Spare a thought for the elderly

IN the midst of all the political turmoil in the country, a small but significant news item appeared in our pages this week which all would do well to take note of.
The World Health Organisation stated that by 2015, there will be about 400,000 people aged over 60 in Papua New Guinea.
This would place a significant strain on the health system of the country, WHO reported. Needless to say, the system is already stretched to breaking point and needs no extra strain at all.
William Adu-Krow, the WHO representative in PNG, said in a statement that health and other sectors of the country must firstly recognise the contributions made by our elders and to prepare for that time when they would need assistance in their old age.
This statement indicates that more and more people are living beyond PNG’s life expectancy limit of 54.
Once upon a time in PNG, such a comment would be shrugged off as a problem that Papua New Guineans ought to care about as they have a traditionally tried and tested welfare system that caters well for the very young and the very old.
Today, however, the story is different. A lot of those living over 60 years reside in urban settings. They are far removed from the safety net of the mostly village-based traditional social welfare system, often referred to as the wantok system.
Such people only have their savings, if they have any, and siblings, if they have any, to lean on for security and sustenance in old age.
The state, unfortunately, has no policy on the infirm and elderly. There are neither homes for the elderly nor trained personnel to run them. It is imperative that the government takes a long hard look at this issue and address them.
It is all the more important because the traditional welfare system is almost completely dismantled by the rapid spread of modernisation. Infrastructure development might not have spread into the rural areas yet, but ideas have. The cash economy and the nuclear family concept have now replaced the once strong extended family, clan and tribal allegiances upon which the wantok system was based.
Whereas the working senior might fall back on some superannuation saving in his old age, the elderly in the village are left to fend for themselves and many of their children are away at work or in school.
There have been many instances where elderly individuals and even couples have starved to death or died of ill-health because nobody has been there to help them. They are almost always the first victims of droughts, famine and natural disasters.
In advanced societies, senior home care does exist, although it is not always the most popular choice among governments. Debates are raging in Australia and the United States on medicare and other benefits for the elderly. Indeed, US President Barack Obama has been accused by his political opponents of adopting “Hitler style” tactics to kill off the elderly with his medicare scheme.
If PNG were to adopt policies to care for the old in future, and it ought to, attention must be given not only to home care facilities but to safeguarding the elderly from depression and loneliness, big killers for them. Experts must be trained not only to take care of the medical needs of the patients but also provide counselling for mental and psychological strength.
As we anticipate increased revenues into PNG’s coffers and a corresponding improvement in the standard of living, we must be mindful that it will lead to growing lifespan of our people. While this is good news, it will bring with it its own set of problems.
Actually, this is not a problem we can anticipate in future. It is already here. Many of those who will be making the policy decisions on this are themselves almost there if they are not already more than 60 years old.