We have a duty to help senior citizens age with dignity

A symposium took place on October 14 to celebrate the International Day of Older Persons which has been celebrated annually, normally on October 1, since 1996. The symposium, organised by  the Kenya Chapter of the Federation of Former International Civil Servants, had the theme, 'Aging with dignity. Ageing with dignity is about being treated with respect, being acknowledged as an individual, and having a say in every decision pertaining to your life.

This year’s commemoration emphasised the importance of protecting the human rights of caregivers and care recipients, promoting person-centered approaches to care that respect the dignity, beliefs, needs, and privacy of older persons, and for the right of elderly people to make decisions about their own care and quality of life. Deliberations from the four-breakout discussion groups generated some good recommendations. However, discussions also highlighted a few issues that hinder the dignity of elders, namely, lack of respect, abandonment, and financial strain.

During the meeting, the term ‘lack of respect’ was repeatedly mentioned in all the breakout groups. Unfortunately, the word ‘respect’ seems to have disappeared from our vocabulary in both rural and urban areas in Africa, unlike in advanced countries and some developing countries, where elderly people are still treated with respect. For instance, public transport in the latter countries, often have seats which are reserved for older people.

Sadly, in the African scenario, it is common to see the elderly struggling or competing to take public transport and, in many cases, young people will not give up their seats to older persons. It was also mentioned how in our hospitals and clinics, the elderly are not given respect or prioritised. It is commonplace, especially in our public hospitals, for older people to queue in line waiting to be served for a very long time.

Another example of mistreatment of the elderly that was mentioned was the way young people in some parts of Kilifi have been trying to grab property and land from older people by branding them witches. This has been ongoing for some time and there have been calls for government intervention to rescue these older people from further abuse.

Ironically, in Tana River County, where there have been fighting over grazing land and water, authorities have called together elders from the warring communities to find solutions to the current conflicts. This demonstrates that the opinions of elders are still highly respected and that elders can be used to settle land use conflicts.

Further, no one wants to feel abandoned or isolated but circumstances can make people feel lonely. Older persons become lonely when their children move away, or they lose touch with friends, or have difficulty getting out of the house to socialise. For example, in recent years, the children of some families who went abroad to study have extended their international stay and acquired jobs.

Sometimes, their mothers are invited to help with caring for their grandchildren, particularly in the case of working mothers. When grandmothers decide to extend their stay abroad, their husbands back home have no one to assist them with cooking and other house chores resulting in some men suffering from depression and loneliness. It is therefore important for children not to separate their parents when they are elderly.

Moreover, elderly persons should not be left alone for long periods of time. An elderly woman who lived alone without any help was discovered nine months after her death. It is not clear why this woman, who was a former teacher, did not have house help. Sadly, although her children sent money regularly, they neither called nor stopped by to visit their mother.

Her loneliness raises a number of questions. First, is Nyumba Kumi working? If so, how could it have taken neighbours nine months to notice that something was amiss in the woman's compound?

The symposium also discussed a number of issues faced by elderly people that stem from financial constraints. For instance, older persons in rural areas and in poor urban neighbourhoods often cannot afford medical check-ups, let alone paying for medical treatment. Even for those who can afford to pay, the costs have soared for both treatments and the purchase of medication.

As part of assisting older people, there is need to subsidise their medical treatment. For example, it was mentioned that the Philippines' Senior Citizen Act of 2010 grants privileges to senior citizens, namely, a 20 per cent discount on medicines and health-related items, and exemption from value added tax on goods and services including medical services, food, lodging, transport, and funeral services.

Also, express lanes are provided in all commercial and government establishments to ensure faster services for the elderly. Given that the population of Philippines is twice that of Kenya, and the proportion of older persons is three times that of Kenya, this is a very commendable approach and should be emulated in other countries including ours.

The social protection allowance of Sh2,000 per month for elderly people in Kenya is not sufficient to pay for their general welfare, let alone for medical check-ups and treatments and medication. Many older people who were in service and are now retired have inadequate pensions, and it is common for people both in rural and urban areas to not have medical insurance.

It is our hope that the Older Persons Bill 2024 will provide opportunities to assist people age in a meaningful way in a rapidly changing society.