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During Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, the Minister of Health, Sir Molwyn Joseph, shared some concerning news regarding the well-being of elderly citizens in the country.
Specifically, he reported that 10 elderly men and women have been abandoned by their relatives and are now residing at the SLBMC.
The Minister went on to provide the names of these individuals as well as the contact information for their next of kin.
This situation has raised serious concerns about the need for new legislation to protect the rights of these vulnerable citizens.
To address this issue, the Minister proposed an ‘Abandonment of the Elderly and Protection of their Assets’ Act, which would provide legal safeguards to ensure that the rights and well-being of elderly citizens are protected and respected, even in cases when their own relatives have failed to provide the necessary care and support.
It is such a shame! I agree with the Minister in this case. If the family will not act responsibly, then the government should step in. Any assets these senior citizens have, should then be under the government ‘s administration. The family should get ZILCH! Those assets should be used for the care of the individual. If there are family members or relatives residing you in their homes, they should be evicted. If they’re collecting the pension or social security funds it should be rederected for the individual’s care.