-as Month for the Elderly begins
The need for a change in the perceptions of the elderly, who are vessels of knowledge, was voiced at the launch of the Month for the Elderly at the Palms yesterday.
The month, which seeks to express gratitude for the various contributions of the elderly to the development of the country, will be celebrated under the theme “Working for the elderly, celebrating their contribution to Guyana.” “Without you, there would be no us,” said Priya Manickchand, Minster of Human Services in her address to the senior citizens in the audience. She said that she was very glad to launch the month since it was an ideal way to express gratitude to them since they have done much for the nation.
Manickchand said that activities for the month will focus on what can be done with and for them. She assured them of government’s commitment of working towards improvements in their lives regardless of their circumstances. At the Palms, where 230 persons are housed, she said that work is being done to improve the standard of care and quality of life for them as they live out their lives.
The vision is the transform the institution from that of a shelter to that of a shelter of quality by placing emphasis on improvement to the facilities available, improvement in meals and care received. It was disclosed that a recreational facility will be opened within the month.
Meanwhile, Rev. Kwame Gilbert said that the elderly are the pillars of the society and should not be seen as “antiquated and nesting relics of time gone by.” Rather, it was necessary for younger citizens to recognize their worth and the knowledge they possess. He encouraged persons to do kind deeds for the elderly and said that over time, small steps add up.
“Retire does not mean give up on life, it actually means to put on new tyres…re-tire,” Gilbert added. To this end, he said that they could be taught to use an i-pod, set up an email account so that they can remain on contact with technology.
The programme included the presentation of gifts to two of the oldest residents of the home and was opened with prayers being said in the three religious denominations by a resident of the Palms.
