Minister Calls for Improved Care of Elderly Population Amidst Concerns of Neglect

Minister Of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey has called on families to take better care of their elderly.

Humphrey said that as the builders of the country, the elderly population were a treasured resource and therefore more action must be taken to safeguard and empower them.

He was speaking yesterday at the Steel Shed in Queen’s Park, The City, during an expo on Protection Of Seniors During A Disaster, held in association with the Department of Emergency Management and the Barbados Association of Retired Persons.

“There are people whose only care in this country is when the home health workers from National Assistance Board go to visit the households and those people live in houses with other people sometimes.

“I feel as if there has to be a greater conversation around family. I do not know that we need to pass this legislation . . . for people to know that it is not good enough for us to continue to sideline and ill-treat older persons the way that we do. I also do not think that we need to pass legislation to tell families that they have a responsibility to look after older persons,” the minister said, noting that the upcoming policy on National Ageing will seek to address these instances of neglect.

Humphrey emphasised that, in turn, a greater conversation must be held surrounding the family dynamics, understanding that some people still carry past childhood traumas and parental conflicts.

“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 carry a certain degree of hurt,” he said.

“We talk to some people and they say . . . I don’t speak to my mother, definitely

don’t speak to my father, he was never around. He did nothing for me. I care nothing for that man, and it is not that it is an unreal emotion.

“People are dealing with trauma and if you’re going to be able to address the issues affecting older persons, there’s a level of trauma that we need to be able to address and to be able to talk about. But several people are unable to engage with older persons and family members because of trauma,” he said.

The expo was held in part to provide conversations on addressing the vulnerabilities faced by senior citizens in times of disaster.

The minister mentioned that per the policy on National Ageing, several strategy interventions related to disaster management would be outlined. Humphrey added in these cases of national emergency the neglect faced by the elderly was often brought to light.