The forgotten elderly of our society
It is sad that when two members of our elderly community died this past week, they were accorded their funeral rites without their families or relatives being in attendance.
Lute Nayaloaniceva, 94, was buried at the Nasinu Cemetery while Ram Dulari, 85, was cremated at the Vatuwaqa Cemetery on Friday.
Those present were complete strangers.
The elderly pair were allegedly abandoned by their families and relatives since they were dropped at the Golden Age Home in Samabula, Suva.
The Director of Social Welfare, Rupeni Fatiaki, has expressed concern about the number of elderly people being dropped at the Home and abandoned.
This was unheard of not so long ago. But it is evident that social and economic changes have impacted our culture and tradition.
In our traditional culture, our elderly are revered, respected and well looked after. They are cared for at home until they die. The move to put the elderly in an institution like a special home for them was perceived as abandonment and culturally insensitive and insulting. It was seen as a foreign culture.
The breakdown in family values and social pressures force families to put their elderly in old people’s homes.
In some families, economic pressures require both parents and older children to work to make ends meet. As a result, no one is available to look after the elderly. That’s the modern-day reality and as more families face economic pressures because of the current crisis, they resort to sending the elderly to the homes out of necessity.
It is a tough decision. For those who have been able to keep their elderly in their homes, it has been a big sacrifice and we commend them for their love and compassion.
For those who have decided to put them in designated specialised homes, they must regularly visit them and maintain that family contact.
It is important for the elderly to know that they are not forgotten – that their families still remember them and do care.
Some elderly are in homes where medical and health care is easily accessible.
Whatever the reason it is important that they do not lose that human touch – that they can only feel when they see and interact with their loved ones.
We will all grow old one day. Let’s treat our elderly how we want to be treated when we reach that stage.
The best way to do it is to set the example so that young members of the families will learn from us and hopefully follow us.