I enjoyed the Senate debate on the White Paper On Ageing, although I’m not too concerned with green, white and other coloured papers that Government is so fond of, but rather with getting the job done.
This process began in 1998. Then in 2005 a Green Paper was produced and now eight years later we have a White Paper. How long will it take to implement the policies and draft the recommended legislation, bearing in mind the shortage of drafters?
A headline in THE NATION of September 16, 2005, read: “The days of discrimination against the elderly in Barbados could soon be at an end. That is if recommendations contained in Government’s Green Paper On A National Policy On Ageing reach the statute books.” How many of the elderly have gone to the great beyond without seeing any relief, while successive Governments dragged their feet?
We cannot say that the elderly are ignored since there are public and private sector entities looking after aspects of their interest. What is missing seems to be mainly legislation and coordination of interventions. Certainly, an old lady I know who was abandoned by her family since the 1990s feels that it should be illegal to abandon one’s parents. Just as parents have a responsibility towards their children, so should children have a responsibility towards their parents.
I think this lack of a sense of responsibility is the root of the problem and must be fixed early in life; the 200 hours of service to be given by youth under the revamped National Youth Service Programme could help here. This would inculcate good values and encourage the mixing of the generations. However, we haven’t heard of the progress being made with this.
As Lalu Vaswani notes in the June 24 DAILY NATION: “The emphasis of governments . . . is to focus on ‘standard of living’ rather than ‘manner of living’. This translates into a decline in the moral fabric of the society and all its attendant ills.” He went on to say that learning institutions should emphasize giving and forgiving rather than getting and forgetting those who gave and what was received, that service to the needy should be encouraged and responsibility of youth rather than rights should be highlighted. If we continue along our present path we will continue this cycle of uncaring citizens.
This is not to say that “standard of living” is not important. Lalu notes that a proper balance of both is essential. For instance, I don’t see why in 2013 anyone should be using a pit toilet. Nor should there be elderly people, especially, living in squalor, when there are so many empty Government houses around the island. But are these houses allocated fairly?
Is social welfare allocated fairly? We have well dressed young people with expensive hairstyles and manicures collecting welfare. How did they qualify? There are, I understand, people who have been allocated low-income houses renting them and building their homes; those continuing to have children, not knowing how they are going to provide for them, and then picking and choosing what the Welfare Department offers them. This cannot continue. Scarce resources must be spent on those really in need.
It is important that proper protection of the National Insurance Scheme funds be legislated. There is anxiety among the ageing population that there will be no funds when they are ready to retire. Youngsters should be taught from very early to manage money and to plan for retirement. Of course, relief would be brought to many elderly people if the idea of reverse mortgages for those who are asset rich but cash poor becomes a reality. But as usual, we drag our feet.
Another of our failings is, as Senator Dr Carmichael stated in the debate: “We gaze at the stars, but don’t look down at our feet.” (Cicero). In other words, we want something new, rather than looking at what we have.
He was questioning the need to form a Commission on Elder Affairs when we already have the National Committee on Ageing, the National Assistance Board and institutions like the Barbados Association of Retired Persons. Why not strengthen these rather than having another institution at additional cost, then mandate the relevant ministry to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the activities of all these institutions?
• Dr Frances Chandler is a former Independent senator.