Abuse of older persons continues to be a major concern in Dominica and according to advocate Tina Alexander, there are cases of physical abuse in Dominica where older people are actually being assaulted.
Alexander was speaking at an activity to raise awareness about elder abuse which was held at the Garraway Hotel recently.
The activity was organized by PHARCS (Premium Home and Residential Care Services) in collaboration with the Dominica Council on Ageing (DCOA).
“Physical abuse is happening in Dominica. People are actually assaulting older people,” she said.
Alexander continued, “I heard very sadly that an older friend of mine who is visually impaired was attacked coming down from the hospital…,”
She stated also that most physical abuse happens from people who the older person trusts.
“Mostly it is somebody who is meant to be taking care of them,” Alexander remarked. “A child, a grandchild, a caregiver, someone from Yes We Care…”
She added, “Some of them are really good, don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about the organization. There are individuals who behave badly in every situation and just because they are related to you by blood doesn’t mean that they don’t have a bad temper.”
Alexander revealed that she has been called to the hospital to counsel somebody that was raped. “The lady was 90 years-old,” she said.
“Sexual abuse does happen and it is not always just about rape,” she explained. “Sexual abuse is any sort of touching of your body that you don’t want.”
Alexander added, “If somebody touches you, forces themselves on you it’s sexual abuse.”
She indicated that older people have a right to say no just as young people have a right to say no.
Alexander explained further that if she notices bruises on somebody it is possible that the person did fall over, “it is possible they did trip in the bath or hit their head on the door knob. It is possible but I will ask the same question several times and see if I get the same answer.”
She went on to say that, “sometimes the person cannot remember what they told you about how they got the injury and they tell you something different and sometimes it might just slip out.”
She said not all abuse is physical; there is also financial abuse and sexual abuse of the elderly.
“People think that older people don’t have sex. It’s not true and people have a right to have sex with their partner and it is very important that people don’t deny that to them,” Alexander.
Meantime, New President of the DCOA, Ophelia Olivaccé Marie encourages the elderly to take care of each other.
“Let’s take care of one another but let us start with ourselves…,” she said. “We are challenging ourselves here to walk…walk for our elders, walk for ourselves.”
Marie believes that anyone who has attained the age of sixty is an elder.
The activity was held under the theme: “Access to Justice, Turning Voices into Action to end Elder Abuse”.
Tina Alexander raises the important issue of sex and aging. The emotional energy associated with sex changes rather than diminishes as we get older. At best, it becomes more profound.
There is a relationship between sex, creativity and sensibility. These relationships deserve a greater understanding if we are to benefit from – rather than abuse – nature’s most dynamic force throughout life.
This is most concerning, the abuse of elderly people. Many of these people have worked most of their lives to pave a path of success for us. It’s so unfortunate that when they need us most we treat them like derelict vehicles. The physical, emotional, verbal, mental and financial abuse they so often suffer, especially. at the hands of some relatives, is heart wrenching. We , as a society, have to devise ways to protect these very vulnerable group of people from the decadence that now pervades this land.