Living Well After 60

Who it is for. Two kinds of trainee use this book, often in the same class:

• People aged about 55 and over who have stopped work, are about to stop, or simply want the years ahead to be better: retired teachers, nurses, soldiers, clerks and civil servants, traders, farmers and fishermen, pastors' wives, mothers and fathers whose children have left home.
• Helpers of any age who want to help one older relative or neighbour to live well: a son or daughter, a grandchild, a niece, a church or mosque member, a youth volunteer, a neighbour.

Most of the time this book speaks to "you" as the person planning your own life after 60. In the Helper's corner boxes it speaks to "you" as the helper. If you are both, read both.

National Proficiency I is the first level of Ghana's TVET framework. This is the first of three levels. Level 2 trains you to start and run an older-people's club or group safely: meetings, walking groups, chair sessions, health days with nurses, scam and legacy workshops. Level 3 trains you to lead a healthy-ageing programme or day club for a whole community, with volunteers, safeguarding, results and a business or NGO plan.

Where it comes from. The course is based on De-Graft Afful's book Happy and Regret-Free After 60. The book's ideas and daily and weekly actions have been rewritten here as a training course with competency standards, practicals, scripts and checklists. The book's stories, scriptures and sayings are not used here, so that people of every faith, and none, can take this course together. Where faith helps, the book says "your faith community" and "your pastor, imam or faith leader".

How it links to other Hub courses. This course is about independent, active older people. It does not teach hands-on personal care, lifting and moving a person, or dementia care: for those, take Caregiving for Older and Disabled People. It does not teach first aid: take First Aid and Community Health Helper. It does not teach cooking skills: see Catering, Pastry and Street Food. For deeper mobile money and phone skills, see Digital Skills and Mobile Money Agent. For a small business's books, see Money Skills for Small Business.

Why living well after 60

• WHO says that by 2030 about 1 in 6 people in the world will be 60 or older, and that the number of people aged 60 and over will grow from 1 billion in 2020 to 2.1 billion in 2050.
• WHO also says older people "contribute in many ways to their families and communities", and that they are often wrongly seen as frail, dependent or a burden. These ageist attitudes can lead to discrimination.
• In Ghana's 2021 census there were 1,991,736 people aged 60 and over; 56.7% were women.
• In the same census, 37.5% of people aged 60 and over were still employed, and 90.1% of them worked in the private informal sector.
• 341,960 people aged 60 and over were living alone, and 62,480 of them were 80 or older.

These numbers say two things. Many older Ghanaians are still working and giving. And many are alone. This course is for both.

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 65% of the time is practical: writing your own plans, role-plays of visits and phone calls, a scam drill, a papers-box sort, chair and balance exercises, a home falls walk and a real 7-day routine.

Words used in this book.

• Course method means a routine or checklist written for this course from good practice and from the book. It is not a law and not research.
• (example) means a number or name made up for practice. It is not a real price, pension or person.
• Not verified means we could not confirm it. Phone and check before you use it.
• Is linked to means people who do something tend to do better. It does not prove that the thing causes it. Most studies about ageing show links, not proof.
• Foreign study means research from another country, used because Ghana data was not found.

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own week (or, for a younger helper, the week of the older person they help, planned with that person); one helper agreement. Evidence. "What now" page; first week plan; 7 days of notebook lines; helper agreement; referral list; oral questions.

What purpose is

Purpose is a reason to get up in the morning: something to do, someone to do it for, and a feeling that your days still count. Work gave many people that reason for 30 or 40 years. When work stops, the reason does not stop by itself. You must choose a new one.

What the research says:

• In a US study of 6,985 adults over 50, followed from 2006 to 2010, those with the lowest sense of purpose had a higher risk of death than those with the highest, and the link was also seen for heart and blood conditions. The authors call purpose a risk factor that can be changed. This is a foreign study and it shows a link, not proof.
• Bronnie Ware, who cared for dying patients, reported that the regret she heard most was not living a life true to themselves, but the life others expected. This is her observation, not research.
• WHO reminds us that older people contribute in many ways to their families and communities.

So what do we teach? Not "live longer". We teach: give each day a job, give each week a backbone, and give your skills away. That makes life better now. Nobody can promise more years.

The first weeks after work: what to expect

Daily habits for a purposeful day (course method)

These come from the book and are habits, not research.

1. The night line. Before bed, write one line: "Tomorrow I will..." Keep it small: visit the farm, mend the gate, phone an old friend, help at the shop for two hours.
2. Get dressed and go out once. Put on clean clothes and leave the house at least once a day: the market, a neighbour, your place of worship, a walk round the block. If walking is hard, sit outside where people pass and greet them.
3. One useful thing for someone else. Help a neighbour fill a form. Teach a grandchild to read a clock. Check on a widow down the road. One a day keeps it a joy, not a load.
4. One hour of real work for your hands or head. Use the skill you used at work: a retired clerk keeps the church records; a retired accountant helps a market women's group with simple books; a retired nurse explains a hospital letter in plain words. Paid or unpaid.
5. The three evening lines. Before sleep, write: "Today I did... Today I enjoyed... Tomorrow I will..." Five minutes. After a month, your notebook is proof, in your own hand, that your days still count.
6. A quiet moment. Many people find a few minutes of prayer, reflection or simply sitting still helps. Ask: "What am I here for today?" Usually the answer is small: a person to call, a job to finish.

Weekly habits (course method)

1. One fixed appointment. Same day, same time, every week: a fellowship meeting, a visit to your sister, a Saturday on the farm, a teaching slot at a school. A fixed day gives the week a backbone.
2. The "what now" page (below), once a week, for example on Sunday afternoon.
3. Offer one skill to one person or group each week. Ask: "Can I help with this?" and let them say yes.
4. A weekly talk with your spouse or a close friend: "How is this new life working for both of us?"
5. Once a month, try one new thing: a place, a skill, a group. You are looking for the one that makes you lose track of time.

The "what now" page (course method)

Take one clean page and draw three columns.

Then draw one line from something in column 1 or 2 to something in column 3. That line is next week's purpose. Write it at the bottom of the page: "Next week I will..."

If you cannot think what you want, go back to childhood. What did you love before life became serious? Singing? Building? Stories? Farming? Start there.

Model script: offering a skill. "Good afternoon, Madam Treasurer. I kept accounts at the Post Office for many years, and now I have time. I would be glad to help your group keep its book for an hour on Saturdays, free, for the next two months. Would that help you? If it does not suit, I will not be offended."

Exercise: where do my waking hours go?

Your role as a healthy-ageing helper

A healthy-ageing helper walks beside one older person and helps them carry out their own plan. The older person is the leader of their life. You are the helper.

What a helper does (course method):

• Visits or phones regularly and listens properly.
• Helps the person write their own plans: the "what now" page, the 7-day routine, the 52-week plan (Unit 7).
• Goes with them, as a companion, to the clinic, the bank, SSNIT, the lawyer or the Lands Commission, if they ask.
• Helps with the phone: bigger text, saved official numbers, voice notes, video calls.
• Walks with them, and helps make the home safer against falls (Unit 6).
• Reads labels and letters aloud if their sight is poor.
• Notices changes and helps them get the right help (the referral list below).

What a helper never does:

Consent: asking before you help

Help that is not wanted is not help. Always ask first, and accept "no".

Model script: first conversation as a helper. "Auntie, I have started a course on living well after 60. Part of it is helping one older person I care about. I thought of you, because you have always helped everybody else. I would like to visit every Wednesday and phone on Sundays, and help with whatever you choose: the phone, your walks, your papers, your plans. You decide what we do and what we do not do. Nothing you tell me goes to anybody else unless you agree, or unless you are in danger. Would you like that? You can say no, or say 'let me think', and I will still visit."

The helper agreement (course method). Write it on one page, in the older person's words, and both sign or thumbprint.

When to refer: the warning signs

A helper's most important skill is knowing when it is not your job and helping the person reach the right person quickly.

Sources for the table: emergency and safety signs from the book's "when to get help" sections, built on WHO falls guidance; the rest is course method.

Model script: suggesting a doctor without frightening. "Uncle, you told me you have felt tired and low for some weeks now, and you are not enjoying your fishing talk any more. That is a health matter, like a sore knee, and it can be helped. Shall I come with you to the clinic on Thursday morning? I can sit with you and help you remember what the nurse says."

What can go wrong

Common mistakes and fixes

Check yourself

1. Give three daily habits that give a day purpose.
2. Name three things a healthy-ageing helper must never do.
3. Your neighbour, aged 68, tells you he has felt low and empty for a month and has stopped going to his group. What do you do?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own week; one older person visited; one phone lesson; one call list. Evidence. Learning plan and notebook; call list and check-in agreement; visit observer sheet; invitation role-play; oral questions.

The mind: what the research says

The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia named 14 risk factors that can be changed:

The list of 14 comes from the Commission. The right-hand column is course method.

How much can be prevented? The Commission estimated that about 45% of future dementia could potentially be prevented if all 14 were removed. That is an estimate for whole populations, not a promise to any one person. The Commission also said hearing aids and eye tests should be made accessible for all.

More findings:

• WHO says hearing loss that is not addressed is linked to a higher risk of dementia and faster decline in thinking.
• In the US Synapse Project (2014), older adults who spent about 16.5 hours a week for 3 months learning demanding new skills (quilting, digital photography or both) showed better memory than groups doing social or easy activities. Social activity alone gave limited benefit for thinking. This is a foreign study.
• WHO lists better mental and thinking health, and better sleep, among the benefits of physical activity for older adults.
• No good evidence was found that any particular game, such as draughts, oware or puzzles, protects memory. Play games for the company and the fun, not as a "memory medicine".

The lesson. Learning something hard and new, keeping eyes and ears working, moving the body and keeping company all go together. No single trick protects the mind.

Daily habits for the mind (course method)

1. Give your things a home. One bowl or hook by the door for keys, glasses, phone and purse. Say it aloud as you put them down: "Keys in the bowl." Busy people of every age do this.
2. Read for 20 minutes. A newspaper, a book, a religious text, a church or mosque bulletin. Read aloud to a grandchild if you can. Then tell someone one thing you read.
3. Move for 30 minutes (Unit 6 has the safety rules).
4. One real conversation of about 15 minutes about something that matters: news, family, an old memory.
5. Learn one new thing and write it in a small notebook: a word, a song, a phone skill, a recipe.
6. Wear your glasses and hearing aid all day, not only for special occasions. If they no longer work well, go back to the clinic.

Weekly habits for the mind (course method)

1. One hard new skill, a few hours across the week, kept up for several weeks: video calls, a new language, the keyboard, sewing, simple accounts on a phone. It should feel hard at first. That is the point.
2. Teach what you know to a young person once a week: a recipe, how to bargain, how to read a land document. In return, ask them to teach you a phone skill. A swap like this suits both.
3. Play with people: oware, draughts, cards, a quiz, a discussion group.
4. Look after eyes and ears: if you have not had a check in the last year, book one this month.
5. Review the week in your notebook on Sunday: what did I learn, read, and who did I talk to?

Normal forgetting and warning signs

Everybody forgets a name or where the keys are. That is common at every age. These are reasons to see a doctor or nurse, and take a family member or friend along (course method, from the book):

• Forgetting that is getting worse over months, or that makes ordinary life hard: money, cooking, medicines.
• Getting lost in a place they know well.
• Repeating the same question many times in one conversation, or family noticing changes the person does not.
• Big changes in mood, behaviour or personality.
• Sudden confusion over hours or days: this needs a doctor the same day.

Good company: what the research says

• WHO's Commission on Social Connection (June 2025) says about 1 in 6 people in the world is affected by loneliness, and that loneliness is linked to an estimated 871,000 deaths a year, about 100 every hour.
• WHO's definitions:
  • Loneliness is the painful feeling of a gap between the connections you want and the ones you have.
  • Social isolation is the actual lack of enough social connections.
• Loneliness and isolation are linked to higher risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, decline in thinking and early death; lonely people are twice as likely to become depressed; social isolation may affect up to 1 in 3 older adults.
• WHO's simple actions: reach out to a friend, put the phone away and be present, greet a neighbour, join a local group, volunteer.
• In Ghana's 2021 census, 341,960 people aged 60 and over lived alone.
• In cohort studies, people who volunteered had a lower risk of death, but the reasons are unclear and trials did not confirm mental-health benefits.

You can be lonely in a full house, and content living alone. Ask how the person feels; do not guess from who lives with them.

Signs that someone may be lonely (course method)

Daily and weekly habits for company (course method)

Every day:

1. Greet three people by name and ask after their family.
2. Make one call. Keep a call list by the phone and work down it, one person a day.
3. Eat with someone when you can.
4. Be fully present when someone visits: phone down, television off.
5. Sit where people pass: the veranda, the front of the house, under the tree.
6. A daily check-in. If you live alone, agree with one person to speak or see each other every day by a set time, for example 9 am. If one does not hear from the other, that person goes to check. It takes one minute and means that if you fall ill, someone knows the same day.

Every week:

1. One group, every week, even when you do not feel like it: a fellowship, a choir, a welfare association, a trade association, a study group.
2. Give an hour or two: visit the sick, read to children, help at a clean-up.
3. One longer visit, planned at the start of the week.
4. A set time with family abroad, with a list of things to ask and tell, and video if possible.
5. Once a month, host a few people: tea and bread is enough.
6. Once a month, mend one old friendship. Many old friends are waiting for someone else to move first.

Visiting well: step by step (course method)

1. Agree the time by phone or message first. Never just arrive at mealtime or late.
2. Arrive on time. Greet properly, the way the household expects. Wait to be offered a seat.
3. Phone away, eyes up. Sit where the person can see your face, in good light, especially if their hearing is poor.
4. Start with them, not with you: "How have you been since last week? How is your knee?"
5. Listen to the end. Do not finish their sentences. Let silences be.
6. Bring something to share: news, a photo, a newspaper to read together, a song on your phone.
7. Ask for their advice on something real. Being needed is part of good company.
8. Watch kindly for the warning signs (Unit 1) and the falls hazards (Unit 6), without inspecting.
9. Keep it to the agreed length. Long visits tire people.
10. Agree the next contact before you leave: "I will call on Sunday at 5."
11. Write a short note in your logbook: date, how they seemed, anything to follow up. Keep it private.

Model script: inviting a lonely neighbour. "Good evening, Maame Ama. I have not seen you at the gate for a while, and I missed you. Every Thursday at four, a few of us sit under the big tree by the chapel. We talk, we play oware, sometimes we sing. Nobody has to buy anything. Would you come with me this Thursday? I can come and walk with you at quarter to four. If Thursday is hard, I could bring tea here on Saturday instead. Which suits you?"

If she says no: "That is all right. Can I still pass by on Saturday to greet you? And if you ever feel like coming, the door is open." Then do pass by on Saturday.

Model script: agreeing a daily check-in. "Papa, you live alone and so do I. Shall we look after each other? Every morning by nine, I will call you, or you call me. If either of us does not hear by ten, the other comes to the house or sends someone. It takes one minute, and it means nobody is ill alone."

Teaching a phone skill to an older person (course method)

1. Ask what they want to do: "Do you want to see your grandchildren on video?" Teach that first.
2. Make the text bigger and the screen brighter in Settings.
3. One thing at a time. Show once; then let them press the buttons. Never take the phone and do it for them.
4. Write the steps on a card in large letters, numbered.
5. Practise together: you call them from another room.
6. Come back next week and do it again. Asking for the same lesson twice is normal.
7. Never ask for, write down or keep their PIN or password. If a PIN is needed, look away while they type it (Unit 4).

Exercise: one call a day

What can go wrong

Common mistakes and fixes

Check yourself

1. Name six of the 14 changeable risk factors for dementia from the 2024 Lancet Commission.
2. What is the difference between loneliness and social isolation?
3. Give the three most important steps when teaching an older person to use a phone.

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own week and family; one role-played family conversation; one safe peace step. Evidence. Joy plan and outdoor-minutes record; gratitude notebook; boundary role-play; abuse referral card; oral questions.

Joy: what the research says

• Gratitude. In the "counting blessings" experiments (2003), people who kept a focus on gratitude showed better wellbeing on several, though not all, measures, mostly a better mood.
• Music. A 2026 review of 13 studies found music listening in older adults linked to better mood, better control of emotions and less anxiety; listening in a group may also help loneliness. The authors want stronger studies.
• Nature. In a study of 19,806 people in England, those who spent 120 minutes or more a week in nature were more likely to report good health and wellbeing. It made no difference whether this came in one visit or several, and the pattern held for older adults. This is a foreign study and a link.
• Laughter. No reliable study on laughter and older people's health was found. Laugh anyway; just do not quote figures.

Daily joy habits (course method)

1. Three good things each evening, said aloud or written in a small book: "The kenkey was fresh. My daughter called. My knee hurt less on the stairs."
2. One song you love, 5 to 15 minutes. Sing along; clap or move your feet while seated if you like. Ask a grandchild to put your favourite songs on your phone.
3. Go outside and look up, 15 to 20 minutes, morning or evening: the sky, trees, the sea, the farm. Not for sweeping or checking. Just looking.
4. One small pleasure: eat a ripe mango slowly, use your best cup, wear the cloth you were "saving for a special day".
5. Laugh with somebody: an old funny story, a comedy, a phone call with an old friend.

Weekly joy habits (course method)

1. 120 minutes outside across the week. Add up your daily minutes; if short, plan one longer outing: the beach, a park, the family farm.
2. Make music with others: a choir, a singing band, a live music event.
3. One "joy appointment" on the calendar each week, so there is something to look forward to.
4. Play something just for fun, where nobody grades you.
5. Once a month, visit a place that once made you glad, and take a grandchild.
6. On Sunday, read back your three good things. Once a month, read the month aloud to someone you love.

Letting go: forgiveness basics

What forgiveness is. Choosing, over time, to put down anger and the wish for revenge. It is often a road, not one step.

What forgiveness is not. It is not pretending nothing happened. It is not giving up what is yours by right. It is not staying in danger. You can forgive someone and still keep a safe distance from a person who keeps hurting you.

What the research says:

• A 2019 review of 128 studies found a small link between forgiving others and better physical health; the results are correlations, not proof.
• A 2007 review argues that emotional forgiveness, a real change of heart, has more direct health and wellbeing effects than a decision alone.
• Bronnie Ware reported that many dying patients regretted not expressing their feelings, having held them back to keep the peace.

Small steps of peace (course method):

1. Name it, privately. In a notebook kept only for you: "Wrongs done to me" and "Wrongs I have done".
2. Stop the replay. When the old argument starts in your head, say "Not today", and get up and do something with your hands or feet.
3. Remember one good thing about the person. It does not cancel the wrong; it lets you see a whole person.
4. One safe step a week: a greeting by phone, a short text, a small gift sent through someone.
5. Say one thing you held back: "Thank you for looking after Mother when I was away."
6. A go-between for heavy quarrels, especially about land or money: a respected elder, faith leader or family head trusted by both sides.
7. The letter you may never send. Write everything; read it to a trusted friend or in prayer; send a kinder, shorter version later, or keep it.
8. Repair what you can. Pay what you owe if you can; put right a false word in front of the people who heard it.

Model script: a first peace step. "Kwame, it is your brother. We are both getting older. I do not want us to die as strangers. I am not calling to argue about the land. I only want to greet you and ask about your health. Can I call again next week?"

Talking with family: healthy boundaries

A boundary is a clear, kind line: what you will do, what you will not do, and what you need. Clear boundaries protect love.

Common pressures after 60 (course method, from the book):

What the research says about grandchildren. In a US study (2022), grandparents who co-parented or raised grandchildren full-time had a higher risk of death than those who babysat occasionally; for the full-time carers, the link disappeared once their social relationships were taken into account. Help with grandchildren is good; carrying all the load, alone, is not.

Model script: a loving "no" about money. "My son, I love you, and I want to help. At the start of each month I set aside what I can give the family. This month that box is already empty, and the rest is for food, light and my medicines. I cannot take from that, or next month I will be the one needing help. I can give you a meal and my advice today, and next month we can talk again."

Model script: grandchild care. "I enjoy having Nhyira, and I want to keep enjoying it. My knees and my rest matter too. Can we agree: I keep her Monday to Thursday after school until six, and you take her on Fridays and weekends? And can we sit together once a month to see how it is going?"

Helper's corner: opening a family conversation. Choose a quiet day, not a funeral or a crowd. Start with love, not with the problem. Say it once, then listen to the end. If voices rise, stop kindly: "Let us talk again next week." Write a short note afterwards.

Abuse of older people: spot it and refer

WHO estimates that about 1 in 6 people aged 60 and over (15.7%) living in the community suffered some form of abuse in the past year. The forms were:

What to do (course method):

1. Listen privately. Believe the person. Do not confront the suspected abuser yourself.
2. If they are in danger now, call 112.
3. Tell them their choices: the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, at any police station, or the district Social Welfare office.
4. Offer to go with them, or to make the call beside them.
5. Write down what you saw and heard, with the date, in your private notes.
6. Do not keep it secret if they are at risk. Tell your trainer or a trusted leader.

When joy is hard: low mood, grief and when to refer

Everyone has sad days. See a doctor or nurse if, for two weeks or more, the person feels low most of the day, nothing gives pleasure, sleep or eating has changed a lot, or they feel they are a burden. Low mood is a health matter that can be helped, not a weakness (course method, from the book; a health worker should confirm the wording for your area).

• Grief after losing a spouse or friend is normal. If it is getting heavier after a long time, a counsellor or faith leader can walk with them.
• Faith and medicine are not enemies. A faith leader's support is valuable; it does not replace a health worker when low mood is deep and long.
• If anyone speaks of ending their life, stay with them, call 112 if they are in danger, and tell a trusted person today.
• Tightness in the chest that feels physical, with pain, breathlessness or dizziness, is not "only stress": go to a doctor or hospital at once.

Exercise: counting outdoor minutes

What can go wrong

Check yourself

1. How many minutes a week in nature did the English study link to better wellbeing?
2. Name the five forms of abuse of older people in the WHO fact sheet.
3. A widow tells you her grandson takes her pension each month and shouts at her if she asks for it. What three things do you do?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own (or an example) monthly income; one phone; the official numbers of one bank and one network. Evidence. Four-box budget; 7-day spending book; saved official numbers; observed scam drill; family check question agreed; oral questions.

The SSNIT old age pension: the basics

These facts are from SSNIT's own page:

• The minimum age is 55 for a reduced pension and 60 for a full pension.
• You need 180 months (15 years) of contributions for the minimum pension right of 37.5%.
• You need 420 months (35 years) for the maximum of 60%.
• Each extra year of contributions after 180 months adds 1.125%.
• The pension is worked out from your age, the average of your best three years' salaries, and the number of months you contributed.
• To apply, visit a SSNIT office with your SSNIT or Ghana Card number, a retirement letter from your employer (if any) and active bank details. SSNIT says: insist on an acknowledgement letter.
• SSNIT says all eligible pensioners are paid till death.

SSNIT pensioners and the NHIS. SSNIT pensioners are among the groups that pay no NHIS premium. Ask the NHIS office what fee, if any, applies to your card.

Exercise: what is my pension right?

Money in a small book: the daily spending record (course method)

Keep a small exercise book in your bag or by your bed. Each evening, five minutes:

You do not need to be good at sums. You only need to be honest. After a month you will see where your money really goes.

The Saturday money check (20 minutes): add up the week; check your MoMo and bank balance against what you expected; if anything looks strange, call the official customer service number the same day.

The four boxes: a plan for the pension month (course method)

When the pension or other income arrives, divide it on paper into four boxes before you spend:

The box rule. When a box is empty, it is empty until next month. Never take from "Must pay" for giving. That way you can still give next month, and you never give away your medicine money.

Keeping MoMo and bank accounts safe

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) gives this advice on mobile money:

• Never give your Mobile Money PIN to anyone, including agents, telecom staff and friends.
• Do not use your birth year, your birthday, 1111 or 1234 as your PIN.
• Do not hand your phone to an agent to do a transaction for you.
• Wait for the confirmation text before you leave the agent.
• Ignore calls asking you to send money so you can receive a prize.
• When in doubt, call the official customer service number.

Course rules that follow from this:

How scams work, and what is new

• From January to July 2026, the CSA recorded 3,876 cyber incidents, of which 1,818 (about 47%) were online fraud.
• The Bank of Ghana's 2025 Fraud Report shows fraud cases rose 48%, from 16,733 in 2024 to 24,778 in 2025.
• The CSA's Director-General warned about voice cloning and impersonation: criminals copying a real person's voice.
• In the first six months of 2026 the CSA recorded 352 cases of fake online "investment" schemes, with losses of GH¢3,429,447. Its advice: be careful of promises of unusually high returns; do not join WhatsApp groups that claim links to famous companies; check with the official regulators.
• No CSA alert was found saying older people are targeted more than others. Do not say "scammers target the elderly most" as a fact. Everyone can be tricked.

Common tricks (course method):

The "hang up and call back" rule

Any call about money that makes you hurry or feel afraid: say "I will call back", end the call, and call your bank or network yourself on the official number, the one on your card, from the branch, or saved earlier. Never use a number the caller gives you. It takes one minute and can save your whole month.

Model script: the scam drill (the older person). Caller: "Hello Madam, this is MoMo customer care. Your wallet will be blocked in ten minutes. Please read me the code we have just sent you." You: "Thank you. I do not give codes on the phone. I will call customer care myself." Caller: "Madam, there is no time! You will lose your money!" You: "Then I will call them now. Goodbye." (End the call. Do not argue. Do not explain.) (Dial the saved official number.) "Good morning. I just had a call saying my wallet will be blocked and asking for a code. Is anything wrong with my account?"

Model script: the family check question. "Kofi, the CSA says thieves can now copy voices. So let us agree a question only the real you can answer. If you ever call me asking for money in a hurry, I will ask: 'What was the name of our first dog?' If you cannot answer, I will hang up and call your own number." (Choose a question whose answer is not on social media.)

Helper's corner: teaching the drill. Sit beside the older person and save the official numbers in their phone together. Explain the rule once. Then practise it like a fire drill: you play the scammer, they play themselves. Praise every "I will call back". Repeat next month. Never ask for their PIN to "check".

If it happens: act the same day

1. Call your bank or network on the official number and ask them to block the account or wallet.
2. Report to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA): report on its website, csa.gov.gh.
3. Write down what happened: date, time, the number that called, what was said, how much was lost.
4. Tell one trusted person. Shame keeps people quiet, and silence helps the thief. The shame belongs to the thief.
5. If someone you know is taking your money, threatening you or forcing you to sign: the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, at any police station. In danger: 112.

WHO counts financial abuse as a form of abuse of older people, affecting about 6.8% of older people in the community each year.

Before you join any "opportunity"

• Wait. A real opportunity will still be there next week.
• Ask your bank or a qualified, licensed adviser before you put in a single cedi.
• Check with the official regulators, as the CSA advises.
• Never lend or invest money you need to live on.
• Take advice before putting a pension lump sum into any business, even a family one.

What can go wrong

Common mistakes and fixes

Check yourself

1. What are the SSNIT ages for a reduced and a full pension, and how many months give the minimum and maximum pension rights?
2. Give four CSA rules for mobile money safety.
3. A caller says your grandson is at the police station and you must send money now. What do you do?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own papers (or a practice box with dummy papers); one family conversation (role-play or real); one recorded story. Evidence. Sorted box and "what I own" list; questions for a lawyer; family-conversation role-play; three named voice notes; five named photographs; oral questions.

One box for papers (course method)

Every day: when a paper that matters arrives (a land receipt, a SSNIT letter, a bank letter, a tax paper), put it in the box the same day. Not in a handbag. Not under the mattress.

Choose the box well:

Four Saturdays to sort it (course method):

What goes in each pile (course method):

Wills: the basic rules reported for Ghana

The rules below come from law-firm and property guides about the Wills Act, 1971 (Act 360), not from the Act itself, so a lawyer must check them for your case.

• A person aged 18 or over, of sound mind, can make a will.
• It must be in writing and signed by the person making it, or by someone at their direction.
• It must be witnessed by at least two people present at the same time, who sign in the presence of the person making the will.
• A person who receives a gift in the will (or their spouse) should not be a witness: the gift to that witness fails, though the rest of the will stands.
• With a will, the executor applies to the High Court for a Grant of Probate. With no will, the family applies for Letters of Administration.
• The High Court may provide for a dependant whom a will leaves without support, where hardship would result.
• Family land and stool land cannot pass by a personal will. Customary rules govern them.

If there is no will. The Intestate Succession Law, 1985 (PNDCL 111) covers only self-acquired property, not family, stool or skin property. No newer law replacing it was found as of 2026. How the property is shared depends on who survives; ask a lawyer.

Land. The Lands Commission's Land Registration Division registers title to land and deeds and keeps the land registers; its services include a search, a caveat or restriction, and registration of title. Receiving property in an estate does not by itself make you the registered owner: there are further steps ending with a new certificate at the Lands Commission.

Care wishes. No Ghana law on written "living wills" was found. Treat care wishes as a family understanding, written in your wishes book and shared with family and your doctor, not as a legal document.

Questions to write down before you see a lawyer (course method):

The family conversation, in small stages

Big talks at one meeting can raise tempers. Talk in small stages over several weeks (course method):

Say it the same way to each child, so nobody hears a different story. If children live far away, a video call or a letter can carry the same message.

Model script: starting the conversation about papers. "Thank you all for coming. Nothing is wrong. I am well, and that is exactly why I want to talk about this now, calmly, while I can answer your questions. I have put all my papers, the house, the land, the bank, in one box, and Esi knows where it is. Next month I am seeing a lawyer about my will. I am not going to tell you everything tonight, and I do not want any quarrel. I only want you to know that it is being done properly, so that you never have to fight when I am gone."

If someone says "Papa, why talk about wills? You are not dying!": "A will does not bring death closer, just as an umbrella does not bring rain. I am planning because I am well."

Helper's corner. Never open this subject at a funeral or in a crowd. Ask "Is there anything you want us to know?" not "Who gets the house?" Offer practical help: driving to the lawyer, making photocopies, waiting at the Lands Commission. Never pressure anyone to sign anything, and never take papers out of the house without clear agreement. If someone is being forced to sign, that is abuse: go to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, at any police station; in danger, 112.

Passing on your story (course method)

There is no strong research on life-story work and health, so this part is simply practical: your family needs your story, and it is easy to lose.

Every day, small:

1. Tell one short story at a meal or on the phone. Let the young find the lesson.
2. Record a two-minute voice note: a story, a song, a recipe, a piece of advice. Name it: "How I met your grandfather", "Mother's palm nut soup". Ask a grandchild to keep copies.
3. Write a page, or tell it to someone who writes it for you. Date each page. Spelling does not matter; truth does.
4. Name one old photograph: write in pencil on the back who, where and when. If unsure, write "I think".
5. Ask the young about their world, and listen fully.

Every week:

1. Story time, about 30 minutes, one evening a week, with grandchildren, nieces, nephews or neighbours' children. Bring something: a photo, an old cloth, a tool, a song.
2. Teach one skill with the hands: choosing good fish, fixing a tap, a family dish.
3. Build the family tree over several weeks on a large sheet: names, hometowns, one fact each. Copy it for each branch of the family.
4. Once a month, a letter to a grandchild or young person: what you see that is good in them, and one thing you wish you had known at their age.

Recording someone else's story: consent rules (course method).

Exercise: setting up the papers box

What can go wrong

Check yourself

1. Name the five piles for sorting the papers box.
2. Give three basic will rules reported for Ghana, and say who must check them.
3. Give three consent rules for recording someone's story.

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own body and home (or the older person they help, with permission); a sturdy chair, a wall and a counter; one health book. Evidence. Readiness record; observed exercise session; 2-week movement card; home falls checklist with fixes; food and salt plan; sleep diary; health book with BP readings taken by a nurse; medicines list; oral questions.

How much movement: the WHO guidelines

WHO's 2020 guidelines for adults aged 65 and over say:

• 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate activity (such as brisk walking), or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix.
• Muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week.
• Balance and strength activities that train everyday movement on 3 or more days a week, to improve function and prevent falls.
• Doing some physical activity is better than doing none. Older adults should be as active as their abilities allow, and replacing sitting time with any activity, even light activity, has benefits.

WHO's fact sheet adds that for older adults the benefits include fewer falls, better mental and thinking health, better sleep, and a lower risk of death from any cause and from heart disease; physical inactivity rises in both men and women after age 60.

What "moderate" feels like (course method): you are breathing a little faster, but you can still talk. If you cannot talk, slow down.

Readiness questions before starting (course method)

Ask these before the first session. Any "yes" means: talk to a doctor or nurse first, and get their agreement on what is safe.

These questions are a course method, not a medical test. They help you decide who should see a health worker first. They do not replace the health worker.

The daily movement session: step by step

You need: a strong chair without wheels, placed against a wall; a clear wall; a table or kitchen counter to hold; flat shoes that grip (or bare feet on a dry floor; never slippery slippers); water. Have someone nearby the first few times.

1. Walk (10 to 30 minutes, building slowly). On flat ground in the cool of the morning or evening. Start with what is easy, even 5 minutes, and add a few minutes each week. Use a walking stick if your nurse advises.

2. Chair stands (about 3 minutes): legs.

1. Chair against the wall so it cannot slide.
2. Sit near the front of the seat, feet flat and a little apart.
3. Lean forward slightly, hands on thighs (or on the chair arms at first), and slowly stand up.
4. Stand tall for a moment.
5. Slowly sit back down, with control. Do not drop.
6. Do 5, rest, and build slowly to 10.

3. Heel raises (about 2 minutes): calves and ankles.

1. Stand behind the chair, holding its back with both hands.
2. Slowly rise onto your toes, then slowly lower your heels.
3. Do 10, rest, then 10 more if you can.

4. Balance on one foot (about 2 minutes).

1. Stand behind the chair or at the counter, holding on with both hands.
2. Lift one foot a little off the floor. Hold up to 10 seconds. Put it down. Change feet.
3. As you get steadier, hold with one hand, then fingertips. The chair or counter is always within reach.

5. Heel-to-toe walk along a wall (about 2 minutes). One hand touching the wall. Walk slowly, placing the heel of one foot just in front of the toes of the other. Take 10 steps, turn carefully, come back.

6. Wall push-ups (about 2 minutes): arms. Stand an arm's length from the wall, palms flat at shoulder height. Bend the elbows, bring the chest towards the wall, push back. Do 5 to 10. Strong arms help you catch yourself and push up from a chair.

The six exercises are from the book and match the WHO advice for walking, strength and balance. WHO names Tai Chi as one kind of balance exercise; a Cochrane review found exercise cut falls by about 23%.

Seated version (course method). For a person who uses a wheelchair or cannot stand safely: seated marching, lifting the arms, pressing the feet into the floor, turning the head and shoulders gently. Ask a physiotherapist or nurse for safe seated exercises.

The stop rules (say them at the start of every session):

A weekly plan (course method): strength on 2 days (for example Monday and Thursday), balance on 3 days (for example Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), walking most days. Count your minutes on a card and compare only with your own last week.

Falls: what WHO says

• About 842,000 people died from falls worldwide in 2023; falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after road injuries.
• About 71% of fall deaths in 2023 were people aged 60 and older.
• Risk rises with weaker balance, strength, walking or sight, and with medicines or conditions that cause dizziness or low blood pressure. Unsafe stairs, poor lighting and poor walking surfaces add to it.
• Prevention includes: exercise that challenges balance; checking and fixing hazards at home; a medication review; correcting vision; safer footwear; and managing dizziness and low blood pressure.

The home falls walk (course method)

Walk slowly through the house and compound in daylight and again at night, with the older person (it is their home: they decide what changes).

After a fall (course method): do not rush up. If the person hit their head, cannot get up, or cannot put weight on a leg, call 112 or get them to hospital. If they get up unhurt, they still tell their doctor or nurse soon, because a fall can be a sign of something that needs checking. For first aid itself, see First Aid and Community Health Helper; for moving a person who cannot move themselves, see Caregiving for Older and Disabled People.

Eat well: Ghana's food guide

Ghana's Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, endorsed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, show a mashing bowl with six food groups, by weight:

The guidelines' messages include: eat a varied diet from the six groups every day; choose whole or unpolished grains; eat less often foods high in sugar, fat and salt; be physically active; read food labels; keep food safely; drink water regularly; limit alcohol.

A plate after 60 (course method): keep your banku, kenkey, ampesi or rice, but a little smaller; add a good heap of vegetables; beans or groundnuts on some days; a piece of fish or an egg; one fruit a day.

Salt. WHO says adults should eat less than 5 g of salt a day, just under one teaspoon. Too much salt causes high blood pressure and raises the risk of heart disease and stroke. Tips: eat mostly fresh foods; take the salt shaker off the table; cook with little salt and flavour with herbs and spices; limit sauces, instant products and processed foods. Stock cubes are a common local source of salt.

Cutting salt step by step (course method):

Sugar and teeth. WHO advises limiting free sugars and making water the main drink. Use a spoon less sugar in tea and koko each week; keep soft drinks for special days.

Water. "Drink water regularly". No set number of litres for older Ghanaians was found, so this book gives none. Drink more in the morning and afternoon, less in the evening. If you have heart or kidney problems, ask your doctor how much to drink.

Sleep well

The US National Institute on Aging says older adults need about the same sleep as other adults, 7 to 9 hours a night. Its tips:

Insomnia is the most common sleep problem after 60. Sleep medicines carry risks and should not be used long term; talk to a doctor before taking any sleep medicine or supplement.

See a doctor or nurse if you cannot sleep well for several weeks, are very sleepy in the day, wake many times every night to pass water, or someone says you stop breathing or gasp in your sleep (course method, from the book).

Know your numbers

Blood pressure. WHO:

• Hypertension means 140/90 mmHg or higher on two different days.
• In 2024 about 1.4 billion adults aged 30 to 79 had it, and about 44% did not know.
• Most people have no symptoms: checking your blood pressure is the best way to know.
• Take medicines as prescribed.

In Ghana, the Ghana Health Service ran free blood pressure screening at health facilities in 2026 under "Operation Measure 1 Million People"; a district health director said regular screening "remains the only way" to know your status. In a 2017 survey of 2,337 adults in Ghana's Eastern Region, 32.4% had high blood pressure, but only 46.2% of them knew, about 9% were treated and 1.3% were controlled.

Sugar. About 60% of adults with diabetes in the WHO African region are undiagnosed, and signs such as passing water often, great thirst and weight loss without trying may appear late. Ask your doctor or nurse whether you need a sugar test, and how often.

Eyes. Most people with vision impairment or blindness are over 50; the main causes are uncorrected refractive error (needing glasses) and cataract; cataract surgery and spectacles are among the most cost-effective health interventions. The head of Ghana Health Service's eye care unit said about 9 in 100 Ghanaians aged 40 and over have glaucoma, which has no symptoms early on, and advised an eye examination every year after 30.

Ears. More than 25% of people over 60 have disabling hearing loss; older adults should have their hearing screened, and hearing aids help.

Teeth. About 23% of people aged 60 and over have lost all their teeth. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste (1000 to 1500 ppm), limit sugar, stop tobacco and cut alcohol.

Flu. Ghana Health Service says older people are at higher risk of severe flu complications, and advises: seek care early, stay home when sick, wash hands, cover coughs, avoid crowds, and wear a mask in crowded places. No GHS recommendation of particular vaccines for older adults was found: ask your health worker which vaccines are right for you.

The checks to book (course method):

The health book (course method). A small exercise book that goes to every clinic visit: dates and readings; anything new you notice (dizziness, blurred sight, a sore that will not heal, great thirst, trouble hearing); your questions written before the visit; the answers written in the room. Take a family member or friend: two pairs of ears remember more.

The medicine routine

The US National Institute on Aging advises:

• Follow the label. Do not take extra doses; do not skip or halve doses to save money.
• Use reminders or a pill box.
• Do not take medicine in the dark.
• Tell the doctor about alcohol and tobacco.
• Take a relative to appointments.
• Do not stop without checking with the doctor.
• Do not share medicines.
• Talk to your provider before adding any new medicine or supplement, including herbal remedies, and keep one up-to-date list for every pharmacy.

A daily medicine routine (course method):

1. Take medicines at the same time each day, tied to something you never forget: after brushing your teeth, after morning prayer.
2. Fill a pill box with the days of the week once a week (perhaps Friday), in good light, with a family member if that helps.
3. Switch on the light and wear your glasses before taking anything at night.
4. If money is short, tell the doctor or pharmacist; never cut a dose.
5. If you feel fine and wonder whether you still need a medicine, keep taking it and ask your doctor. Feeling fine may mean the medicine is working.
6. If anybody (a friend, a seller, even a leader) tells you to stop your medicine and trust a remedy, do not. Talk to your doctor.

The one medicines list (course method):

The NHIS card

NHIS says members of the exempt group do not pay a premium, and the exempt groups include persons above seventy years of age and SSNIT pensioners. NHIS also charges processing or renewal fees for ID cards for most members; ask the NHIS office which fee applies to you. Check your card's expiry date and renew it on time.

When to get help

Source for the emergency signs: the book's "when to get help" sections; falls advice; blood pressure level.

Exercise: the movement card and the stock-cube tin

What can go wrong

Common mistakes and fixes

Check yourself

1. Give the WHO weekly targets for older adults: walking minutes, strength days and balance days.
2. What blood pressure means hypertension, and why check when you feel fine?
3. Name five things to check on a home falls walk.

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own week and year; one earning idea in the trainee's town. Evidence. 7-day sheet; 52-week plan; one-page business plan and costing; WhatsApp description and reply; access plan; oral questions.

The 7-day routine (course method)

Every day has two anchors, a morning ritual and an evening ritual, with one focus in between. These are sensible habits, not research.

The morning ritual (20 to 30 minutes, soon after waking):

1. Sit up slowly on the edge of the bed for a few breaths before standing.
2. Give thanks: name one or two things you are thankful for.
3. Water and medicines: a glass of water; morning medicines from the pill box, in good light, exactly as prescribed.
4. Move for 10 minutes: gentle stretches and a few supported balance moves (Unit 6).
5. Look at today: read the one focus line for today.

During the day: walk about 30 minutes (one walk or three short ones); one real conversation; eat from the food groups with little salt, and drink water; one thing for the mind.

The evening ritual (about 20 minutes, an hour before bed):

1. Close the day: check the doors; phone on charge; torch and glasses by the bed; night light on the path to the toilet.
2. Look back: three good things; one thing that hurt, written down and put away (Unit 3).
3. Make peace: if you spoke sharply to someone, send a short sorry or plan it for tomorrow.
4. Get ready to rest: no heavy meal, no coffee or strong tea, television off; bed at the usual time.

One focus for each day (course method, from the book):

Sunday evening, 15 minutes: look at the coming week (clinic visits, funerals, a family meeting) and move the focus days around them. Write the week on one sheet and stick it where you will see it.

The bad-day plan (course method)

Some days the pain is strong, the news is sad, or you simply cannot. On those days do only four things:

1. Take your medicines and drink water.
2. Eat something simple, even a little koko or bread.
3. Move a little: stand up and sit down five times, or walk to the door and back.
4. Speak to one person, even for two minutes: "Today is a hard day."

That is enough. Tomorrow, start again with the morning ritual. Do not try to catch up. If bad days become most days for more than two weeks, see a doctor, counsellor or faith leader (Unit 3).

Bending the routine to fit you (course method)

WHO says older people should be as active as their abilities allow, and that any activity is better than none.

The 52-week plan (course method)

The yearly plan sits on top of the weekly routine. Each week has one small step. Start at Week 1 whenever you begin. If you miss a week, carry on with the next one; never try to do two weeks at once. The plan follows the book's four seasons.

Season 1 · Weeks 1–13 · Foundations: body and numbers

Season 2 · Weeks 14–26 · Mind, people and joy

Season 3 · Weeks 27–39 · Family, money and peace

Season 4 · Weeks 40–52 · Passing it on and finishing well

The quarterly review (Weeks 13, 26 and 39; about 30 minutes). With your tracker and notebook, ideally with a spouse, friend or helper, ask: What did I do this season that I am glad about? What did I skip, and does it still matter? What got in the way? What one thing will I carry into the next season?

The regret-free check (Week 51). Bronnie Ware reported five regrets she often heard from dying patients: not living true to oneself; working too hard; not expressing feelings; losing touch with friends; not letting oneself be happier. Turn them into five questions:

1. Did I live this year as myself, or only as others expected?
2. Did I give time to the people I love, not only to work and duty?
3. Did I say what needed saying: love, thanks, sorry?
4. Did I keep in touch with my friends?
5. Did I let myself be happy?

Then: is anything important still undone (will, papers, checkup, visit) or unsaid? Put the most important one in Week 1 of next year, or better, do it before the year ends.

Exercise: how much of the year?

Your location: what is around you (course method)

Living well and earning a little both depend on what is near you. Map it:

Small earning ideas (course method)

Many older Ghanaians keep working: in the 2021 census 37.5% of people aged 60 and over were employed, mostly in the informal sector. These ideas suit older people and their helpers. Each has limits you must keep.

1. Story-recording service. Record the life stories of older people for their families: voice notes, a short typed or handwritten life story, named photographs, a family tree.

• Who pays: families, often children abroad who want their parents' stories; old students' associations; places of worship for anniversaries.
• Limits: written consent from the storyteller for every recording; they choose what is recorded and who receives it; delete on request; never post online without agreement; stop if the memories bring deep pain, and suggest a counsellor or faith leader (Unit 5).

2. Phone-safety teaching. Small classes or home lessons for older people: making text bigger, video calls, voice notes, saving official numbers, and the scam drill (Unit 4).

• Who pays: older people and their families; places of worship and associations for a group session.
• Limits: you never ask for, see or keep anyone's PIN, password or code; you never do transactions for them; you report scams to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA): report on its website, csa.gov.gh. For agent work and deeper phone skills, see Digital Skills and Mobile Money Agent.

3. Walking-group leader. Lead a weekly morning walk for older people from a place of worship, community centre or estate gate, with supported balance moves at the end (Unit 6).

• Who pays: often free or by small donation at first; it builds trust that brings other work. Some groups later pay a small monthly fee (Level 2 covers fees, records and safety for clubs).
• Limits: readiness questions for every walker; any "yes" needs a health worker's agreement; stop rules every session; a phone and the 112 number; walk at the pace of the slowest; you are a walking leader, not a nurse or physiotherapist.

Other ideas: tutoring children in reading or maths; keeping simple books for a market group (see Money Skills for Small Business); sewing, crafts or a backyard garden; advising young farmers or traders; a "phone friend" daily check-in service for families abroad.

Exercise: pricing a story-recording package

Getting registered (steps)

1. Start small and honest. Many people begin by helping a few families and asking for honest feedback.
2. Register a business name at the Office of the Registrar of Companies if you will trade under a name: GH¢130, renewed for GH¢70 a year.
3. TIN: for an individual, the Ghana Card PIN has been the Taxpayer Identification Number since 1 April 2021.
4. Keep simple records of every sale and cost (see Money Skills for Small Business).
5. Ask the local assembly whether your activity needs a permit. Level 3 covers registering a day club or programme in full.

Marketing yourself honestly

• Say exactly what you do, and what you do not do. "I record stories" is honest. "I improve memory" is not.
• Never claim health benefits, cures or extra years. Never call yourself a nurse, counsellor or lawyer if you are not one.
• Never use a client's photo, voice or story in an advert without their clear, written agreement.
• Word of mouth is the strongest advert: a family that loved its recordings tells others.
• Partners: places of worship, old students' associations, welfare associations, pharmacies, health centres (for walking groups), schools.
• Google Business Profile is free to add or claim.
• WhatsApp Business: a clear description, honest prices, how to book.

Model script: WhatsApp business description. "Grandpa's Voice, Takoradi (example). I am a retired teacher and I record the life stories of older people for their families: three relaxed sessions at home, voice recordings shared to your family's phones, named photographs and a printed family tree. Your parent decides what is recorded and who receives it. Nothing is ever posted online without permission. GH¢400 per package (example). Message me to talk it over."

Model script: replying to an enquiry. Enquiry: "Hello, I live in London. Can you record my mother's stories? She is 82 and lives in Sekondi." Reply: "Good afternoon, and thank you for your message. Yes, I would be glad to. First, may I speak with your mother, so she can decide if she would like this and which stories she wants to tell? If she agrees, I visit three times for about an hour, at times that suit her. I share the recordings with the phones you both choose, and I print a family tree. The package is GH¢400 (example), paid after the first session if she is happy to continue. May I have her number, or would you like to tell her first and let me know a good time to call?"

Accessibility: older people with poor sight, hearing or mobility

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 2006 (Act 715) protects the rights of persons with disabilities, and reports say access to public places is still poor. Older people often live with some loss of sight, hearing or mobility; WHO notes that most people with vision impairment are over 50 and more than a quarter of people over 60 have disabling hearing loss. Plan for it in every session (course method):

Trainers and helpers with disabilities. Much of this work suits people with disabilities. A blind helper can lead story time, teach the scam drill and make daily check-in calls. A deaf helper can teach phone skills by demonstration and written cards, record family trees and keep records. A helper who uses a wheelchair can lead seated exercise, run phone-safety classes and record stories. Arrange a partner for tasks such as a home falls walk on uneven ground. What matters is the skill and the respect, not the body.

Check yourself

1. What are the four parts of the bad-day plan?
2. Give the five regret-free questions in Week 51.
3. Mr Asare's package costs GH¢155 and sells for GH¢400; his monthly costs are GH¢110. What is his profit if he sells 2 packages in a month?

Keep a record of your own practice and of every visit or session with the older person you help. Keep private notes private: no PINs, no copies of Ghana Cards, nothing the person asked you not to write.

1. Give three daily habits that give a day purpose after work stops.
2. Name four things a healthy-ageing helper must never do.
3. Name five of the 14 changeable dementia risk factors from the 2024 Lancet Commission, and say why the 45% figure is not a promise.
4. What is the difference between loneliness and social isolation, and give two simple actions WHO suggests?
5. Name the five forms of abuse of older people, and where an older person can get help in Ghana.
6. Give the SSNIT ages and contribution months for the minimum and maximum pension rights. What is the pension right for 360 months?
7. Describe the "hang up and call back" rule and the family check question.
8. A pension month is GH¢1,500 (example). Must-pay is GH¢1,050, giving GH¢150 and saving GH¢150. How much is left for enjoying, and what percentage is saved?
9. Give four basic will rules reported for Ghana, and say what cannot pass by a personal will.
10. Give the WHO weekly movement targets for older adults and four stop rules.
11. What does WHO say about salt, and what is the blood pressure level for hypertension?
12. Give five rules for a safe medicine routine.

Best next reads: De-Graft Afful's book Happy and Regret-Free After 60; the WHO fact sheets on ageing, falls, physical activity and hypertension; Ghana's Food-Based Dietary Guidelines; the CSA mobile money advice page; the Hub's Caregiving for Older and Disabled People, First Aid and Community Health Helper, Digital Skills and Mobile Money Agent and Money Skills for Small Business; the next levels of this course.

What this module does not cover: starting and running an older-people's club or group, group walking and chair sessions, health days with nurses, scam and legacy workshops and club records (Level 2); designing a community healthy-ageing programme, safeguarding policies, volunteers, measuring results and establishing a day club or programme as a business or NGO with full accounts (Level 3). Hands-on personal care, moving and handling and dementia care are in Caregiving for Older and Disabled People; first aid in First Aid and Community Health Helper; cooking in Catering, Pastry and Street Food.

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