Elderly abuse spiralling out of control in Region Ten

Chair of the Regional Welfare Committee, Ms. Gem Narine

ABUSE OF THE ELDERLY in Region Ten has skyrocketed.
What is uncertain however, is whether actual abuse of seniors has climbed, or merely reports of
the maltreatment have jumped.
PPP/C Regional Councillor, and Chair of the Regional Welfare Committee, Ms. Gem Narine told
the Upper Demerara/Berbice Regional Democratic Council (RDC) that according from field
reports from Welfare Officers, there is a significant increase of elderly abuse by families and
guardians in the mining town of Linden.
Narine is not authorised to disclose figures.
It is unclear to www.aroundtheregions.com whether abuse of seniors has become an epidemic in
the bauxite-mining town of Linden, and the wider Region Ten since Narine can’t officially
reveal, or access to statistical information on the issue is currently denied.
Field Officers have found more than 30 elderly abandoned by their next-of-kin. Narine said
officers are disheartened by the callousness of their relatives and find distributing pension books
an even more tedious and daunting task.
“We have not received the figures for Wismar, but from several reports their numbers are far
higher than Mc Kenzie. Further, there are numerous reports where officers have found that
several senior citizens are being abused,” Narine in her report, told the Council.
“Considering the increased number of abuse that several senior residents are going through we
have decided that a senior home needs to be built in Linden also as to rescue and protect several
seniors whose family evidently doesn’t want them around,” she said.
She said that because of these alarming numbers it would be important for a senior citizens home
to be built to accommodate elderly victims in an attempt to slash abuses. Because of their social
realities, many of the abused cannot leave the cruel environment, Narine told Councillors.

At the other end of the spectrum of abuse, Narine said children may also be targets of abuse at an
alarming rate. Some 100 persons reportedly are visiting the office of the Probation and Child
Protection daily seeking help for them.
Meanwhile, Narine asked the RDC for assistance to furnish the Women’s Home that was built in
Richmond’s Hill and for funding to help pay staff. She said the bourgeoning of social ills
combined with all the issues thrown up by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and its effects in the
struggling mining town demand new approaches.
She hopes the RDC treats her request with the seriousness the economic and social situation
deserves. However, Regional Chairman, Deron Adams reminded Narine that the Mayor and
Town Council (M&TC) controls the Richmond Home and not the RDC, suggesting data be made
available to them for planning.
“The best approach will be to have data compiled with all the persons that are likely to be placed
in the senior citizens home so that when we approach the Mayor and Town Council they are
aware as to what we are requesting as the control of the Richmond Home falls under them,”
Adams advised.