Tag Archive for: June15

“It is the most revered act of honour and privilege to carry in your hands; those who once carried you on their shoulders” – Adesuyi Adesina.

 

 

“Calling elder abuse a maltreatment is to take it lightly, it is an irredeemable and irremediable act” – Adesuyi Adesina.

 

 

 

 

 

Any act of violent and non-violent maltreatment of older people, either in private or public by family members, close associates, strangers and institutions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), elder abuse was first described in British Scientific Journals in 1975 under the term “granny battering”

 

This is to let you know that it is a long aged problem.

Furthermore, (WHO) has said only 30% of the world’s elderly are covered by pension schemes. If you go through WHO fact sheet 2018 

 

You will discover that 1 in 6 people, aged 60 years and above suffered abuse within the community. 15.7% of people aged 60 years and older were found to have suffered some form of abuse in a study conducted among 28 countries with about 52 studies.

 

Let me not bore you with statistics, but it is obvious that if developed countries are having this level of problem, then it will be more alarming in the developing countries. Nigeria, for example has no health insurance cover for older persons, let alone housing for them.

 

Also, there is no system in place to protect them from abuse.  WE HAVE WORK TO DO!

 

 

Let us look at this under the following subheadings:

PHYSICAL ABUSE : This involves hitting, pushing and mal-handling them.

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE : This is using foul, abusive and derogatory words when talking to them. It also involves hurting them emotionally.

 

FINANCIAL ABUSE : This comes as either spending their money without getting consent from them, or not giving them enough money that can take care of their need. This attitude alone can make them end up on the street as beggars.

 

SOCIAL ABUSE : When you deny them of social activities, and it is not of any health and safety benefits to them, this is tantamount to abuse. In addition, it includes any form of incarceration.

 

SEXUAL ABUSE : There has been a few report of sexual abuse in older persons. Therefore, be very sure of who you are leaving  them with. Always do due diligence before committing them to any care home.

 

 

Abuse can be classified as follows:

 

✓ Neglect

✓ Abusive

✓ Exploitative

 

 

Who are the people that perpetrate this evil? It will interest you to know that they include:

 

FAMILY MEMBERS : I am always baffled when I see people treat their elderly parents with disdain, this is gross irresponsibility! Such a  barbaric act should be punishable under the law.

 

SPOUSE : This is likely to happen if you have your older persons living with you. It is important that you truly talk things out with your spouse before going this route.

 

STRANGERS : These group of offenders are the most dangerous, they cause harm physically, emotionally and otherwise to the elderly, and walk away with no shame or any iota of guilt. Please protect your elderly parents from strangers.

 

INSTITUTIONS : Most institutions do not have any consideration for the elderly, especially public institutions. We must begin to change this horrible act. Whether you work in a public or private institution, I want you to be an advocate for enviable and laudable senior citizens treatment. After reading this post, I want you to make a conscious decision to be nice to older persons in your society, always be ready to help and defend them.

 

 

 

 

Seriously are there solutions to this absurd act? Yes, there are solutions, and it starts with you.

 

I. BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THE ELDERLY : The world will be a better place if we all change, one person at a time. This is one of my major goal, to create awareness, reorientate people and drive it into their consciousness, that our senior citizens deserve to be treated with respect. I am making you an ambassador for the elderly, it is your duty from today to start looking out for them.

 

II. NATIONAL ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION CENTER : Countries like Canada and Australia have what is called; Canada Network For Prevention Of Elder Abuse and Australia Network For Prevention Of Elder Abuse respectively. While in UK they have what is called; Action On Elder Abuse. With God on our side, this is the kind of policies that Ganat Healthcare Initiative will be pushing for in no distant future.

 

III. FORMULATION OF LAWS : This is highly needed, mostly in developing countries. There should be a bill containing the detailed rights of the elderly ones amongst us, of course such bill will need to be sponsored. If you have the capacity to sponsor such bills, kindly get in touch, Ganat Healthcare Initiative will be glad to work with you, and posterity will never forget you.

 

IV. UNITED NATIONS INVOLVEMENT (UN) : Ganat Healthcare Initiative is joining her voice with other NGOs and international organizations calling on the UN and WHO to ensure that their member countries prioritise senior citizens protection and keep them from abuse.

 

 

All over the world, June 15, has been designated as WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY.

 

I am using this opportunity to plead with you to reach out to the elderly people around you, touch their lives positively, even if it is one person. No act of kindness is too small, make June 15, a special day for one elderly person around you. All things being equal, Ganat Healthcare Initiative is planning to have an online broadcast looking at the legal, medical and psychological aspects of elderly persons abuse on that day.

Again, I like to thank you for reading this far. I look forward to your contributions, suggestions and questions. Thank you.