By Ada Nkong
The need to accord older persons the dignity and respect they deserve has been emphasized.
The Journalists Network for Ageing in Nigeria made the call in a statement to mark the 2024 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day jointly signed by the Chairman Mr Maxwell Eseigbe and the secretary Mrs Francisca Ogar.
Describing the theme for the year, “Older Persons Deserve our Respect and Attention; Spotlight on Older persons in Emergencies ‘ as timely, the group decried the lack of adequate geriatric care facilities in Nigeria, saying that a lot of older persons in rural areas die before their time because of the distance between them and standard medical facilities where they can access help in emergency situations.
They also highlighted the high cost of drugs and other medical supplies which have skyrocketed with the fall of the naira making it increasingly out of reach for older persons and called on the government to implement the policies promoted by the National senior citizens centre which will ease the access to geriatric care for older persons.
Pointing to the rich culture of respect for older persons in Nigerian traditional societies, they condemned all forms of ageism including verbal, emotional and economic abuse presently commonly directed at older persons in our society.
While reminding everyone that all persons will age at one point in life, they reiterated the need to work towards a society where older persons are loved and treated well so that when we all age, we can benefit from the change.
June 15th every year is set aside internationally as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to tackle ageism globally.
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