elderly
1 October 2007
Johannesburg, Gauteng: Despite many governments being signatories to pledges
of the Millennium Development Goals of helping, among others, to end hunger and
poverty for older people, many older people worldwide and here in South are
still unaware of their human rights and how to enforce them, and therefore
continue be marginalised and ignored.
In 2002 the United Nations adopted an International Plan of Action on Ageing
in which all governments pledged to work for the security of older persons, as
well as to empower them so that they can participate fully in the economic,
political and social lives of their societies. The plan encourages governments
to incorporate the principles of independence, participation, care,
self-fulfilment and dignity into their national programmes.
As a signatory, South Africa passed the Older Persons Act of 2006 to,
maintain, promote the status, well-being, safety and security of older persons,
maintain and protect the rights of older persons as recipients of services,
regulate the registration of facilities for older persons and combat the abuse
of older persons.
However, despite this commendable piece of legislation, in South Africa
older people face the following challenges, Act as care givers - Statistics
South Africa data shows that the burden of caring for chronically and
terminally ill patients usually falls on the family, particularly older women
who must adopt new roles as caregivers to adult children and grandchildren
dying from AIDS, and later as surrogate parents to orphaned grandchildren. Most
of the older people know little or nothing at all about HIV/AIDS and as result
may not be equipped to carry out care giving tasks. They are also deprived of
the support of adult children that they had expected to rely on in their old
age, as these adult children are the ones who are dying.
Lack of education on HIV/AIDS matters
Health care workers are less likely to ask older patients about their sexual
behaviour and do not provide the prevention information they would offer
younger patients. The prevention programmes do not target older people, they
are designed to suit the younger generation.
Get abused
They get physical, emotional, financial, sexual abuse in homes, old ages
homes and in communities and in old age homes.
Face chronic poverty
Poverty can be defined as the inability of individuals, households or entire
community to command sufficient resources to satisfy a socially acceptable
minimum standard of living. Many elderly people who do not have others on whom
they can rely for support do receive old age grants but it is clear that grants
are in no way sufficient to keep a household out of poverty.
Enquiries:
Sindiswa Mathiso, SAHRC Older Persons Co-ordinator
Cell: 083 679 4638
Vincent Moaga, SAHRC Spokesperson
Cell: 073 562 9866
Issued by: South African Human Rights Commission
1 October 2007
Source: South African Human Rights Commission (http://www.sahrc.org.za)
