NRCT launches platform to keep the elderly busy with part-time jobs

The website and app work on the “O Active” platform developed by Terra Media and Consulting Co Ltd. The project is funded by the NRCT in cooperation with the Foundation of Thai Gerontology Research and Development Institute.

NRCT director Wiparat Dee-ong said the platform had been launched to keep the elderly busy, make them more self-reliant and reduce the burden on state welfare. Keeping them busy will also delay the onslaught of dementia, he said.

It is part of NRCT’s master plan to develop digital technology to prepare the country as it fast becomes a grey society.

The platform will match job seekers and employers for free, as well as provide a space for the elderly to learn new skills.

Rooms or digital spaces will also be provided for older content creators or digital artists to show off their talent, while a web board will be provided for all members to exchange opinions.

Experts will be on hand to guide the elderly on protecting themselves from dementia, budgeting and maintaining a good diet.

Sumitra Wongphakdee, one of the developers from Terra Media, said the app is available for both Android and iOS systems and the font can be easily enlarged for people to read easily.

The job classifieds will be divided into categories of handicraft, counselling, carpentry, plastering, skilled labour and general work.

Sumitra said prospective employers can post vacancies with details of required qualifications for seniors to browse through and choose the one that best suits them.

The platform will also screen out jobs deemed too difficult for the elderly or ones that require too many hours.

She said the government should consider extending the retirement age, setting a higher minimum wage for the elderly and urging private firms to hire older people.

In another project to enhance senior people’s quality of life, the NRCT has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ramathibodi Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine under Mahidol University to launch a course for “professional elderly caretakers”, Wiparat said.

Faculty dean Prof Dr Piyamitr Sritara said training people to take care of the elderly will not only be an income source but will also allow the aged to stay in familiar surroundings.

The caretakers will also be taught how to ensure the sick get medical care in hospitals nearby.