THE GROWING ABUSE OF THE ELDERLY

Theodore Ihenetu argues the need to give more attention to the elderly in society

According to World Health Organization (WHO), elder abuse is defined as “a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person”. The abuse of the elderly is either an act of commission or omission and can be described as abusive, neglectful or exploitative either intentionally or unintentionally but in most cases result in unnecessary suffering, injury and pain, loss or violation of human rights and a decreased quality of life for the elderly person. It can be of various forms – physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, financial exploitation, deprivation, cultural, structural and institutional or can simply reflect intentional or unintentional neglect. It equally has different ways for which it is perpetrated depending on the circumstance and background of the elderly involved, but in all forms of the experience, they all have elements of neglect which consists of abandonment, isolation and social exclusion which is common today due to the declining role played by the social support from the family and the society.

Aging is a natural process and the right to live in dignity free from all forms of abuse and exploitation are all that are required from the society. The isolated lonely life triggered probably by illness makes the elderly vulnerable as targets for fraudulent schemes and violent crimes. It is not a crime to grow old, in fact it is a privilege with the life expectancy of Nigerians put at 49 years for men and 53 years for women. Until now, the level of awareness on the plight of elderly persons in Nigeria is very low yet history about the development of Nigeria can never be complete without mentioning the contributions of the elderly persons. Despite this they are the most abused in the society by the immediate family members, trusted caregivers and different governments in Nigeria through neglect and abandonment.

Abuses experienced by the elderly include human degradation of which issues of deprivation of human dignity/rights, pension allowances and gratuities are inclusive; they are made objects for welfare and a burden on the family. They are marginalized when it comes to the distribution of the common national heritage and entitlements. Besides, there are inadequate laws to protect them.

When these abuses are weighed in line with the rights of the elderly which include but not limited to the right to respect and protection by the government against all forms of deprivation and abuse, right to be seen as people with preferences and prejudices. We notice that denial

AGING IS A NATURAL PROCESS AND THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN DIGNITY FREE FROM ALL FORMS OF ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION ARE ALL THAT ARE REQUIRED FROM THE SOCIETY

of their rights is a form of abuse and this hinders the achievement of their optimal potential. There is therefore the need to direct the attention of the society and the government to the phenomenon of elder abuse, especially on the occasion of this year’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day celebrated on 15th June, 2020.

In Nigeria, the issue of elder abuse has not been adequately addressed because it was not recognized as a serious matter. The acts of abuse are usually regarded as normal behavior in the society as it was being perpetrated by the same institutions, agencies, organization, faith communities and individuals that were supposed to fight against it. As a result of this, there has been a ‘dead’ silence on the issue of abuse of the elderly and due to ineffective implementation of laws protecting the abused or because some abusers are presupposed to be above the law. This in turn makes the abused to continue to suffer in silence.

Alleviating and defending the rights of the elderly can be achieved if these few steps can be taken: provision of basic and essential needs of the elderly such as food, adequate housing, healthcare, security, love and access to income in old age especially prompt payment of pensions as at when due; formulation and implementation of policies with proper resource allocation should be made for the elderly wellbeing by government; deliberate and concerted effort to educate and change the attitudes of individuals and the society to the special needs and challenges of the elderly should be made using the media as a tool; bringing in of some elderly persons in policy discussions committees so they express their feelings, and how to address the issues. Changing attitudes and behavior of people is a fundamental preventive strategy; this can be achieved through public enlightenment programs and regular talks such as seminars in schools, public and private establishments, radio and television programs, etc.

Prevention starts with awareness; an important aspect of awareness is training those saddled with the responsibilities of providing professional healthcare and social services both in the community and in institutional settings and we appeal that advocacy groups should join hands with Raphe Adultcare Center to achieve these and seriously fight for attitudinal change especially among the youth. These groups should also enlighten the society on the consequences of the breakdown of the family support system. Rev. Fr. Ihenetu is Director, Raphe Adultcare Center, University of Nigeria, Nsukka