Exploring ways in which older persons can actually help our society
ABOUT TWO years ago, I wrote a column on ‘Engaging the Elderly’, prompted primarily by some young people openly disrespecting an elder person, although the specific incident is one I can’t remember.

The column was primarily about how society could take better care of its older citizens; I suggested everything I could think of at the time towards that objective, from a needs-based pensioners fund supported by the private sector, to the mass media making a conscious effort to represent the elderly and their concerns in its content and programming.


QUOTE: ‘Disrespect towards older people is a form of discrimination, yes, but so is patronizing them’


In retrospect, I think that by virtue of little emphasis on how elders can help society, my perspective might have been a little bit skewed towards condescension.

Firstly, the term “elderly” is itself loaded with a lot of prejudicial significance, particularly labels like ‘infirm’, ‘weak’, ‘incompetent’, ‘irrelevant’.  Disrespect towards older people is a form of discrimination, yes, but so is patronizing them.

In revisiting the topic of ‘Engaging the Elderly’, I wish to explore ways in which older persons can actually help our society, providing that the right mechanisms are put in place to harness their experience, skills and talent.  First of all, probably the best term to describe the demographic to which I’m referring is ‘seniors’.

Issues of definition resolved, I think the first step to engaging seniors beneficially is to create the best possible environment for them to be comfortable in. The pension system here has seen serious strides, particularly over the past few years, and ditto for the public healthcare system to which senior citizens have access.

Yet, it’s my belief that what can ultimately turn out to be the best option for our pensioners is a one-stop shop facility, strategically perpetuated around the country, where they can access a range of services – existing and proposed – including general medication, prescriptions, pension, essential services financial aid and even bus passes for a free shuttle in a senior citizens’ shuttle bus service.  I can say, without fear of sounding condescending, that senior citizens of any country deserve – by virtue of their decades of contribution to their respective societies – whatever that society can afford by way of making their day-to-day lives easier; and amalgamating certain services into one space would be crucial in achieving this.

This could be the foundation for something more advanced but equally more useful when it comes to engaging senior citizens. Many of us know, primarily through references in movies and television shows, about retirement communities in the United States of America, Florida, in particular. I see no reason why there can’t be retirement communities established here, particularly considering the recent boom in local housing projects; we have thousands of Guyanese retirees in countries around the world, whose main wish is return to Guyana and enjoy the rest of their lives.

Indeed, I know of many people my age and younger who talk about migrating, earning the money, returning and creating a comfortable-enough life of retirement.  Guyana has the basic requirement of retirement communities around the world, namely a relatively stable tropical climate.  The retiree returning to Guyana will enjoy the weather, an economy where their developed world pension can make them live like virtual royalty, and where most public health care comes at a fraction of the cost of that of developed countries.  All that’s needed is a few gated, age-restricted communities where certain amenities specific to seniors are established.

Complementary to the enabling social environment for senior citizens would be a mechanism, or interrelated mechanisms, which are designed to keep senior citizens meaningfully engaged with the society in which they live.  The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is a good model to emulate, as is the Canadian Executive Service Organisation (CESO), although the latter has a strong overseas services component, something that would most likely be untenable at present in a Guyanese organization of retirees. I would say that a safe estimate of 60% of persons who reach retirement age in Guyana are still able and willing to work in some capacity, and such an organization would provide the framework for their continued contribution.

Related to this is the establishment of a skills database which tracks retirees, as well as those close to retirement, both at home and abroad, a mechanism that I believe is critical to effectively harnessing the contributions of seniors.  And closely linked to this would be another mechanism that captures as much as possible the vital institutional memory that so often gets lost when people reach retirement age in Guyana.

I think that there are two conflicting prevalent attitudes in Guyana with regard to senior citizens’ position in society. On one hand, there are small but influential pockets of paternalism (and maternalism) where there is little scope for upward mobility of bright, ambitious young people, and I sense that some of the disrespect shown to elders might be a manifestation of this phenomenon. On the other, there is a put-to-pasture mentality which is becoming increasingly prevalent.  I think that the best approach would be to ensure that people past a certain age have the option of engaging with society, giving of their wisdom and experience, while making a space for younger people to follow the same path that they have taken.

EDITOR’s NOTE: This is a reprint of the final installment of a two-part article on the subject which was written to coincide with the observation of Month of the Elderly.