Report negligence, elder abuse – Minister for Human Services urges
Kaieteur News- The Minister for Human Services, Dr. Vindhya Persaud urges the public to report cases of elder abuse or neglect on a regular basis.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Minister Persaud noted that elder abuse occurs much more often than people would like to admit.
He said elder abuse cases were either swept under the rug or not reported at all even when seen.
The Minister therefore suggested that the 914 emergency helpline numbers for abuse can be used to shed light on the issue.
Minister for Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud.
“We have been highlighting elder abuse because this is something that is actually happening and often times, it is not talked about. So I want to tell elderly people out there, th
The Ministry has been encouraging the regular reporting of elder abuse.
at 914 is also available to you, not just for children or women. It is for reports of violence and violence against the elderly is very much. Elderly people suffer from neglect to actual physical and sexual violence, ”said Minister Persaud.
He noted that there are many instances where many elderly people are left without money, food and shelter while adding that these actions are often carried out by their family members or close associates.
“There are many cases where elderly people tend to bequeath their money and the legacy of homes for younger people while they are alive and sometimes what happens after is that they get thrown out on the road . If you look at Georgetown Public Hospital, many people have been left there, ”Minister Persaud revealed.
He explained that the Ministry of Human Services has been engaging with the relevant agencies on how to tackle elder abuse or neglect.
It should be noted that elder abuse has been increasing in recent years. A report by ChildLink Guyana in 2018 highlighted the condition of the vulnerable groups, who are often unable to defend themselves and break out of the aggressive environment. The report specifically mentioned that abuse of women, children and the elderly has been increasing.
In order for real change to happen, the group recommended regular reporting and an enhanced sensitization campaign to help the victims.
According to the report, “a massive education campaign needs to be started to educate people, especially young people, that violent behavior towards the elderly is wrong, unacceptable and violates their basic human rights”.
Furthermore, the advocacy group recommended that religious and other leaders should play a role in helping to raise awareness of the state of the elderly.
Some recent reports of acts of violence against the elderly include theft, sexual assault and murder.
In addition, Georgetown Public Hospital and Linden Hospital Complex have been complaining about the number of elderly people being left at the establishment. This phenomenon is linked to the fact that the relatives of many of these elderly people are unable to cope with the responsibility of caring for them.
In some of these cases, the Ministry of Human Services made interventions to find suitable shelter for the elderly by placing them in State-owned Geriatric Homes.