Treat abuse of the elderly as a community issue

THE recent video of an elderly man being abused by a worker in an aged care facility in Kedah has shone the spotlight on the treatment of elderly people in our society with an ensuing reflection about how and where older Malaysians age, how they live in their advanced years, and how they die.

Watching the video was heartbreaking, and it was a relief to know that the operator of the home and a helper were detained by the police for investigation.

As a society, we have to reflect on what elder abuse means as we head towards being an aged nation.

Will we soon forget about this incident as we did in the past?

This is not the first time elder abuse has been highlighted in the media. Research published in 2020 stated that about 9% of older persons in Malaysia have experienced elder abuse in the past 12 months!

This particular incident was captured and reported, but how many such incidents are happening daily and not reported?

Maybe it is time for us to look at the bigger picture and examine the issues that led to the abuse.

We must also realise that elder abuse is an issue that involves human rights, justice, the law, economy and, quite simply, who we are as human beings.

What elevates elder abuse is something that merits special attention, particularly from the government and policymakers.

If we are to make any progress in eliminating this problem, we need to change behaviours and attitudes across the full spectrum of elder abuse as a community.

I implore everyone to reflect on the late Mahatma Gandhi’s reminder, “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”