Dear Editor,
While there have been growing challenges both economically and socially, the Essequibo Coast is in dire need of a care centre for the elderly, since it will be an invaluable investment that will serve to curtail the increasing trend of wandering elderly residents. Old age is inevitable and there are those who prepare for it while unfortunately there are others who are affected by it. I have seen numerous examples of elderly people who are neglected and are suffering in the most heinous manner. I continue to witness a handicapped elderly man struggling on the public road in the sweltering heat and rain who seems to be in a lost world. Those around him do not appear to have any conscience about his plight. He remains a threat to traffic since his daily expeditions are in a wheelchair in which he rolls himself to every corner of the road. His consumption of alcohol further poses a danger to his health and the traffic, especially in the evening when he rests at any point on the road. Yet no one cares about the life of someone who has made his contribution to society, and is reaping the ignominy of a hostile world which does not seem to care for the elderly.
Then there are those unpleasant old beggars who have to eke out a living on the roadside and in the market places, like the popular and once promising scholar whose only possessions now are loads of books and old papers in a rusty bag. He lives an unbelievably sordid life in a bus shed. These are people who have families, yet they are being neglected. There is a particular old woman who has to be on her heels daily along with her daughter enduring the insults of false names in order to seek a meal from somewhere. This is the scene in many villages on the Essequibo Coast and it is time that the government build a home to care for the elderly.
There are establishments in both Georgetown and Berbice for the elderly, and it must have dawned upon the relevant stakeholders that the population in Essequibo is growing and ageing and the final stage of life should not be an unhappy one for those who are in need of comfort. I therefore suggest that given the vast land that exists within the region the government and Food For The Poor could jointly sponsor a building that could house these unfortunate elderly residents so they can feel appreciated, receive medical assistance and enjoy the humane touch of those who care and are willing to support them, including business entities and philanthropists.
I was recently looking at an American almanac where I saw that there is a day for remembering grandparents (September 9). Respect for the elderly will make a society conscious and appreciative of the values and contribution of every single human being. The establishment of a home for those who need support will certainly be a significant landmark in the lives of our elderly on the Essequibo Coast.
Yours faithfully,
Elroy Stephney
