the lack of affordable electricity, lack of a solid domestic revenue base, and the high debt burden. The Akufo-Addo administration has made some progress by committing to fiscal consolidation, but much work is still to be done. Ghana signed a $920 million extended credit facility with the IMF in April 2015 to help it address its growing economic crisis. The IMF fiscal targets require Ghana to reduce the deficit by cutting subsidies, decreasing the bloated public sector wage bill, strengthening revenue administration, boosting tax revenues, and improving the health of Ghana’s banking sector. Priorities for the new administration include rescheduling some of Ghana’s $31 billion debt, stimulating economic growth, reducing inflation, and stabilising the currency. Prospects for new oil and gas production and follow-through on tighter fiscal management are likely to help Ghana’s economy in 2023.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $178.455 billion (2021 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2023 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,400 (2021 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 80.1% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 8.6% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 13.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 43% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -46.5% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 18.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 24.5% (2017 est.)
services: 57.2% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products: cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminium smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate: 16.7% (2017 est.)
Labour force: 12.49 million (2017 est.)
Labour force - by occupation:
agriculture: 44.7%
industry: 14.4%
services: 40.9% (2013 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.46 % (May,2019)
Africa is the second-largest continent, covering about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq. mi), after Asia, in terms of size and population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos.
The population of Africa was estimated at 1.50 billion people as of 2024, accounting for about 16.64% of the world's human population. Africa's population is the youngest among all the continents; 50% of Africans are 19 years old or younger. The median age is 19.4 years. 41% of the population is urban. Algeria is Africa's largest country by area, and Nigeria is the largest by population.
Africa, particularly central Eastern Africa, is widely accepted as the place of origin of humans and the Hominidae clade (great apes), as evidenced by the discovery of the earliest hominids and their ancestors, as well as later ones that have been dated to around seven million years ago.
History:
Around 3300 BC, the historical record opens in Northern Africa with the rise of literacy in the Pharaonic civilization of Ancient Egypt. One of the world's earliest and longest-lasting civilizations, the Egyptian state continued, with varying levels of influence over other areas, until 343 BC.
Climate:
Africa straddles the equator and encompasses numerous climate areas; it is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones. The climate of Africa ranges from tropical to subarctic on its highest peaks. Its northern half is primarily desert or arid, while its central and southern areas contain both savanna plains and very dense jungle (rainforest) regions. In between, there is a convergence, where vegetation patterns such as Sahel and steppe dominate. Africa is the hottest continent on earth, and 60% of the entire land surface consists of dry lands and deserts.
Politics:
Today, Africa contains 54 sovereign countries, nine territories, and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. Connected with the Indian Ocean, the islands of Africa are the Union of the Comoros, the Republic of Madagascar, the Republic of Seychelles, and the Republic of Mauritius. In the Atlantic Ocean, we have the Republic of Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. Others are Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, and Eritrea.
The vast majority of African states are republics that operate under some form of the presidential system of rule. Improved stability and economic reforms have led to a great increase in foreign investment in many African nations, mainly from China, which has spurred quick economic growth in many countries, seemingly ending decades of stagnation and decline.
Some seven African countries are in the top 10 fastest-growing economies in the world. If you look at countries like Mozambique, Angola, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Togo – all of those markets have shown exceptional growth and real stability, and with that, you almost get a new investment climate for these countries. This allows you to have a new emerging middle class, and with that comes a very vibrant entrepreneurship culture, businessmen or women who want access to technology and to innovate.
Natural Resources:
The continent is believed to hold 90% of the world's cobalt, 90% of its platinum, 50% of its gold, 98% of its chromium, 70% of its tantalite, 64% of its manganese, and one-third of its uranium. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has 70% of the world's coltan, a mineral used in the production of tantalum capacitors for electronic devices such as cell phones. The DRC also has more than 30% of the world's diamond reserves. Guinea is the world's largest exporter of bauxite.
Economy:
From 1995 to 2005, Africa's rate of economic growth increased, averaging 5% in 2005. Some countries experienced still higher growth rates, notably Angola, Sudan, and Equatorial Guinea, all of which had recently begun extracting their petroleum reserves or had expanded their oil extraction capacity.
Several African economies are among the world’s fastest-growing as of 2011. As of 2013, these are some of the African countries growing by more than 5.0% in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These are South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Rwanda, Mozambique, Eritrea, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Gabon, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Mauritania, Niger, Congo, Zambia, Angola, Uganda, Togo, Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya.
Africa really has the ideal conditions for steady economic growth. A skyrocketing population made up of predominantly younger people is the perfect recipe for a booming economy.
In 2018, we continue to see the same trend for population growth. Compared to 2017, Africa’s overall population has increased by more than 30 million – 1,256,268,025 in 2017 versus 1,287,920,518 in 2018.
The World Bank’s projections for sub-Saharan Africa area. According to their 2018 projections for the continent: regional GDP growth of 3.2% (compared to 2.4% last year) is expected this year, and an even greater increase of 3.5% is forecasted for 2019.
That’s why keeping an eye out for the top African countries with the fastest economic growth in 2018 is a total must for every potential investor. The abundance of natural resources and a young workforce is what has driven the economic surge on the continent in recent years.
A significant number of 2018’s top performers are non-commodity intensive economies. The list is led by Ghana, followed by Ethiopia and Côte d’Ivoire, with Senegal, Tanzania, and Djibouti occupying the fourth, fifth, and sixth spots respectively. Africa has six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies this year, according to the World Bank.
The latest forecast places the East African country, Ethiopia, at 8.2 percent, with the West African nation, Ghana, leading the continent at 8.3 percent. Topping the list from the first to the tenth position are: Ghana, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Benin, Rwanda, and Niger.
As the growth in Africa has been driven mainly by services and not manufacturing or agriculture, it has been growth without jobs and without a reduction in poverty levels.
Born in 1971 to a Christian family of scarce resources in Tefle, Volta Region, Ghana, he always dreamed of breaking the backbone of poverty through education. At the age of 12, he received a prophecy that he would go abroad to further his education. In 1985, at age 14, the prophecy was fulfilled, but not without difficulties. After taking the exams to send students to Cuba, he placed first in his district but was unlawfully replaced by the son of the most powerful politician in the district. A concerned citizen sent him to the office of President Jerry John Rawlings, where he was allowed to participate in the national test, in which he came first. This event was indeed a shock to many.
He was in Cuba for 17 years, progressing from junior high school to medical school and subsequently to the postgraduate specialist course in Neurosurgery. While in Cuba as a student, he continued his brilliant academic work; he won many awards, including best student in Chemistry at the Cuban National Level Quizzes for three consecutive years, where students from 35 countries were studying. He wrote an Organic Chemistry book intended for the preparation of high-performance students who aspired to participate in the World Olympiad of Chemistry. He graduated summa cum laude (first) in all levels of education, including medical school and the specialty of Neurosurgery. At the end of his neurosurgical training, he wrote another book in the field of Spinal Surgery called Lumbosacral Discopathies.
When he completed the Neurosurgical course in 2001, the people of Belize found him and took him to their country as they needed neurosurgical services, which they had never had the privilege of enjoying locally. He performed simple and complex surgeries on many people, including the elite of Belize, with no surgical mortality in his five consecutive years of practice. In the USA, under Dr Robert Grossman, a well-known neurosurgeon, he worked as a Clinical Research Specialist and was invited by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons of America to present six papers at their international conferences.
He is a Belizean and American citizen by naturalisation. After 28 years, he has decided to return to Africa to help his people, as he has come to the convincing realisation that he is more needed here than in the United States of America.
Dr. Emmanuel Voado, MD, is a Ghanaian neurosurgeon trained in Cuba. He was the medical doctor who first opened a neurosurgical service in the country of Belize. He practised there for 5 years before going to the United States, where he resided with his family for 6 years before relocating to Africa in September 2013.
In Cuba, he was directly involved in the educational system for 17 years and impacted by their healthcare delivery for 11 years, which can all be emulated by third-world countries like Ghana, which have more natural resources and foreign exchange earners than Cuba. He saw the Cuban government training thousands of students from foreign nations in different courses at the polytechnic and university levels, who then went to their home countries to contribute to their development.
He lived in Belize, where he contributed to the healthcare delivery in that nation. Once in the USA, he was personally impacted by all the good things of the American system. One area is the safety network to cater for the destitute.
He saw the compassionate character of the Americans in the hospitals and churches, which were the two environments he worked and worshipped in, and he saw how the two organisations would selflessly use their vacation days to go about doing good to impoverished nations, giving out their substance and technical know-how.
He was deeply touched by this spirit of selflessness, and all this helped to shape his worldview on a subconscious level until he came to the conscious realisation that a meaningful life is not about being rich, being popular, being highly educated, or being perfect. It is about being real, being humble, being able to share ourselves, and touching the lives of others. It is only then that we can have a full, happy, and contented life. That is the motive why, by divine grace, he has been able to abandon the lucrative and most rewarding jobs in the Diaspora and is now back home to give back to his people.
VISION:
Our vision is to create a transformative environment for these children, ensuring their upbringing leads to resourcefulness, financial emancipation, social inclusion, and preparedness for a formidable future. We believe that through guardianship and mentoring, we can nurture these children to become the finest leaders the world can produce.
MISSION:
Our mission is to transform the lives of these children by offering them shelter, nutrition, education, healthcare, entertainment, and other essential resources. We aim to empower them to overcome the challenges of poverty and become resourceful, financially independent, socially included, and prepared for a bright future. Our vision is to raise future leaders who will make a positive impact on the world by spearheading society through the impartation of positive character, attitude, and leadership by example.
OBJECTIVES:
- Provide a safe and nurturing environment for 2,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Greater Accra, Ghana.
- Ensure access to quality education, starting from the crèche level up to the Technical Senior High School and Polytechnic, with a mini sports city to awaken latent sports talents and naturally in-built abilities.
- Mentoring and Guardianship: Each child will be assigned a mentor who will provide guidance, support, and emotional stability. We will also establish a strong network of guardians to ensure the children receive individual attention and care.
- Collaborate with a hospital to provide comprehensive healthcare services to the children.
- Possess an in-house clinic to take care of the health needs of the 2,000 children and the allied workers.
- Operate a commercial-sized laundry to maintain the cleanliness of their clothing.
- Run a large food canteen to cater to the orphans.
- Establish a music and arts theatre and provide additional tuition to help the orphans master various musical instruments, enhancing the discovery of hidden artistic gifts.
The concept of "elderly" refers to a category of adults who have attained advanced ages, typically 60 or 65 years. The United Nations uses 60 years to refer to the elderly. In developed countries, where life expectancy is high and the age of retirement from active public economic activity is 65 years, the elderly are defined as persons aged 65 years and above. In developing countries, on the other hand, since life expectancy is lower and the age of retirement is 60 years, the elderly are considered as persons aged 60 years and above.
Both the absolute and relative numbers of the elderly population in Africa have been increasing consistently over the years. As a result, ageing represents the most significant population shift in history as people are now living longer than ever before. While this is an accomplishment worthy of celebration, our joy is tempered by the awareness that many older adults in Africa are facing a future of neglect and abuse without a social safety net.
Africa has long been considered a society that revered its older citizens, and the tradition of reverence has been an integral part of its value system. In most traditional African societies, older persons were highly respected and honoured. However, the ideals of a society and the realities of daily life may be quite different. As a result of a changing social and economic environment, older adults are not always given the respect and reverence that tradition dictates in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, as evidenced by elder abuse, neglect, and inadequate housing conditions.
One of the most important attributes of the traditional extended family is its potential for caring for the older population. Despite their acknowledged social and economic contributions, as well as their role in traditional and cultural affairs, many older adults in Africa experience abuse and are largely excluded from socio-economic and political affairs. The processes of modernisation and urbanisation are beginning to erode the traditional social welfare system of Africa, the extended family. The abuse and violence against older persons and their vulnerability to financial exploitation is a key challenge faced by many African countries.
The overwhelming majority of elderly persons in Africa, especially older women, have no formal education that would have secured them employment in the competitive job market and guaranteed them social protection in old age. Consequently, subsequent education and employment of this sector of the population can play a pivotal role in furnishing social security and ameliorating elder abuse in the coming years.
In fact, because of the lack of a universal social security system in Africa, the welfare and support of older persons have long been considered a societal responsibility.
In Ghana, issues concerning the population classified as elderly gained prominence in the late 1980s when the proportion of the elderly population to the total population began to increase, having grown steadily since 1960. Thus, even though Ghana’s population remains largely youthful, consisting of a large proportion of children under 15 years of age (reported at 44.5% in 1960; 46.9% in 1970; 45% in 1984; 41.3% in 2000 and 38.3% in 2010), the size of the elderly population has been growing.
The 2010 Population and Housing Census showed that although the proportion of older persons (60+ years) decreased from 7.2 percent in 2000 to 6.7 percent in 2010, in terms of absolute numbers there was an increase from 215,258 in 1960 to 1,643,978 in 2010: 918,378 (55.9%) were female and 725,003 (44.1%) were male. For the population aged 65+, the trend shows that it has increased from 3.2% in 1960 to 3.6% in 1970, 4.0% in 1984, and 5.3% in 2000, but declined to 4.7% in 2010.
Life expectancy at birth is reported to have increased from an estimated 45.5 years in 1960 to 48.6 and 52.7 years respectively in 1970 and 1984 (representing an increase of 4.1 years over a period of 14 years between 1970 and 1984). A Ghana Health Service report in 2003 indicated that life expectancy at birth in Ghana was 58 years which, according to the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, increased to 60 years in 2009.
In 2010, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reported that life expectancy increased to 60.7 years for males and 61.8 years for females. Most elderly persons in Ghana live in rural areas but today, a little more than half (50.9%) of Ghana’s population live in urban areas. The 2010 PHC indicated that 890,488 (54.1%) of older persons in Ghana live in rural communities.
With regard to the age cohort of the elderly population, those aged between 60 and 74 years constitute the largest proportion. All these developments have implications for the health and economic status of the elderly population and, by extension, the whole population.
Old age is expected to be the golden period of one’s life, characterised by tranquillity, enjoyment, and satisfaction. The reality, however, is a disappointing shattered dream. Old age in many African countries is a nightmare and a tale of woes. Although there are legislative instruments that guarantee the rights of all persons, including the older population in some parts of Africa, elder abuse is rampant because older persons are poor and voiceless. They lack basic healthcare, shelter, and dignity.
There is a belief that “old women, particularly the poor and ugly, are witches.” This highlights the negative attitudes and psychological trauma elderly persons have to contend with in a traditional African setting. The abuse and neglect of the elderly is common in residential homes, hospitals, within families, in communities, and in pension-paying queues and government offices. Due largely to lack of access to or control over resources, elderly persons are socially isolated. Social integration is a function of money availability for food, transport, lodging, and entertainment.
Sometimes, family conflict and violence are triggered by disagreements over financial matters and control over resources such as land. Elderly family members are usually caught up in such feuds, especially over succession issues. In Ghana, more than 2,500 women, including the elderly, suffered various forms of abuse between January and September 2004. Of this number, 837 were sexually assaulted, 130 were abducted, and 1,358 were battered.
The older population had inadequate access to health services and used medication infrequently. Additionally, they found that the elderly persons’ health and functional abilities deteriorated with age, while they had declining resources and received little help from the social welfare department.
The main needs of the elderly that require public attention are health, nutritional status, living arrangements, and conditions, as well as better access to amenities. The provision of these needs, adequately, is the challenge of the demographic shift. Re-integrating the elderly back into the wider economic and social lives of Ghana, thereby preventing economic and social exclusion, will yield dividends to themselves, their families, and their society.
Sub-Saharan African countries have not made enough economic progress before population ageing sets in. Moreover, they have to invest in their young populations, especially in the areas of health, education, and other components of the social sector. Preparing for secure ageing begins from childhood and early adulthood. Furthermore, knowing the situation of the elderly can contribute to the adoption of programmes and other forms of intervention that can ensure that the aged in Ghanaian society enjoy a life of security and dignity.
The inspiration came from the fact that the elderly in our society are not always treated with the care, dignity, and utmost respect they deserve and require during their final years when they can no longer take care of themselves.
Despite the above problems and related trends, there is therefore a need for an institution that will serve:
• to ensure our elders are treated with care, dignity, and the utmost respect during their final years when they can no longer take care of themselves.
• to support those in need of long-term care "to maintain dignity and an independent daily life routine according to each person’s own level of abilities".
• to support the elderly and enable them to continue to participate and contribute to the economy of Ghana and ultimately to the development of the country while continuing to live in dignity until their call to eternity.
• to assist functionally impaired elderly persons to live dignified and reasonably independent lives.
We will be widely known and highly regarded for our comprehensive and individualised treatment. Quality care will characterise each service provided by our deeply committed staff. Whether helping new residents to comfortably adjust to nursing home life, administering medical treatments, or performing clinical assessments, we shall always be mindful of residents' welfare.
Clinical Services: In our commitment to excellence, we shall employ a full-time medical director, other full-time and part-time physicians, and full-time geriatric physician assistants to address the medical needs of each resident. Our physicians shall be top-flight professionals and include a full complement of specialists from fields including oncology, cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, gynaecology, and rheumatology, as well as orthopaedics, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. We will be affiliated with Cosmopolitan Miracle Hospitals to afford our residents superior short- and long-term physical, occupational, speech, and hearing therapy.
Short-term and Long-term Rehabilitation: Recovering from a stroke, fracture, or major illness, an individual will need a specialised type of short-term care focused on the restoration of function, often combining physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Long-term rehabilitation is for residents who may have a functional impairment, chronic disease, or dementia. A combination of therapies is prescribed to maintain their current level of function, raise their level of comfort, and prevent further deterioration of their condition.
Physical and Occupational Therapy: Physical therapy is a "hands-on" process. Much of the success we will achieve shall come because our specialists will work one-on-one to bring out each resident's best capability. Our full-time physical therapy staff helps residents regain and maintain maximum functioning. Their goals are to:
- Increase, restore, or maintain range of motion, physical strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, and endurance.
- Promote independence with walking skills.
- Increase overall fitness through exercise programmes.
- Improve sensation, reduce pain, and discomfort.
Resident Social Life and Personal Care: Activities will provide a myriad of opportunities for residents to learn, grow, express themselves, and have fun. Residents will participate in programmes that stimulate intellect, help rebuild strength, and raise the spirit. Programmes will include arts & crafts (including a resident crafts show, popular with residents and staff alike), a cooking club, weekly concerts, a current events group, and trips to local destinations like museums, local restaurants, football games, cinema, and shopping. Residents will also participate in various clubs where experts teach novices the basics of needlework and painting.
On any given day, one will be able to find Cosmopolitan Home for the Elderly residents reading the Ghana newspapers or enjoying books in our library. A unisex salon will provide hair styling and other cosmetic needs at modest cost. Religious services shall be held each week on the premises.
Social Work and Advocacy: Social workers at Cosmopolitan Home for the Elderly will help residents adjust to living in a group setting. Full-time social workers and an admissions director will maintain an ongoing relationship with residents and their families, offering counselling, guidance, support, and help with problems and concerns. Social workers shall be part of an interdisciplinary team that ensures residents' rights and needs are addressed on all levels.
Accra, the capital of Ghana, is furthermore the anchor of a larger metropolitan area, the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), which is home to about 4 million people, making it the largest metropolitan conglomeration in Ghana by population, and the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in Africa.
The headquarters of the Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation will be located in Bundase in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area. This is going to be the site for the new international airport, which will become the centre of West Africa to the world in the travel and pleasure industry. Apart from this huge international airport, there will be an Airport City with skyscrapers of the Dubai style, the seat of the government and all the ministries, an Olympic Stadium, among other infrastructure.
We are acquiring 25,000 acres of land extending from the Volta River to an area behind the new international airport in Bundase, to build The Kingdom City, which will encompass all the structures of the Cosmopolitan Aid Foundation. As coalition builders, in the effort of making our projects become self-sustainable in the future, we will work co-operatively with all individuals and groups, for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and organisations, with government agencies and international bodies committed to the fight to extend help to the needy, subject only to the policies and priorities set by our governing bodies.
1. People who are chronically ill or disabled with a need for long-term care necessitate a comprehensive range of medical, personal, and social services coordinated to meet their physical, social, and emotional needs. A nursing home facility may be the best choice for people who require 24-hour medical care and supervision.
2. It will be a place of residence for people who require continual nursing care and have significant difficulty coping with the required activities of daily living.
3. Patients with Alzheimer's and related disorders.
4. Older persons branded as witches, abused, and who are ill and do not have any other place to be.
We are grounded on the values of Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence (I CARE) principle.
We believe in equality for all, rights and dignity for all, stewardship, and respect for institutional partnerships in development. We welcome and respect ongoing international initiatives and national policies to take care of and support the elderly, vulnerable children, disadvantaged people, and students, and to fight poverty, ignorance, and diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancer, Malaria, immunisable diseases, and AIDS. Our activities will be in union and collaboration with other stakeholders.
With your collaboration, we aim to meet the following expectations:
• We will ensure that our elders are treated with care, dignity, and the utmost respect during their final years when they can no longer take care of themselves.
• We will provide a voice platform for action on the concerns of the elderly, social justice, and poverty reduction through self-help initiatives to achieve sustainable development practices and influence policy and practice to end social exclusion and poverty.
• We will strive to eliminate barriers to full social integration and increase employment, economic security, and health care for the elderly.
• We will expand happiness to the elderly, freeing them from basic needs and controlling their diseases.
• We are grounded in the various United Nations human rights declarations and commitments to promote the effective and full implementation of what the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) spearheaded in 2012.
It was the celebration of the Day of the Elderly, on October 1, in partnership with HelpAge, with the aim of raising awareness about ageing, with a publication under the theme: Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and A Challenge 2012. The report, which was launched in Tokyo, Japan, was followed by a global day of outreach and activism through media activity. Another component of these activities includes a campaign dubbed “Age Demands Action”. The main message in the celebration activities is an emphasis on the fact that “population ageing is one of the most significant trends in the 21st Century”.
Our own contribution has been significant in this project, but we acknowledge that we cannot do this alone. Therefore, we are calling on donors from every nation to help build this project and positively impact millions of lives both inside and outside Ghana.
