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“Wise to Rise†is a humanitarian initiative designed to uplift the lives of Egypt’s growing elderly population while empowering nurses and caregivers with essential geriatric skills. The project promotes dignity, engagement, and improved quality of life for more than 7.8 million Egyptian elders (Egypt’s elderly population exceeds 7% and continues to rise) Refugee communities now represent nearly 10% of the population 10% of them are +60. It means we have over one million elderly refugees from neighboring countries.
In a time of economic pressure, scarce national resources, limited social services, and increasing migration of youth abroad, many seniors are left homeless without any support. Elderly often fall outside priority area, face loneliness and chronic illness.
At the same time, nurses in Egypt face a significant shortage of updated training in elderly care the specialty is not attractive to them due to low salaries and exhausting needed physical efforts due to insufficient medical devices. This project bridges these gaps through direct service, capacity building, and community awareness.
We need an Urgent solution as the Problem is going to be magnified How?
Needs Assessment Findings
Surveys and interviews were conducted with elderly residents in two care homes affiliated with the Red Crescent and three care homes managed by the Church. In addition, consultations were held with home directors, professors of Geriatric Medicine at the High Institute of Public Health, as well as nurses and caregivers working in these facilities. The findings confirmed the following key gaps:
†Limited formal specialization in geriatric nursing, accompanied by a significant shortage in the number of trained nurses and caregivers.
†High levels of nurse and caregiver burnout due to the absence of patient lifting and transfer devices. Staff are frequently required to manually carry or transfer residents, including assisting them to bathrooms, leading to significant physical strain. This has contributed to musculoskeletal injuries, physical exhaustion, and staff turnover, with some caregivers leaving their jobs due to the demanding physical workload.
†Absence of standardized protocols for fall prevention, pressure ulcer prevention, and hygiene practices.
†Limited availability of structured dementia care and psychosocial support programs for elderly residents.
†Lack of a benchmark model for comprehensive elder care in Alexandria to guide quality improvement and standardization of services.
Why It Matters
“Wise to Rise†responds to this urgent need by:
†Strengthening geriatric nursing skills
†Supporting vulnerable elders
†Improving The main health problems of elders.
†Creating a community model that can be replicated across Rotary clubs
Duration: One year
Sustainable
Funds 42,751$
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