Act now to ensure safety of vulnerable elderly

They are among the most vulnerable people — if not the most vulnerable — in society. So when their sanctuary is breached, we need to sit up, take notice and take action. We are talking here about elderly and frail residents at Ekuphumleni Home for the Aged, a frail care centre in Zwide where, at the weekend, an employee was held at gunpoint and raped early on Sunday morning.

The two attackers made off with a plasma TV.

The incident occurred at around 1am when the men forced their way into the centre’s Block Six, where the frailest residents stay.

While details remain sketchy as the 41-year-old victim was taken to the police station to give a statement before being taken for medical treatment and trauma counselling, security staff said it appeared the suspects gained access by jumping over a wall bordering Spondo Street.

Resident Adele Allen, 74, said they were traumatised and now feared for their lives.

“What are we to do if someone comes into our rooms?

“What if someone holds a gun to my head and tries to hurt me?

“I don’t even want to think about it,” an upset Allen said.

“Block Six is almost like an intensive care unit.

“It’s where the frailest residents stay, and they have nurses there permanently.

“Many of them are on heavy medication to help them sleep.

“I am not surprised that no-one heard what was happening.”

And Allen has every right to be upset and fear for her life — the elderly, frail residents, unable to defend themselves, are even easier prey than a 41-year-old woman.

Nelson Mandela Bay acting district commissioner Brigadier Thandiswa Kupiso condemned the incident — empty words we hear from officials all the time.

But that is not enough. What we need is action beyond condemnation.

There are elderly people — our loved ones — in similar facilities across Nelson Mandela Bay, and while the onus is on the facilities to ensure their safety, they have failed to do so in this case.

This should never have happened and, perhaps aside from police investigating a case of rape and business robbery, an investigation is also needed into the facility’s measures to ensure the safety of those placed in their care.