MINISTER of Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Jennifer Webster has assured that Government will work assiduously this year to conclude drafting legislation for the protection of the elderly.

She gave the assurance in Parliament while describing the recent murders of two elderly women who lived alone as “horrific.”
Speaking during the Budget Debate, she noted that both of the victims had lost their lives in the confines of their homes and at least one of them is alleged to have been raped.
The Minister declared that the murders were extreme acts by criminals who have targeted the weak and added that there were other forms of abuse of the elderly that seemed to be becoming prevalent.
“There are cases where elderly persons are taken to hospitals for treatment and are abandoned at these institutions by their families. Some elderly citizens are physically and emotionally abused by their family members on a regular basis and some also financially abused, since their pensions are taken away from them,” she remarked.
“This is a worrisome trend and needs to be addressed urgently. We, as leaders, must, by our actions, send a strong signal that these types of actions will not be tolerated by society. We must uphold the rights of the elderly,” she urged.
Mentioning the increase in old age pensions and the 50 per cent rise in the Pensioners Electricity Assistance Programme in the 2014 budget, Minister Webster emphasised that each succeeding generation is born of the sacrifice from the previous one.
She said: “Our elderly have contributed to the development of Guyana in many ways and it will always be a major priority within our Government’s remit to provide for the elderly and meet their needs.”
She said the National Commission on the Elderly will accelerate its work this year on legislation towards setting minimum standards for caregivers and to prosecute people who neglect , mistreat or take advantage of the elderly.
Webster said in that regard, she will also support the expansion of Community Policing Groups (CPGs) which are intended to make people in their communities, including the elderly, safer.
By Clifford Stanley