“Elder abuse dishonours family and society”

The scourge of elderly abuse made headlines earlier this year, writes Lyn-Marie Blackman, 30, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Barbados. She reminds younger Barbadians to honour those who paved the way for the social and economic development they enjoy today.

This May, a video of an elderly woman being mistreated by an auxiliary nurse in an elderly care facility in Barbados went viral.

This video sent shock waves amongst the population; many were irate and disturbed by its content. Mainstream media must have earned a robust income from the many newspapers sold and the news broadcasts that carried details of said incident.

As sordid as the video was, it was also the catalyst for the uncovering of similar incidents regarding the treatment of our senior citizens. They brought to light cases of our elderly being beaten, having their pensions being taken away by family members, being poorly fed and abandoned in private and public nursing homes.

Barbados is an aging population, which means a lot of its citizens are living a lot longer. The island is also in the midst of celebrating 50 years of independence, and the contribution senior citizens have made to the country should be honoured. In their golden years, we should be showing respect to these goodly folks, not mistreating them. Our Grandmothers, mothers, grandfathers and fathers in their old ages should not be tossed aside like litter for the garbage heap, but rather cherished and loved until their last breath. What would cause Barbadians — whose country’s motto is ‘Pride and Industry’ —  to not take pride in ourselves and respect our senior citizens?

Are we so driven by becoming a modernized society that we push the ‘ancient people’ aside? We have to do better as a people. Those who are offending and disrespecting our seniors should feel the heavy weight of the law. As we embark on another 50 years, let us be the pioneers of loving our elderly and their contributions. They are the ones who paved the way for us. Let us pay homage to them.

photo credit: Lee Edwin Coursey Canes via photopin (license)

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About me: I am a conservative and articulate individual with an innate desire to see love, peace and unity triumph. My interests lie in medical research. I enjoy researching medical news from around the world and reporting it in my monthly newsletter entitled L.I.F.E.

I love biomedical science and believe it holds the key to a healthier society. I aspire to become a medical researcher and writer. My focus now is obtaining more exposure for my newsletters: L.I.F.E. and The Believer.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
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