Ogun CMD, others lament abuse of elderly persons

The Provost and Medical Director of Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Dr Afis Agboola, has decried the growing abuse of the elderly persons.

He described as unfortunate a situation where people prioritised chasing after money at the expense of their aged ones.

Agboola condemned the rising waves of abuse of the elderly persons for no other reasons other being old, which he said, would come with its natural challenges.

He explained that everyone must get involved to fight every efforts denigrating or bringing discomfort to the aged ones.

The CMD described elders as repository of knowledge and wisdom, saying that they must be seen as prized citizens that should be accorded due dignity, care and honour at all times

Agboola spoke during the 2024 Elder’s Abuse Awareness Day held at the conference hall of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta.

He said, “The abuse of the elderly persons in our society is real, both in informal and formal settings.

“By informal setting, I mean in our homes where even the person employed to take care of the elderly ones are maltreating them and by formal setting, I mean in the old people’s homes run mainly abroad where even the care givers the government employed to take care of these aged are neglecting them, reason they now have CCTV cameras installed to check such callous acts.

“It is even more sad that we are now having the challenge in our midst in Africa because we are known to be taking care of our elderly ones, but these days, we seemed to have prioritised chasing after money than taking care of these aged fathers, mothers, uncles, aunties who were there for us while we were growing up.”

Agboola called on the people to have a change of heart as everyone will one day grow old, weak and will never pray to be disrespected or dehumanised on account of aging, which no one has control over.

The keynote speaker and Executive Director of Centre on Aging Development and Rights of Older Persons, Mr Olayinka Ajomale, said that by 2050, the population of older adults would have increased from about 900 million in 2015 to two billion with over 320 million experiencing one form of abuse or the other.

Ajomale said this meant one in every six elders translating to 15.7% would be abused, adding that the situation was high and unacceptable.

Ajomale said that the dignity of the elderly was a fundamental human right essential for their well-being and the quality of life in old age and must never be compromised under no circumstances.

Speaking with journalists at the event, Dr Abayomi Olajide, a Consultant Psychiatrist with Psychogeriatric Department of the hospital, said the programme was celebrated annually to demand for proper care and wellbeing of the elderly in our society