Living Well After 60 Level 2

Who it is for. People who have finished Living Well After 60 (Level 1), or who can show the same skills. You may be over 60 yourself, or younger. You may already help at a church fellowship, a mosque women's group, a pensioners' association or a community centre, and you want to start or lead a weekly group for older people. National Proficiency II covers varied work, mostly routine, under limited supervision.

This course is based on a book. It turns the ideas in De-Graft Afful's book Happy and Regret-Free After 60 into training for people who lead groups. You do not need the book to follow the course.

Bridge from Level 1: what you already know

Level 1 made you a good helper for one person. Level 2 teaches you to start a club, to open a meeting so everyone belongs, to move a group safely, to bring in health partners, to teach money safety and legacy, to build joy and company, to notice harm and refer, and to keep the books.

How this course links to other courses

Some skills are taught fully in other Hub courses. This book names them so you do not learn two versions:

Stay with active older people. This course is about independent, active older people who come to a club because they want to: for purpose, company, learning, joy, money safety, legacy and staying active. If a member needs daily personal care, the club is still for them, but their care is a job for family, trained carers and health workers (Caregiving for Older and Disabled People), not for the club.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical.

Course method. Where this book gives a step-by-step method, a session plan, a script, a checklist or a rule of thumb, it is a course method written for this module from good practice. It is not copied from one source and it is not a law.

Health facts. Most health studies in this book show a link (people who do X tend to do better), not proof that X causes the result. We write "is linked to", never "will give you". No activity in this book is a cure, and nothing in it replaces a doctor or nurse.

Example numbers. Every GH¢ amount in a worked example is an example made up to teach the sums, unless a source is given. Real prices change. Ask first, then do your own sums.

Scripts. The model scripts are written so you can say them word for word while you learn. Once you know them, make them your own and say them in the language your members understand best.

Our running example. Mrs Comfort Arthur, 64, a retired teacher, and Mr Kobina Eshun, 68, a retired fisheries officer, start the Sunrise Club for people aged 60 and over in Takoradi, in the Western Region (example). The club meets every Tuesday from 9:00 to 11:30 in a church hall that is lent free of charge, and is open to people of every faith. In the first month 40 people join the register. All the club's numbers are examples.

Competency standard

Range. A new or young weekly club of 15 to 50 older people, most of them able to walk in on their own, meeting in a church, mosque, school or community hall in a town or village. Evidence. Listening-meeting notes; purpose statement; venue check sheet; 4-week timetable; club rules; joining form; start-up costing; oral questions.

Why a club?

Older people give a great deal. The World Health Organization says older people "contribute in many ways to their families and communities", and warns that older people are often wrongly seen as frail, dependent or a burden, which can lead to discrimination. A good club says the opposite every week: you are needed here.

Many older people in Ghana are on their own. The 2021 census found 341,960 people aged 60 and over living alone, and 62,480 of them were aged 80 or older. Loneliness is not a small thing. The WHO Commission on Social Connection reported in 2025 that about 1 in 6 people in the world is affected by loneliness, and linked it to an estimated 871,000 deaths a year. Social isolation may affect up to 1 in 3 older adults. Among WHO's simple actions for connection is this one: join a local group. Your club can be that group.

Older people in Ghana are also busy people. In 2021, 37.5% of people aged 60 and over were employed, and 90.1% of employed older people worked in the private informal sector. So plan the club around members' work, market days and family duties, not around the idea that "old people have nothing to do".

Respect comes first

Older people are the leaders of their own lives. The club is theirs, not yours. You serve it.

Step 1: the listening meeting

Before you start anything, hold a listening meeting with 8 to 20 older people (course method).

Step 2: the purpose statement

A purpose statement is two or three short sentences that say what the club is for. Members agree it. You read it at the start of the first meeting each month (Unit 2).

Example: the Sunrise Club purpose (example). "The Sunrise Club is a weekly meeting for people aged 60 and over in our area, of every faith and none. We meet to stay active, keep learning, enjoy good company and look after our health, our money and our families' future. Every member is welcome, every member is heard, and every member is safe."

What the club does and does not do. Write this too, so nobody is confused (course method).

Step 3: who are the members?

Write down who the club is for. Keep it simple (course method):

Finding members. Ask at faith groups, at the health centre on clinic days, through the assembly member, at pensioners' and retirees' associations, at market associations, and by word of mouth. Ask every new member: "Who do you know who sits at home alone?" Those are the people the club is most for.

Step 4: the place

A venue for older people must be safe, easy to reach and comfortable. Use this venue check before you agree to any hall (course method, following WHO's list of home fall dangers: poor light, unsafe stairs and poor walking surfaces).

Step 5: the timetable

Older people like a clear, predictable week. Same day, same time, same order. Change the topics, not the shape.

A model 2½-hour morning (course method).

A 4-week rotation for the main topic (example from the Sunrise Club's listening meeting).

Step 6: the club rules

Write the rules with the members. Read them at the first meeting each month. Keep them short and kind (course method).

Example: the Sunrise Club rules (example).

Step 7: joining form, consent and photos

Every member fills a joining form once, with help if they wish. Keep forms in a closed file. Only the facilitator and the secretary see them (course method).

The Sunrise Club joining form (course method).

The photo rule (course method).

What can go wrong and what to do

Scripts you can use

Inviting an older neighbour who lives alone: "Good morning, Maame. I hope you slept well. Some of us are starting a group for people over sixty. We meet on Tuesday mornings at the church hall, from nine to half past eleven. We talk, we move a little, we learn something and we laugh. Anyone can come, of any church or none. It costs nothing. I would be happy to walk with you the first time. Would you like to try it next Tuesday?"

If they say no: "That is fine, Maame. Can I come and greet you again next week and tell you how it went?"

Asking a faith leader for the hall: "Reverend, many older people in our area are alone at home during the week. We would like to start a weekly club for people over sixty, open to everyone, on Tuesday mornings. We need a hall with chairs and a toilet from half past eight to twelve. We will clean up after every meeting, there will be no selling, and we will give you a short report every three months. Could the church help us in this way?"

Check yourself

1. Why should a club start with a listening meeting?
2. Name five things to check before you choose a venue.
3. Name three things the joining form must not ask for.

Competency standard

Range. A weekly meeting of 15 to 50 older people, including members with sight, hearing, mobility or reading difficulties, led by the trainee with a small team of member helpers. Evidence. Observed opening and closing; room set-up checklist; inclusion plan; two handled difficult moments (role-play or real); four weeks of register with attendance worked out; follow-up call notes; oral questions.

Before the meeting: the room

Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Use this checklist every week (course method).

The welcome team

Choose two or three members as the welcome team each week. Give them clear jobs (course method):

Opening the meeting: a script

Start on time, even if only a few are there. Late-comers are welcomed quietly.

The opening (course method), about 10 to 15 minutes:

"Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the Sunrise Club. My name is Comfort, and I am your facilitator today.

Can everybody hear me? Please raise a hand if you cannot hear me well, and we will move you closer. … Thank you.

A special welcome to our new member today, Auntie Esi. Auntie Esi, we are very glad you came. Uncle Kobby will sit with you and show you around.

Let us have a moment of quiet. You may pray in your own way, or simply rest. … Thank you.

Here is our news. We have two birthdays this week: Papa Yaw is seventy-one and Maame Efua is sixty-five. Let us greet them! … We also remember Uncle Fiifi, who is in hospital. The phone tree will call him this afternoon.

Today we will move for thirty minutes, sitting or standing as you choose. Then Nurse Abena from the health centre will talk to us about blood pressure and take our questions. After that, tea and talk. We will finish at half past eleven.

Two reminders, as always: every activity is your choice, and you may rest at any time. And if you feel unwell, tell a helper straight away."

On the first Tuesday of each month, also read the purpose statement and the club rules aloud, slowly.

Speaking so that everyone understands

Including every member

The WHO says over 25% of people over 60 have disabling hearing loss, and most people with vision impairment or blindness are over 50. So in any club, expect several members who cannot hear or see well. Plan for them every week, not only when they complain (course method).

Running the main topic

A good main topic follows a simple shape (course method):

1. Hook (2 minutes): a question or an object. "Who has had a strange phone call this month?"
2. Teach (10 to 15 minutes): two or three points only, with pictures, a demonstration or a guest.
3. Do (15 minutes): members practise: a drill, a small-group talk, a quiz, a list, a role-play.
4. Share (10 minutes): two or three members say what they learned or what they will do.
5. Take away (3 minutes): one action for the week, written in large print on a small card.

Managing difficult moments

Difficult moments happen in every group. Stay calm, kind and brief. Protect the member's dignity in front of others (course method).

1. A member talks for too long

"Thank you, Papa. You have made an important point about the land. Let me hear from someone who has not spoken yet, and then we can come back to you after tea." Then do come back to him, or talk with him after the meeting.

2. Two members disagree loudly

Stand between them with an open hand. "I can see this matters to both of you. Let us hear Auntie Ama first, then Uncle Kweku, one at a time, with no interruption." If it continues: "Let us pause here. I will sit with you both after the meeting." Never take sides in public.

3. A member becomes upset or cries

Lower your voice. "Take your time, Maame. Would you like to step outside with me or with your friend for a few minutes?" Ask a helper to continue the session. Sit with the member, listen, and do not rush to solve. If they speak of feeling low, being harmed or not wanting to live, follow Unit 6.

4. A member feels unwell

Stop what you are doing. Go to them. "How are you feeling? Where is the trouble?" If they have chest pain, sudden breathlessness, sudden weakness on one side, sudden trouble speaking, a very bad sudden headache, or they have fallen and hit their head, call 112 at once and follow your first-aid training (First Aid and Community Health Helper). Otherwise, let them sit or lie down in a cool place, offer water if they can swallow normally, call their emergency contact, and do not leave them alone. Write it in the incident log (Unit 7).

5. Someone arrives to sell products, remedies or "investments"

"Good morning. Thank you for coming, but our club rule is no selling of any kind, so I must ask you not to do this here." If they continue, ask a strong member or the venue's caretaker to walk them out. Warn members afterwards: "Remember, a good thing does not need to be sold to you in a hurry."

6. A member's relative takes over

Some relatives speak for the older person. Turn your body and your eyes back to the member: "Thank you, sister. Maame, what would you like?"

7. A member makes unkind remarks about another faith, tribe or a person's health

"In this club, we respect every faith and every person. Let us keep to that." Talk privately afterwards if needed.

8. A member is confused about where they are or how to get home

Stay calm and kind. Sit with them, give water, and call their emergency contact. Do not send them home alone. Write it down and, with the family, gently suggest a check with a doctor or nurse.

Closing the meeting

The closing (course method), about 10 minutes:

"Thank you all for coming today. Let us remember the one thing we learned: [key point]. Your action card says it in big letters.

Next Tuesday is money week. Mr Eshun will run the scam drill, so bring your phone.

The phone tree will call everyone on Monday evening as a reminder. If you cannot come, please tell your caller.

If you know someone who sits at home alone, bring them next week.

Before you go, please check you have your bag and your stick. Our welcome team will make sure everyone has a way home. Safe journey, everyone."

After everyone leaves (course method): clean the hall, put chairs back, lock up; tick the register; write any incident; note who was missing; note one thing that went well and one thing to change.

The register and following up

The register is the heart of the club. It tells you who is coming, who has stopped, and who may need a call. Keep it every week (course method).

P = present, A = absent. All names and numbers above are examples.

The two-week rule (course method). When a member misses two meetings in a row without telling anyone, the facilitator or a phone-tree caller calls them that week. Missing club can be the first sign that a member is unwell, has fallen, is low, or is being kept at home.

The follow-up call (script): "Good evening, Maame Efua. It is Comfort from the Sunrise Club. We missed you these last two Tuesdays, and I wanted to greet you and ask how you are. … I am sorry to hear about your knee. Is someone helping you at home? … Would it help if Uncle Kobby came to greet you on Thursday? … We will keep your seat for you. Take care, and we hope to see you soon."

Write the result in the notes column. If the member sounds unwell, alone and struggling, or tells you they are being harmed, follow Unit 6.

The phone tree

A phone tree is a simple way to reach everyone quickly. The facilitator calls four "branch" callers; each branch caller calls up to ten members. Branch callers report back the same evening: who was reached, who was not, and anything worrying (course method).

What can go wrong and what to do

Check yourself

1. Give three ways to help a member who is hard of hearing.
2. What is the two-week rule, and why does it matter?
3. A member suddenly has chest pain during the meeting. What do you do first?

Competency standard

Range. Groups of up to 25 older people who walk on their own (with or without a stick or frame) and members who use wheelchairs, in a hall, a compound, a school field or a quiet road, in the morning or late afternoon. Evidence. Completed screening cards for at least 10 members (made-up or with consent); two observed chair-based sessions; one observed walking group with route plan and head counts; stop-rule role-play; four weeks of minutes cards; oral questions.

Why the club moves

The WHO says that physical activity in older adults is linked to fewer falls, better mental and cognitive health, better sleep, and a lower risk of death from any cause and from heart disease. It also notes that physical inactivity rises in both men and women after age 60.

Falls are serious. About 842,000 people died from falls worldwide in 2023, and about 71% of those deaths were people aged 60 and over. The risk rises with weaker balance, strength, walking or eyesight, and with medicines or conditions that cause dizziness or low blood pressure. Exercise that challenges balance is one of WHO's ways to prevent falls; a Cochrane review found exercise cut falls by about 23%.

The WHO weekly targets for older adults

For adults aged 65 and over, the WHO 2020 guidelines say each week:

Just as important: "doing some physical activity is better than doing none," and older adults should be as physically active as their functional ability allows. Replacing sitting time with any activity, even light activity, has benefits.

The screening questions

In Level 1 you asked one person a few readiness questions before they began to exercise. For a group, those questions become a written screening card. Before a member's first movement session, and whenever something changes, ask the screening questions privately. They are not a medical test. They help you decide whether a member should talk to a doctor or nurse before moving with the group. This card is a course method, built on the rule "talk to a doctor or nurse before new or harder exercise" and on the WHO list of fall risks.

The Sunrise Club screening card (course method).

What to do with the answers (course rule):

Script: asking the screening questions "Before you join our movement time, I ask everyone the same ten short questions, in private. It is not a medical check. It just helps us keep you safe. You can answer yes or no, and you can ask me to explain any question. … Thank you. Because you said you get dizzy when you stand up, I would like you to ask your nurse at your next visit what movement is safe for you. Until then, you are welcome to do our seated moves with us. Is that all right?"

The stop rules

Every leader and every member must know the stop rules. Read them aloud at the start of every session for the first month, then once a month (course method).

Some ache the day after exercise is normal; sharp pain is not. Tell members this, and ask them to report sharp pain.

Before every session: the safety check

A 30-minute chair-based session

This session uses the simple home moves from Level 1, now led as a group. Every standing move is done behind a chair, holding its back, or beside a wall. Every move has a seated option. It covers the WHO strength and balance work in one session; the session plan itself is a course method.

How to lead (course method):

Making it harder or easier (course method). Harder: more repetitions; slower lowering; one hand on the chair instead of two. Easier: fewer repetitions; seated versions; longer rests. Never add weights or new hard moves for a member without a health worker's advice.

The walking group

Level 1 named leading a walking group as a small way to earn or serve. Here you learn to lead one properly. A walking group is free and social. Walking together is safer than walking alone and harder to skip. Brisk walking counts as moderate activity.

The walking group briefing (script): "Good morning, walkers! Today we walk the church loop, about twenty-five minutes, with a rest under the mango tree at the school. Ama will lead at the front, slowly, and I will walk at the back. Nobody walks behind me.

Walk so that you can still talk. If you cannot say a sentence, slow down.

If you feel chest pain or dizziness, or you suddenly cannot catch your breath, stop where you are and raise your hand or call me. Do not try to finish the walk.

We count everybody now, at the rest point, and at the end. Let us count: one, two, three … twenty. Twenty walkers. Let us go!"

Members who use a stick, a frame or a wheelchair (course method). Plan a shorter, smoother loop for them, with a leader beside them. Ask before pushing a wheelchair, and let the member set the speed. For repairs to wheelchairs and walking aids, see Wheelchair and Mobility-Aid Repair.

In an emergency

Tracking minutes: the weekly card

Give each member a minutes card (course method). Members write the minutes they walked or moved each day, with help if needed. At the end of the week they add them up and compare only with their own last week.

What can go wrong and what to do

Check yourself

1. What are the three WHO weekly targets for older adults, and what does WHO say about doing less than that?
2. A member answers "yes" to "Do you often feel dizzy when you stand up?" What do you do?
3. Name four signs for which you call 112 at once.

Competency standard

Range. A club health day or health talk for 20 to 60 members, with a nurse, community health officer, eye or ear screening team, pharmacist or NHIS officer, in a hall or at a health facility. Evidence. Invitation letter and written confirmation; health-day plan with stations and timings; observed health day or full role-play; members' question cards; follow-up record; oral questions on limits.

Why health days matter

Many health problems give no warning. The WHO says hypertension means a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher measured on two different days, that about 44% of adults aged 30 to 79 with hypertension in 2024 did not know they had it, and that most people have no symptoms: "checking your blood pressure is the best way to know". In May 2026, Ghana Health Service was running "Operation Measure 1 Million People", with free blood pressure screening at health facilities, and a district director called regular screening "the only way for individuals to know their blood pressure status".

Eyes and ears matter too. Most people with vision impairment or blindness are over 50, the main causes are uncorrected refractive error and cataract, and spectacles and cataract surgery are among the most cost-effective health care there is. The head of Ghana Health Service's Eye Care Unit said in 2024 that about 9 in 100 Ghanaians aged 40 and over have glaucoma, that glaucoma has no symptoms early on, and advised an eye examination every year after 30. Over 25% of people over 60 have disabling hearing loss, older adults should have their hearing screened, and hearing aids help. Hearing loss and untreated vision loss are both on the list of 14 changeable risk factors for dementia named by the 2024 Lancet Commission.

A club can make checks easy: one morning, one place, friends beside you, a nurse who comes to you.

The facilitator's limits

Your words when a member asks you about their result (script): "Maame, I am not a nurse, so I cannot tell you what that number means. Let us go back to Nurse Abena now and ask her together. Shall I come with you?"

Who to invite

Step 1: the invitation

Visit in person if you can, with a short letter. Partners are busy; make it easy for them to say yes (course method).

Model invitation letter (course method):

The Sunrise Club (for people aged 60 and over), c/o [venue], Takoradi. [Date]

To: The Officer in Charge, [name of health centre]

Request: a health morning for older people

Dear Sir or Madam,

The Sunrise Club is a weekly club of 40 people aged 60 and over, meeting every Tuesday from 9:00 to 11:30 at [venue]. Our members would like to have their blood pressure checked and to ask questions about medicines and healthy living.

We would be very grateful if a nurse or community health officer could visit on one Tuesday in [month] to check blood pressure and give a short talk. We expect about 40 members.

We will provide: a private corner with a table and chairs, water, a queue with seats, helpers to manage the line, and transport support of GH¢[amount] (example). We will not allow any selling of products on the day.

Please tell us which dates suit you, how many people you can check, and anything you need us to provide.

Yours faithfully, Comfort Arthur, Facilitator. Phone: [number]

After they agree, send a short confirmation by letter or WhatsApp: date, arrival time, services, expected numbers, what the club provides, and the name and phone of the person who will meet them. Call two days before to confirm.

Step 2: plan the stations

A health day runs best as a set of stations, each in its own space, with a seated queue (course method).

Step 3: the "my next step" card

Every member who wants one gets a small "My next step" card in large print. The member (or a helper they choose) writes on it what the health worker advised. The club does not keep a copy (course method).

The US National Institute on Aging advises older people to take a relative or friend to appointments and to keep one up-to-date list of all their medicines, including supplements and herbal remedies, for every pharmacy and doctor. The card supports both.

The medicine-routine talk

Invite a pharmacist, nurse or doctor to give this talk. The facilitator's job is to collect members' questions in advance, keep time and make sure everyone hears. These are the safe-medicine habits the speaker can cover:

The WHO hypertension fact sheet adds a simple rule: "Take medicines as prescribed".

Question cards. A week before the talk, give each member a card: "What would you like to ask the pharmacist about taking medicines?" Collect the cards, remove names, and give them to the speaker. Members who do not want to ask in public can ask privately at the pharmacist's station.

NHIS help

The NHIS says that members of its exempt groups do not pay a premium, and the exempt groups include persons above seventy years of age and SSNIT pensioners. Many members do not know this.

Other health talks a club can host

Invite a health worker for each talk. The facilitator prepares, keeps time and collects questions. Here are topics with the facts the club can share in its own notices (sources given):

What can go wrong and what to do

Check yourself

1. Name five things a facilitator must never do on a health day.
2. Which two groups does the NHIS list as exempt from paying the premium, of special interest to a club for people over 60?
3. A member tells you, "I stopped my blood pressure tablets because I feel fine." What do you say and do?

Competency standard

Range. Club workshops of 10 to 40 members on money safety, scams, pension day, budgeting, the papers box, wills and land, and recording stories, with guest speakers from a bank, a network, SSNIT, the Lands Commission or a lawyer where possible. Evidence. Two workshop plans; observed scam drill; completed budget and pension exercise; papers-box checklist; referral list with local contacts and dates checked; role-play of a member who has been scammed; oral questions.

The facilitator's money rules

Why money safety belongs in a club

Fraud is growing. The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) reported that from January to July 2026, 1,818 of 3,876 cyber incidents (about 47%) were online fraud; the Bank of Ghana's 2025 fraud report showed fraud cases rising 48%, from 16,733 in 2024 to 24,778 in 2025; and the head of the CSA warned of voice cloning and impersonation. In the first six months of 2026, the CSA recorded 352 cases of fake online "investment" schemes, with losses of GH¢3,429,447.

Harm can also come from close by. The WHO says about 6.8% of older people living in the community suffer financial abuse each year.

A club helps because members talk. A member who heard about a scam at club on Tuesday is far less likely to fall for it on Friday.

Workshop 1: pension day and a simple budget

What SSNIT says about the old age pension:

Pension-day habits (course method, built on the CSA MoMo advice):

The four-box budget (from Level 1). When the pension or other income arrives, divide it on paper into four boxes: Must pay (house costs, light, water, food, medicines, transport to hospital), Giving (faith community and family, decided at the start of the month), Saving (even a small amount, for emergencies), and Enjoying (a little for joy: a visit, a book, a meal with a friend). When a box is empty, it is empty until next month (course method).

Workshop 2: the scam drill

The CSA's MoMo rules:

The CSA's warning on fake investments: be careful of promises of unusually high returns; do not join WhatsApp groups that claim links to famous companies; check with the official regulators.

Where to report. Report fraud to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA): report on its website, csa.gov.gh.

The six club rules on scams (course method)

1. Your PIN and your codes live in your head only. No real bank, network, SSNIT or club officer needs them.
2. Hurry or fear means hang up. Any call about money that makes you rush or feel afraid: say "I will call back" and end the call.
3. Call back on a number you already trust: the one on your card, from the branch, or saved earlier. Never a number the caller gives you.
4. A familiar voice is not proof. Voices can be copied. Use the family check question.
5. No prize needs a fee. If you must pay to receive, it is a scam.
6. Tell someone the same day. Report to your bank or network and to the CSA on its website, csa.gov.gh. Shame belongs to the thief, not to you.

Four drill scripts (course method; all invented):

Script: the words to say (for every member to learn by heart) "I do not discuss money on calls I did not make. I will call back on the number I have." Then end the call. Do not explain, do not argue, do not apologise.

When a member has been scammed: the same-day steps

Workshop 3: the papers box and legacy

The papers box (course method, from Level 1). One strong box, file or envelope, kept in one safe, dry place at home, holding the member's important papers. The member tells one or two trusted people where it is.

What the club can say about wills (sourced facts only). These come from law-firm and property guides; a lawyer should be consulted for any real case.

Land: the Lands Commission. The Lands Commission's Land Registration Division registers title to land and deeds and keeps the land registers; its services include Search, Caveat or restriction and Registration of title. Receiving property in an estate does not by itself make someone the registered owner: probate or letters of administration, an Assent, stamp duty and filing at the Lands Commission come first. Invite a Lands Commission officer to explain a search to the club.

The family conversation (script for members)

Teach members these words, and let them practise in pairs (course method):

"My children, I want to talk to you about something important, while I am well and my mind is clear. It is not because I am sick. It is so that you will not have trouble or quarrels later.

I have put my important papers in one box. It is [place]. Kwame and Ama, you two know where it is now.

I want to make a will with a lawyer, so that my wishes are clear. I will tell you when it is done and who the executor is.

There are also things I want you to know about how I would like to be cared for if I become very ill, and some wishes about my funeral. Can we sit together on Sunday afternoon and talk about these things? I would like everyone to hear the same words from me."

For the facilitator: this conversation belongs to the member and their family. Never take part unless the member asks you to sit with them, and never give an opinion on how property should be shared.

Story recording

Members' stories are part of their legacy. The club can run a story morning (course method):

The referral list

Every club keeps a referral list: the right place to send a member for each kind of money, papers or legal question. Fill in the local details and check them once a year (course method).

What can go wrong and what to do

Check yourself

1. Name the six club rules on scams.
2. A member contributed for 240 months. What is their SSNIT pension right as a percentage?
3. Can family land pass by a personal will? Who should advise a member on their will?

Competency standard

Range. Weekly club sessions and occasional outings for 10 to 40 members; story days with up to 20 young people and their teachers or parents; members who may be lonely, grieving, low, or harmed at home. Evidence. Learning-circle plan; story-day plan with consent forms; gratitude or music session observed; outdoor-day plan with risk notes; warning-signs role-play; disclosure role-play using the script; referral record (made-up); oral questions.

Why mind and joy belong in the club

These are links, not cures. No game, puzzle or activity in this unit is promised to protect memory. Say: "This is good for us, and it is enjoyable." Never say: "This will stop you getting dementia."

Programme 1: the learning circle

A learning circle is a small group of 6 to 12 members who meet for about 6 weeks to learn one new and demanding skill together, chosen by them (course method, following the Synapse finding that demanding new skills mattered more than easy ones).

Ideas members often choose: using a smartphone well (video calls, voice notes, large text, saving numbers safely); reading and writing in English or a local language; basic photography with a phone; a craft (sewing, beads, basket weaving); a new language; growing vegetables in sacks; playing an instrument.

Programme 2: intergenerational story days

A story day brings older members and young people together: members tell stories, teach games or skills, and young people ask questions, write the stories down or help record them (course method).

Respect on story days. Members are teachers here, not objects of pity. Brief the young people beforehand: greet each member with respect, listen to the end, ask before taking a photo.

Programme 3: gratitude, music and laughter

A gratitude round (course method, about 15 minutes). Members sit in a circle. Each person, in turn, names one good thing from this week, big or small: "My granddaughter called." "My knee was better on Thursday." "The rain came for my garden." Anyone may pass. At the end, members write or draw three good things on a small card to keep by their bed. Never force cheerfulness on a member who is grieving: "You may pass, Maame. We are glad you are here."

A music morning (course method). Ask members to bring the songs of their youth: highlife, hymns, choruses, folk songs, songs from their school days. Play them on a small speaker at a gentle volume, or invite a member who plays an instrument. Members may sing, clap, move in their chairs, or simply listen. Ask: "Where were you when this song was popular?" Music days often bring out stories.

Laughter. No study on laughter and health in older people was found for this course, so we make no health claims. But a club where people laugh is a club people come back to. Share funny stories, play simple word games, and let members lead.

Programme 4: the outdoor day

Spending time outdoors can be part of every week: sitting under a tree after the walk, a morning at the beach, a garden visit. Aim, as a group, for members to build up to about 120 minutes a week in green or natural places, in any number of visits.

Noticing: low mood, loneliness and abuse

You are not a counsellor, a doctor or the police. But you see members every week. That makes you one of the first people who may notice that something is wrong.

Loneliness and low mood. The WHO says loneliness is "the painful feeling that arises from a gap between desired and actual social connections", that loneliness and isolation are linked to stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and early death, and that lonely people are "twice as likely to get depressed".

Signs to notice (course method):

Abuse of older people. The WHO says about 1 in 6 people aged 60 and over living in the community (15.7%) suffered some form of abuse in the past year: psychological 11.6%, financial 6.8%, neglect 4.2%, physical 2.6% and sexual 0.9%.

Responding: the club's script

If a member tells you they are being harmed, or you are worried, follow these steps (course method).

Where to refer (course method):

Script: when someone says they do not want to live "Thank you for telling me, Papa. I am very glad you did. I am going to stay with you. Are you safe right now? … I want to get you some help today. Let us call [family member / the nurse] together, or I can take you to the clinic now." If there is immediate danger, call 112.

What can go wrong and what to do

Check yourself

1. Why should a learning circle choose a demanding new skill?
2. Name the five forms of abuse of older people listed by the WHO.
3. A member tells you her son takes her pension and shouts at her when she asks for it. Name three things you do.

Competency standard

Range. A weekly club of up to 50 members with a small cash budget, in-kind support from a venue, voluntary dues and local sponsors; and a trainee offering paid sessions to churches, mosques, associations or companies. Evidence. Complete record set for 4 weeks (made-up data); monthly budget and cash book; outing budget; sponsor letter; quarterly report; access check of the venue; marketing plan; business note with costs; oral questions.

The club's records

Keep these records from the first week (course method). Keep paper records in a closed box file; keep phone lists on a phone with a screen lock. Only the facilitator, the secretary and the treasurer see private records.

Why 6 years for money records? Ghana's Revenue Administration Act says business records are kept for at least 6 years. A small club may not be a taxpayer, but following the same rule keeps you safe if anyone asks questions later.

The incident log

Write in the incident log the same day for any fall, illness, injury, emergency call, serious dispute, safeguarding concern or theft at a club activity (course method).

Free, dues or fees?

Free for members is best for most community clubs: nobody is kept away for lack of money. The cost is met by voluntary dues, in-kind support and sponsors. Paid activities (an outing, a craft circle with materials) can ask members to share costs, with a quiet way for those who cannot pay to still come (course method).

A monthly budget and cash book

The Sunrise Club's November budget (all examples).

In-kind support (not cash; record it separately). The church lends the hall, which the club values at about GH¢100 a meeting (example), so GH¢400 of in-kind support this month. A nurse gives an hour of her time. These gifts are real support: thank them, and mention them in reports.

Notes on the sums.

• The helper's allowance of GH¢40 a day (example) is above the national daily minimum wage of GH¢21.77 for 2026. Never pay a helper less than the minimum. Employing staff brings other duties (SSNIT, PAYE), which Level 3 teaches.
• A surplus of GH¢20 is very thin. One cancelled sponsor gift would leave the club GH¢480 short. The club should build a small reserve (for example, one month's costs) before it plans extra spending.

The cash book (November, example). A cash book shows the money in hand at the start, every receipt and payment, and the money in hand at the end.

Check: opening 350 + money in 920 − money out 900 = 370 ✔. Count the cash in the box: it must be GH¢370. If it is not, find the difference before the next meeting.

Raising funds openly

Model sponsor letter (course method):

Dear Mr Mensah,

The Sunrise Club: support for older people in our area

The Sunrise Club meets every Tuesday morning at [venue] for people aged 60 and over, of every faith. Forty members come for gentle exercise, health talks with nurses, money-safety and scam training, learning circles and good company. Many live alone.

We are asking local businesses to support the club with GH¢500 a month (example) for water, a light snack and large-print materials. We will give you a receipt for every gift, a short report every three months showing how the money was spent, and we will thank you at our meetings. We do not allow selling to members, and we will not use your gift for any other purpose.

We would be glad to welcome you to a meeting to see the club for yourself.

Yours sincerely, Comfort Arthur, Facilitator, and Kobina Eshun, Treasurer

The quarterly report (course method). One page, in large print, read at a meeting and sent to the venue and sponsors: number of members and average attendance; activities held (movement sessions, health days, workshops, outings); partners who helped; money in and out with the closing balance; in-kind support; one short story of a member's progress, with their consent and without private details; plans for next quarter.

Accessibility: every member, every facilitator

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) expects places that serve the public to be accessible. An older people's club is a place for the public, and many older members have difficulties with sight, hearing or walking. Accessibility is not an extra; it is how the club works.

Members with disabilities (course method). See the inclusion table in Unit 2. Ask each member privately what helps, and plan for it every week. Give honest access information in your notices: "The hall has two steps at the door, with a rail. The toilet is level with the hall."

Facilitators with disabilities can lead clubs. Many facilitator tasks do not need strong legs, perfect sight or perfect hearing (course method):

Ask your district Assembly whether support for persons with disabilities can help with venue changes or a facilitator's equipment; the share of funds and the process were not verified for this book.

Marketing the club

Posters for older readers (course method): large dark letters on a pale background; one message; the day, time and place in the biggest letters; a phone number; no small print; read the poster aloud at announcements too.

The facilitator's own business

After Level 2, you can earn from your skills, alongside or apart from a volunteer club. Keep the club and your business separate: separate money, separate records (course method).

The Modified Taxation Scheme band and rate are from the GRA and the Income Tax (Amendment) Act 2026. If you later want to register the club or programme as an organisation, a company limited by guarantee (often used for NGOs and social enterprises) costs GH¢490 to register at the Office of the Registrar of Companies; Level 3 explains the choices.

Check yourself

1. The cash book opens at GH¢200. Money in is GH¢650 and money out is GH¢590. What should the closing balance be?
2. Name four rules for handling club money.
3. Name three club tasks a facilitator who uses a wheelchair can lead.

1. Name four things a venue for older people must have.
2. What is the two-week rule?
3. Give two ways to include a member with poor sight in a meeting.
4. What are the three WHO weekly activity targets for older adults?
5. A member answers "yes" to "Do you get pain in your chest when you walk?" What do you do before they join standing or walking work?
6. A walking group has 30 walkers. With one leader for every 8, how many leaders are needed?
7. Name four things a facilitator must never do on a health day.
8. A member contributed to SSNIT for 276 months. What is the pension right, as a percentage?
9. What are the six club rules on scams? Name any four.
10. Can family land pass by a personal will? What does the facilitator do when a member asks about a will?
11. Name the five forms of abuse of older people listed by the WHO, and where to reach DOVVSU.
12. A cash book opens at GH¢350. Money in is GH¢920 and money out is GH¢900. What is the closing balance?

Best next reads: the WHO fact sheets on falls, physical activity, abuse of older people, hearing and vision; the WHO 2020 guidelines on physical activity; the Cyber Security Authority's MoMo advice; the SSNIT Old Age Benefit page; the NHIS introduction page; De-Graft Afful's book Happy and Regret-Free After 60.

What this module does not cover: hands-on personal care, moving and lifting people, and dementia care (Caregiving for Older and Disabled People); first aid and CPR (First Aid and Community Health Helper); cooking for groups (Catering, Pastry and Street Food); counselling; legal advice on wills and land; investment advice; registering a programme, safeguarding policies, volunteer training and supervision, measuring results, bookkeeping in full and growing a day club or programme (Level 3).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.