Dmitry Shevtsov: Caring for the elderly, we educate young people

The republican action “Respect” is held in Belarus. Care. Responsibility" dedicated to the Day of the elderly. Deputy Chairman of the Standing Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly on Health, Physical Culture, Family and Youth Policy, Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross Dmitry Shevtsov on the air of the talk show “Budni” on the YouTube channel “SBTV” and “Alfa Radio” told why it is important to care for the older generation and how it educates young people.

According to Dmitry Shevtsov, caring for the elderly is primarily the preservation of historical memory and a tribute to the feat of the older generation:

- This is our history, this is our memory. A man who has no memory, short-term or long-term, is doomed. Any age of an older person is actually a feat. In different eras, he carried the baggage of trials, was able to raise a generation, raise children, help raise grandchildren. It's our memory and our duty. The action has always been, it has been transformed since the USSR. Now it has been held in our republic for more than 30 years, and this shows that the memory of generations is preserved. After all, our President always says that a country that does not remember and does not honor history is doomed to perish. And that's actually true. Therefore, our elderly people are our property. We must not only ensure their decent survival (the level of medicine, social support), but also the care of society. This is very important, because dry numbers and statistics are good, but without a soul, without love, it is very difficult for these people to exist. With age, when you meet with the elderly, they react especially acutely to the care of society, despite the fact that many have relatives, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. The care of society conveys love for the state. And it is not without reason that the President, organizing this action, emphasizes how important this is.

The Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross also spoke about the action “Your Dapamoga”, which starts these days and will last until the end of the first decade of November:

- We gather a large number of volunteers, go to the elderly, so that those who live in cities, help around the house, clean up, drink tea, talk. It's very important. If we talk about small settlements, this is cleaning in yard areas, assistance in harvesting. This is also very important, because the elderly, even at a very old age, who eat half a bag of potatoes per season, will still plant a vegetable garden. As a doctor, I understand that people who live on earth live longer. Constantly moving, doing physical exercises, they prolong their lives. But they need help, because with age it is very difficult to perform physical activity. Therefore, the help of public organizations and volunteers is very important.

Dmitry Shevtsov stressed that helping the elderly helps educate our youth:

- Yes, we help an elderly person, helped clean the apartment, on the homestead, brought agricultural products, gave them, handed them over if they do not have it. It's very important. A man understands that he is taken care of. This is what we are raising our youth. We are in it to cultivate mercy and love for others. When he participates in this action, he understands that there are elderly people who need to be cared for and who need help. But the most important thing is that sooner or later we will become older people. And we also want that someday in old age just opened the door to us, a young man came and asked: grandparents, tell us how you lived this life. Drink him tea, talk, and he may go to the store, bring something or just help around the house. We'll all want that. Therefore, in order to be cared for, we must now take care of the older generation and instill love for it in the young.

The talk show “Budney” is released on weekdays in the morning on “Alpha Radio”. Each issue discusses the most relevant topics from the life of the country and the world. Political scientists, scientists, public figures and journalists of leading media participate in the discussions. See the full version of the program on the VIDEOBEL.BY website and on the SBTV YouTube channel.