Over the years, there have been many discussions on the needs of the elderly, with much focus being placed on the issues that matter to older people, including, but not limited to, their financial wellbeing.
The issue of every country’s older population and their welfare has been a topic up for discussion worldwide.
Locally, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, in presenting Guyana’s 2023 Budget, highlighted some of the ways in which Guyana is taking care of its elderly. We are pleased with the announcement that our pensioners have now been given another increase in their old age pension, taking it up to $33,000.
To quote the Minister: “This measure will benefit approximately 73,000 pensioners, each of whom will now receive an additional $60,000 per annum, thereby placing an additional $4.4 billion of disposable income in their hands. With this latest increase, the total OAP bill now amounts to $28.9 billion.
Of course, it would be remiss of us not to commend and acknowledge that indeed improved efforts have been made to take care of our older population. According to the Minister in his Budget 2023 presentation: “…in just two years, old age pensions have increased from $20,500 to $28,000 reflecting a 40 per cent increase to over 69,000 senior citizens. In addition, pensioners benefitted from a one-off cash-grant of $28,000 and 28,450 pensioners benefitted from subsidised water charges…our senior citizens continue to benefit from Government’s improved care services. To this end in 2022, 6,300 elderly persons benefitted from home-based care in Regions Two, Three, Five, Six and Nine. Also, 590 persons were trained in elderly care in 2022, and another 750 are targeted in 2023.”
Additionally, the Elderly Commission to address the issues affecting the elderly was resuscitated in September 2020.
More importantly, $100 million has been budgeted to commence the construction of a new care home for senior citizens.
While the Palms Geriatric Home has been able to take in and care for elderly persons and, in some cases, also those who are abandoned and left to fend for themselves, there has always been a need for a second such care home.
Too often, our elderly are neglected, and their contributions in developing our country are forgotten.
In its Baseline Report for the Decade of Healthy Ageing, the World Health Organization (WHO) included useful insights into the status of the world’s older populations and what health authorities and policymakers and international development partners could do in order to ensure this group of people is not left behind.
According to the report, at least 14 per cent of all people aged 60 years and over – more than 142 million people – are currently unable to meet all their basic daily needs. The report brings together data available for measuring healthy ageing, defined by WHO as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age”.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus notes that humans now live longer than at any time in history. “But adding more years to life can be a mixed blessing if it is not accompanied by adding more life to years.”
He said that the Baseline Report for the Decade of Healthy Ageing has the potential to transform the way policy-makers and multiple service-providers engage with older adults. The report also discusses what is needed to promote collaboration and better measure progress towards healthy ageing.
WHO says that optimising “functional ability” is the goal of the Decade of Healthy Ageing, which began in 2021, and addresses five interrelated abilities that all older people should enjoy: the ability to meet basic needs; to continue to learn and make decisions; to be mobile; to build and maintain relationships; and to contribute to society.
It should be stated that the Caribbean has been recognised as having one of the fastest-growing older populations in the developing world. This certainly poses its own challenges, and Governments and other actors will be required to take the necessary measures to ensure that this segment of the population leads healthier and more productive lives.
There is no doubt that among the more pressing issues affecting older persons are health concerns and the quality of care being provided to them on a daily basis. It is therefore crucial for Governments to put in place systems which would allow for older persons to obtain the health and other services they need.
We commend the Government for increasing the pension for our senior citizens.
