|
A Voice for the Elderly
Bua
News Online
October 18, 2011
South Africa
More than 1 500
elderly people from around the country will on Wednesday get an
opportunity to discuss key issues affecting them with Social
Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini.
The minister invited the elderly to the South African Older Persons
Forum (SAOPF) meeting to be held in Bloemfontein on Wednesday as part
of the Social Development Month programme.
The annual SAOPF will be used to discuss key issues affecting older
persons including safety in residential care facilities, financial
exploitation by "loan sharks" as well as their roles in the family and
the broader community.
During the meeting, Dlamini will specifically raise issues pertaining
to the role of older persons as primary care-givers in the context of
HIV and Aids.
"She is also interested in assessing the experiences of older persons
in relation to services such as old age grant, and innovative solutions
to make sure that older persons are treated with dignity when accessing
social grants at pay-point," the department said in a statement.
This first-of-its-kind gathering comes at a time when there have been a
number of incidences in residential care facilities that resulted in
fatalities.
Speaking ahead of the gathering, Dlamini emphasised the importance of
the elderly having access to the best residential care available --
whether in a general hospital, community-based facility or private
nursing home -- and for them to be safe wherever they stay.
"The older population in this country has made an invaluable
contribution to all aspects of the South African life. There is no
doubt that our families and society as a whole benefit enormously from
the presence and participation of those who have seen what life has to
offer, particularly our senior citizens who lived through the hard
years of apartheid,'' Dlamini said.
More
Information on World Health Issues
Copyright © Global Action on Aging
Terms of Use
| Privacy Policy
| Contact Us
|
