Homes for the Elderly...

                                                                      Arima

 

 

                               According to Index Mundi (2013), the elderly dependency ratio in Trinidad and Tobago account for about 12.9% of the total population which means that there are over 170,000 elderly persons living in this country. Sometimes, taking care of the elderly may be a bit difficult, especially for persons with no knowledge on how to care for them. Some people then make the decision to place an elderly family member in a geriatric home where proper care can be administered to them. Although placing the old in an elderly home may mean appropriate care for them, this is not always the case. As indicated by the Guardian Media as of 2012, "Of the 131 homes for the elderly in Trinidad and Tobago, 85 are functioning and there is a need for greater capacity to manage the needs of the growing elder population." However, some elderly persons are still simply abandoned by their families wilfully as indicated by the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian newspapers (2012).
 

                              Brink (1998) therefore proposes policies that should monitor services and care for the elderly which focuses on "Continuity, in order to avoid severe changes and undesirable conditions for the elderly, self-determination, so that the elderly have real choices for influencing their own lives and utilisation of the elderly person's own resources in accordance to their wishes." The elderly needs a variety of conditions to sustain them. The Trinidad and Tobago Newsday newspapers (2010) indicated that, "Elderly persons need a proper home, financial assistance, treatment for mental health and medical issues related to ageing such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, which would often lead to the need for nursing care. And being old does not mean that they do not need to socialise."

                          
 The photo above illustrates an elderly home (Rigsby Pius Charles: Home for the Aged) within the city of Arima, Trinidad. There mission statement is to "Offer friendship and support to the poor to help people attain self sufficiency and to identify structural causes of social injustice within society and to work for their elimination."

                       
     In my opinion, I am against the concept of old age homes. I think the elderly should not be isolated from the family to be out into another institution that they are unfamiliar with. Placing the elderly in elderly homes in addition results in the lost of knowledge being passed on to younger generations. The same way they once were the care givers, they should receive that same care, at home.

Reference:

• Brink, Satya. 1998. Housing Older People: An International Perspective. New Jersey: State University.

• Guardian Media. 2012. "Abandoning the Elderly." Guardian Media, Accessed Accessed March 28. http://guardian.co.tt/editorial/2012-06-04/abandoning-elderly.

• Index Mundi. 2013. "Trinidad and Tobago Demographics Profile." Index Mundi, Accesses March 28. http://www.indexmundi.com/trinidad_and_tobago/demographics_profile.html.

• Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 2010. "The Burden of Old Age: Abandonment, Abuse and Neglect." Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, Accessed March 28. http://www.newsday.co.tt/sunday_special_report/0,127042.html.