Getting old is not going out of use
Two groups of people are getting special consideration, as the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic: children and the elderly. But concern is being highlighted about the crimes of abuse of older people in societies.
“No person, young or old, is expendable”, said United Nations secretary-general António Guterres in a video message to launch a policy brief on older persons last month.
Older persons face a significantly higher risk of death and severe disease if they are infected, and those older than 80 years face five times the average rate of dying.
Between 2019 and 2030, the number of persons aged 60 years or over is projected to grow by 38%, from 1 billion to 1.4 billion, globally.
They will outnumber young people, and this increase will be greatest and most rapid in the developing world, said the UN.
It speaks of greater attention to be paid to the specific challenge affecting olders persons— their rights and health.
In 2017, 1 in 6 older persons were subjected to abuse. With lockdowns and reduced care, violence against older persons is on the rise.
The COVID-19 pandemic may significantly lower older persons’ incomes and living standards. Already, less than 20% of older persons of retirement age receiving a pension.
Older persons are not just victims. They are also responding. They are health workers, carers and among many essential service providers.
But it hasn’t ruled out abuse of ageing populations, said the Centre for Gender Economics.
“Many older persons around the world are abused, neglected or oppressed. This abuse takes place in the home, in the workplace, and in institutions that are supposed to care for the elderly. And what is worse, perpetrators are every so often close family members,” it said.
To mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, it staged a photo-shoot themed “Beauty in Experience” with four elderly women in Itedo, Lagos.
The life experiences of Lydia, 100, Tomasa, 91, Florence, 97, and Victoria 59, are that of hard work, life struggles, sacrifice, and resilience.
All four are widows whose rights needs to be protected and their well-being supported, the centre said of its project.
“Older people repeatedly say that they are considered out-of-use, ugly, inept and a strain on resources by their relatives and by government, as well as being exposed to abuse,” said Uchenna Idoko, Executive Director at Center for Gender Economics. “Nothing adequate is being put in place to stop this abuse and defend the rights of older people,” said Uchenna. He lists 8 things the world can do:
· Speak out against this terrible crime in our communities, and the society at large.
· Confront ageism; we must be encouraged to report suspected elder abuse.
· Listen to the voices of older persons; they may be trying to tell us something from their experience.
· Let elders know that it is not OK to be abused; it is a violation of their human rights.
· Strengthen laws against elder abuse and bring perpetrators to justice. · Expand services for victims. · Make use of new technologies to protect older persons from abuse.
· We need better data to track elder abuse in order to address the problem.