Neglect, abuse of senior citizens must end – UG students advocate

A group of students from the Tain Berbice Campus of the University of Guyana are advocating for better conditions for older adults, who oftentimes are victims of neglect and abuse.
Referred to as senior citizens in some sections of society, the university students have said that many of these senior citizens are victims of abuse, in most cases perpetrated by family members; and sadly, society has come to accept it. The United Nations Charter on Older Persons says they should be able to live in dignity and security, and be free of exploitation and physical or mental abuse.
With this in mind, a group of third-year degree in social work students at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus are advocating for better conditions for older adults. Group members have said found that, in many instances, older adults are subjected to many types of abuse, from physical to sexual, emotional, and even neglect. Trudy Sinclair, one of the students, is hoping to play a role in changing this culture of abuse and neglect of the elderly in Guyana.
“What is important is that they need comfort, they need love, they need support, and they are often neglected and left behind. Some of them that are with their families usually experience some form of abuse, and no one speaks about it. It is not recognized and spoken about; it is a topic that people usually sweep under the rug. So, we want to let you know that our older adults matter and are important. We are asking the general public to pay special attention to our older adults.”
The UN says older persons should be able to live in environments that are safe and adaptable to personal preferences and changing capacities. Social Service Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud had previously called on the university to play a more meaningful role in advocating for the rights of older adults. Sinclair and her colleagues have taken heed.
Addressing the issue of abuse meted out to older adults highlighted emotional neglect from which many older adults in our homes suffer.
“Did you know that older adults get financially abused?” Sinclair asked.
“Sometimes they have their pension or get money from external relatives or organisations and their relatives at the home where they stay would use it for their personal use and neglect them. Those are things that are usually left undetected because no sensitization or anyone is going to check on these people. You hear these stories when they go to draw their pension; some of them don’t even get access to their pension, and some other person does it for them. Those types of abuse usually get swept under the rug,” Sinclair added.
According to the UN Charter, older persons should be able to reside at home for as long as possible. At the Good Samaritan Home for senior women in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), residents face many challenges. Residents range in age from 60 to 96.
Lolita Ramagan is the youngest. She says even though it is a home for older adults, they are still required to pay for water and electricity, and the home is badly in need of repairs.
“Nuff things need to be improved in this home. It is sometimes difficult to get meals. I am not a pensioner, so when anybody gives me a small piece, I does got to ‘pinch it’ [use sparingly]. Sometimes people bring meals. Here you have to do everything for yourself,” she explained.
Two of the inmates, aged 96 and 84, are confined to their beds. According to Ramagan, on many occasions she is forced to find her own meals, and has to do so with a steady flow of income.
Because of the ages of many of the other residents of the home, she has become the ‘errand girl’.
This is just one of the changes facing an older adult living in a home for seniors. Some of the inmates are confined to a bed, and the Government has not been assisting the home.
Sinclair says that, as human beings and concerned citizens, we need to help our older adults. “If one is in your home or in your community, please pay special attention to them,” she has appealed.
She is calling on the community to assist the Good Samaritan Home. “If we can have a few persons pay a little bit more attention to this home, I think the folks here would be grateful,” she added.
It was reported in 2019 that there had been a hike in cases of older persons being taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) for medical treatment and being abandoned by their families at that institution. There are no updated statistics on the situation. However, last year, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, through the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, launched an awareness campaign across post offices countrywide to promote elderly care. Through the initiative, senior participants were educated on how to identify and report elder abuse, thereby empowering them to protect themselves and seek help when needed.
To further support seniors and combat elder abuse, the Human Services Ministry continues to direct persons in need to their 24-hour toll-free hotline number 914. (G4)