– Harmon

THE National Commission for the Elderly is in the process of establishing guidelines to raise the operating standards of senior citizens’ homes across the country, as the draft national policy on aging is expected to be completed soon.

This is according to Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, during a recent address, in observance of International Day of the Elderly, at St. Marks Anglican Church, Enmore, East Coast Demerara.

He said the policy will be designed to guide the integration of senior citizens to enable them to make contributions to society in a structured and meaningful way.
Since 2002, Harmon said, the Guyana Bureau of Statistics reported a 26.3 per cent rise in the number people aged 65 and over.

Based on these realities, the director-general told the gathering that the welfare of senior citizens achieving age equality has become a matter of high priority and great national importance.

“This priority and importance are reflected in our government’s programme in support of our senior citizens; a programme about which we are extremely proud,” Harmon said.
He explained that government has increased Old Age Pension between 2015 and 2019 from $13,125 to $20, 500 and, in 2018, senior citizens were relieved from having to pay airport departure tax and driver’s license and passport fees.

Further, Harmon said government is also in the process of digitising the Old Age Pension System, to enable pensioners to use their identification cards to uplift their pensions, rather than a pension book.

Additionally, he said the elderly residential visiting committee has, since 2017, been established to ensure that senior care homes and facilities countrywide are furnished with the requisite equipment and have supporting systems and conditions for the proper care of their elderly residents.

HIGH PRIORITY
“Brothers and sisters, I must emphasise that our government places a high priority on the care and welfare of our senior citizens. We recognise that they have made sterling individual and collective contributions to bringing our country to its present level of development, many of them have made great sacrifices in many instances and in many fields of endeavour, we cannot adequately compensate them for their contributions,” he said.

He continued: “I wish therefore, to take this opportunity to re-commit our government to continuing to give a high priority to the care and welfare of our elderly in 2020.”
Reflecting on the Palms Geriatric Home, Harmon said, prior to 2015, the building was in a ‘run down’ state and neglected. The building has since been rehabilitated to the tune of $66M with improved meals, accommodation and health services now being provided for the residents of the facility.

He explained that these improved facilities, include an infirmary with a resident gerontologist (medical doctor who specialises in elderly care) to provide medical care for all residents daily, as well as a health and fitness programme for able- bodied residents of the home.
“Our government looks forward to the time when we will establish institutions such as the Palms Geriatric Home in all 10 regions of Guyana,” he noted.

FITTING AND APPROPRIATE
Adding that the theme for this year’s senior citizens’ month is “Journey to age equality”, Harmon said it is quite fitting and appropriate.
According to the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social affairs, Harmon said the ‘journey to age equality’ focuses on pathways of coping with existing and preventing future old age inequality.

“We must strive to reach that place where there is zero discrimination based on age, the welfare of our senior citizens is a matter of concern for us all; we have a collective responsibility to establish and sustain an environment of safety and security for all the vulnerable sections of our society, including our senior citizens,” Harmon noted.

Harmon welcomed and congratulated the Diocesan Family Life Commission and the leadership of the various parishes which has collaborated to organise the programme at the St. Marks Anglican Church.

Additionally, the director-general, during his address at the Senior Citizens in Concert hosted recently at the West Demerara Secondary School, said Guyana is a country where foreparents taught that parents are to be respected.

“These and other positive social values are embedded in our culture and cut across all barriers. Respect and concern for the elderly have also transcended into being one of the priority areas of our government’s policies,” he noted.