Aging disgracefully or gracefully? World Day of Older Persons in perspective

It is often wished, especially on birthdays, that celebrants age gracefully. But is that the case, looking at how our society treats the aged who are increasingly being pushed to the background?

Last Tuesday, October 1, was observed as International Day of Older Persons. The theme for this year’s celebration is, “Ageing with dignity, the importance of strengthening care and support systems for older persons worldwide.” (World Health Organisation, WHO).

As I reflected on this theme, my initial reaction was a beautiful capture. However, I dismissed it in one breath because in practice, our talk or wish hardly translate into reality. Action or implementation is always a problem.

In our society, age bias and discrimination have increasingly escalated particularly with the current generation. Inclusivity is not part of us when it comes to the aged. The actions and inactions of society at large, of our governance structure, public service, pensions, health care, elderly care, human rights and extended family values all fall short where they apply to the aged.

Mistreatment

Ageing is becoming disgraceful and not graceful. In some deprived communities and sometimes even in enlightened groups the aged are branded witches and wizards and mistreated with some of their basic rights trampled upon.

It is sad that the aged, once a nation’s cornerstone, financially sound and contributing their might to the positive development of societies do not matter anymore. Forgotten and dumped, these same-aged persons once carried the economy to some sound heights with their taxes and duties.

These were thought leaders be it in government, legislature, public and private sectors, education, health, judiciary, media, and our churches and they successfully held the nation up as the Ghana that was the envy in Africa.

Today, in their old age, these once active citizens, live in regret because old age has branded them as “lack of physical and mental capacity”.

Talk about inclusivity and no one wants to hear because “their time is past and they are retired”. Age bias and discrimination are very real, causing misery and abandonment by the same society that once hailed their contributions.

Age 60 has become the bar, once crossed; it does not matter if the brain and the body are in sound shape. The rich past experiences and knowledge acquired in critical and special areas are not even looked at, more so, considered, when it comes to public and private service.

Health care

One can talk about the health care system and how the aged have been disappointingly abandoned; knowing health is a big concern and cost area for the aged. Even where people have paid to access public or private medical care, discrimination sets in, with the attitudes of some health staff leaving much to be desired. The posturing seems to say, “They are on their last lap, anyway”.

It is time for the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to pay attention to dedicated geriatric care in their facilities.  The practice where the old are made to join queues is not the best.

Experts have highlighted the myriad of ageing-associated diseases that confront old age. Some of the diseases are unavoidable because they are age-related. It is, therefore, appropriate that as with child immunisations and paediatric care, the same concerns should be given to and planned for geriatric care.

It is well and good that the Ghana Health Insurance Scheme has lately considered the 70 years plus for free registration.  It is commendable and more could be done, like dedicated queues at health facilities for the aged to facilitate quick attention.

The finances of the aged are another area that sometimes brings in abandonment and disgrace due to low state pensions and lack of support systems for the aged.

In some jurisdictions, the aged are a planned part of their system irrespective of state pension benefits.  Some such support given to the aged by the state includes free public transportation within the country, free prescriptions, medical aid/care and in some areas, one free cooked meal at dedicated centres.

Family support

The attitude, even within family support systems, has suffered some jolt as far as caring for the aged is concerned. The shift may be a result of increased focus on nuclear families and busy schedules at work.  In our generation, parental care was very much a waiting responsibility. It is not so anymore.

Children and grandchildren are busy with work, chasing better lives than what their parents and grandparents afforded them. As such, they are left with very little time for the elderly at home.

At most, what some families are doing is to hire and pay for carers to look after their aged relatives. Even that can be problematic sometimes.

The aged in our society have contributed much to bringing our society this far. It is only appropriate that deliberate policies are put in place to reward them with national support interventions that would bring dignity to the once-active pillars of the economy.

The nation has a responsibility towards its ageing population, for old times’ sake. It should not be a case of ageing disgracefully and dumped until death do them part and then organise expensive funerals.