Member of the Board of Directors of the Dominica Council on Ageing (DCOA), Yvonne Alexander, has highlighted a few areas of concern as it relates to dealing with older people in society.
Alexander, who was addressing a DCOA press conference on Tuesday, said she is concerned about the type of services provided to older people on island.
According to her, older people are a vulnerable group similar to children or the disabled, and sometimes the services that are meted out to them leave much to be desired.
She applauded the efforts of the banks that provide a line for senior citizens.
“That is not necessarily the case in many instances, and in one of the instances where it is not the case, is in the older people trying to source healthcare,” Alexander stated.
“In this current era,” she continued,”it is not unusual for an older person to be given an appointment to see, be it the dentist, the eye specialist or just the general practitioner, or sometimes even at our Health Centres or at our hospitals where they may just go in for emergency services and just sitting there for hours even when given an appointment.”
Alexander asked, “Are we sufficiently sensitive about the fact that we are speaking about an elderly person who may have little aches and pains?”
She commended bus drivers generally, for the service they provide, pointing out that they provide a good service for many people who can’t afford to purchase their own vehicles and who rely on the bus service.
However, the former police superintendent said there are some bus drivers who do not treat elderly people very well.
“I have personally been told by an elderly person who I had to give a lift, about being ordered off a bus by a bus driver with her groceries because she felt that the bus was just sitting there in the hot sun and she was feeling hot,” Alexander explained.
She called on persons to have patience, more tolerance; be mindful; do a good deed; visit, and say a kind word to the elderly in our midst.
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