PRIOR to the 2021 general elections, the St. Lucia Labour Party made it crystal clear that: “A Labour Party government in recognition of its core value of inclusiveness will find ways of encouraging retired elderly and vulnerable groups with a view to encouraging their participation in nation building.
To be frank, I was not surprised when the Minister of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs paid a courtesy call on the Management of the St. Lucy’s Home. In fact, he paid courtesy calls on the Elderly Homes in St. Lucia which are under his jurisdiction as Minister of Elderly Affairs. It was the first time that a minister of health had visited Homes for the Elderly in St. Lucia.
I say hats off to Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste!
Indeed, the government is in the process of putting words into action. Steps are currently being taken to formulate a National Policy for Older Persons. And the expectations of older persons in St. Lucia would be exceedingly high.
In the context of older persons, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization consider the age of 60+ as Older Persons.
Now older persons have been going through very rough times in our nation. They are sexually abused, encounter inadequate health care, lack of food, poor transportation facilities, physically abused, lack of shelter, economic insecurity, among many others
The policy on older persons will envisage state support to ensure financial and food security, healthcare, shelter and other needs of older persons.
Our older persons have made significant contributions in various fields of endeavour in our society, paving the way for the many positive attributes that we now enjoy as a people; as a nation; as St. Lucians.
It is important to understand the problems experienced by older persons, which justifies intervention of government.
A centenarian living in my community and still very active, going to church by herself and still very active in the community was brutally, sexually abused or violated by an assailant. It is important to note that she lived alone. Isn’t that something!
There have been several cases of older persons being violated in our nation. But the time is fast approaching when older persons would be held in an environment which prevents this sort of behaviour against them.
Inadequate health care services are an area which must receive attention. Yes, there are Health and Wellness Centres in every major community in St. Lucia; yes, the opportunity to visit a doctor or health care worker at these health facilities is there. But the availability of the medication needed for health care is not there. For example, Dapagliflozin, Triplixam and Vitamin B12 are expensive medications not available at the Health and Wellness Centres. Therefore, those older persons must go to the private pharmacies to purchase them. As I write, government may not be able to make these medications, and other expensive ones, available at all the Wellness Centres, however, government could make them available at three Wellness Centres; north, central and south, specifically for the older persons who could ill afford.
Another aspect of health care is Mental Health care. COVID-19 has inflicted much pain and traumatic experiences in our various communities. Many of our older persons need to be evaluated and proper services provided. Our mental health centres are not equipped to deal with those older persons who need those services. Indeed, it’s only after they become violent that we easily put them away at the overpopulated National Wellness Centre.
At a time when we are speaking food security, many older persons are going without a meal for the day. That’s no joke! I am almost sure that the policy for older persons would address this situation or at least, speak to it.
Now the impression I get is that when the older folks get to seventy and over, they’re on their way back to their creator, to put it mildly, and they no longer get some types of insurance coverage and it’s at a time when they need it most. But the matter of Insurance companies operating in St. Lucia is a matter I wish to deal with in a separate article.
Poor housing is a lingering condition faced by many families in St. Lucia. This has led government to undertake major repair work to the homes of some five hundred households throughout the country. Many of our older persons live in those poor housing conditions.
Income security poses another challenge for our older persons. Many of our older persons who are retired are recipients of a pension either from government or the private sector. Although prices of commodities in the supermarkets and elsewhere have increased threefold, they still must make do with the same level of pension for twenty or more years.
Many of our older persons also receive public assistance. The money is paid at various centres monthly. But in recent times the money is paid two or three months late prompting the Prime Minister to make a case for those persons so that they receive the public assistance together with payment of salaries to public servants.
Government also gives a subvention to several institutions which house older persons. That too, is paid late. To be frank, it’s only within the last three years that has been happening. But I know the government is sensitive to those situations, and would do its best to improve that area.
I am sure the police for older persons will highlight the plight of the vulnerable within the older persons’ category such as widows, women in general, the poor rural women and the disabled.
I am grossly aware of the final constraints faced by the government in fixing the several problems experienced by older persons in St, Lucia. and I expect the fixing to be a gradual but steady process.