Janet Ogundepo Stakeholders and advocates for the rights of elderly persons in Nigeria have expressed concerns over rising cases of abuse in the country. They mentioned that much of the elderly abuse is perpetrated by family members and caregivers who lack adequate training and skills. Speaking to PUNCH Healthwise in separate interviews on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the stakeholders emphasised the pressing need for state governments to domesticate the National Senior Citizens Centre Act and the National Policy on Ageing, 2021.
World Elder Abuse Day The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, celebrated every June 15, was initiated by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse in 2006 and was adopted as a United Nations Day in 2011. According to the World Health Organisation, Elder abuse is “a single, repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship, where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.” WHO The WHO notes that elder abuse could be physical, psychological, emotional, sexual or financial, adding that it could be a result of intentional or unintentional neglect.
June 15 is set aside to address and acknowledge the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights violation. The theme for this year is ‘Spotlight on Older Persons in Emergencies’. In Nigeria, an elderly person is an individual 60 years and above.
The National Bureau of Statistics Nigeria Living Sta.
