Families across Barbados are being encouraged to take better care of their elderly, with or without legislation.
This appeal came on Tuesday, from Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, during an expo dubbed Protection of Seniors During a Disaster. It was jointly hosted by the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP), in Queen’s Park, Constitution Road, St. Michael.
He noted: “There are people whose only care in this country is when the Home Help Workers from the National Assistance Board, or when the Elder Care Workers from the National Assistance Board go to visit the households, and that those people live in houses with other people, sometimes.”
Alluding to the pending legislation on Ageing, Mr. Humphrey stressed: “I do not know that we need to pass this legislation, which we intend to pass very soon because we now have the drafting instructions to protect and empower older persons, for people to know that it is not good enough for us to continue to sideline and to ill-treat older persons the way that we do….
“I feel as if there has to be a greater conversation around family. I do not know that we need to pass legislation to tell families that they have a responsibility to look after older persons.”
While pointing out that there are factors which influence the way some persons treat their older relatives, the Elder Affairs Minister said: “We all must be cognisant of the fact that people are carrying trauma. I like to say to people that we are all walking wounded. Everybody’s carrying something…. Many of us were given these things in our childhood, directly or indirectly; all of us are carrying a certain degree of hurt.
“I know that there are many people who can hardly bear a conversation with their parents. We talk to some people, and they say when we see them, and the Director [of the NAB] will tell you when their parents need help [they say], ‘I don’t speak to my mother… I definitely don’t speak to my father; he was never around. He did nothing for me. I care nothing for that man.’”
Mr. Humphrey stressed there needed to be a conversation on trauma if the country is to address issues affecting older persons and to ‘talk about this hurt’. And, he added that some people might be unable to engage with older persons or their family members because of the said trauma.
The expo, held on October 1, International Day of Older Persons, provided a space for senior citizens to address the vulnerabilities they may face in times of disaster as well as other issues related to disaster risk management.
Acknowledging that the policy on National Ageing outlined several strategy interventions related to disaster management, Minister Humphrey added that in cases of national emergency, the neglect faced by the elderly was often brought to light.
Meanwhile, Director of the DEM, Kerry Hinds, noting the importance of the event, said it provided another opportunity “to leverage and amplify the conversation surrounding the resilience of seniors in disasters”.
She said it also acknowledges “the need for collective action in assisting seniors “to get ready and stay ready”, “to keep cool and calm” during the bursts of heat waves and to cope with pandemics and weather or any adversity that may come their way.
She told the seniors present: “We, at the DEM, see you as an experienced group, who can contribute to resilience building. We want to hear your challenges and your solutions. It is important that we devise practical disaster risk management strategies to support you as a valued group. Today and every day, we continue to bring together diverse voices, mobilise partnerships and coalitions, as well as support and promote advocacy campaigns. We are acutely aware that these emergency and disaster events impact our seniors, their lifestyles, and can exacerbate economic and social inequalities.
“It is a known fact that Barbados has an ageing population, and because of our living standards, our population tends to live longer. Rather than be overwhelmed by these many realities, we must choose to be proactive and address the impacts of these emergency and disaster events. The Department of Emergency Management, as part of its mandate and work programme, has actively risen to the challenge and acted.”
The expo also saw the participation of several government agencies and private sector bodies, including the Barbados Fire Service, the Diabetes Association of Barbados, and Carib Supply.