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Tabriz, 5 July 2017-The Regional Forum on Policy Implication of Population Ageing continued today with field visits of a day rehabilitation center, and a nursing home in Tabriz.

The Shams Rehabilitation and Educational center is a private day care facility in the city of Tabriz, partially subsidized by the Welfare Organization, and providing specialized recreational, artistic, and educational services for older women.  The center, a privately owned house, managed by a young psychologist lady also offers psychological services and physical therapy. “We have a psychologist, a visiting physician, and an occupational therapist”, explains the manager. The center has approximately 50 visiting members. “I come here to exercise, to dance, and sometimes to chat with friends”, says one 80-year old woman. 

When the forum participants arrived at the center, a few cheerful members were exercising in the entrance courtyard. The visitors were warmly welcomed with cold melon juice and freshly baked bread.  Colorful home-made jams were placed for sale in the kitchen.

The Nassim Mehr Nursing Home is part of the Fayyaz Bakhsh Complex for disabled people.  The complex sits on the green grounds of the Welfare Organization, and provides services for disabled and older women, where the interaction between the two groups generates liveliness and dynamism.

Nassim Mehr Nursing Home is mainly funded by private donors and charities, and is subsidized by the Welfare Organization.  Mr. Arshadzadeh, Director General of East Azarbaijan Welfare Organization, explained that the nursing home has the capacity for 50 older women who do not have any kind of family support.  The nursing home has 9 nurses, 1 dentist, 1 physician and 3 psychologists, and offers services 24/7. The visit ended by fruits and cold drinks, and a song performance by a group of women.  Dr. Leila Joudane, UNFPA Representative, warmly thanked the staff and authorities for organizing such a fruitful visit.