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This Island State

Submitted by Mama Leah “look at the King, look at the King, the King, the King, the King is without his clothes.” Barbados has no legislation to specifically address and protect abuse of the Elderly. You would think that a country that boasts so many centenarians would have had the presence of mind to prepare…

Submitted by Mama Leah
“look at the King, look at the King, the King, the King, the King is without his clothes.”
Barbados has no legislation to specifically address and protect abuse of the Elderly.
You would think that a country that boasts so many centenarians would have had the presence of mind to prepare and provide for this group of its citizens.  That after all these years and with a Governor-General who visits each one and herself an Attorney by profession and the Prime Minister too, they would want that these people enjoy a comfortable twilight.  Or that since June 24, 2016, and Alicia Archer’s article in the Barbados Today – On Truly fixing elderly abuse – four frigging years, this mess-up, slip-up, frigg-up would have been addressed post haste.
Alas, not.
So time and time again more and more our senior citizens are subjected to merciless abuse of person, property, integrity and no one seems able to stem this onslaught.
For the most part, the less achieved and accomplished are deposited at the Geriatric Hospital with less than a backward glance.  Others become literal prisoners in their own homes with little access to outside assistance or rescue or resolve ONLY BECAUSE THE POWERS THAT BE HAVE FAILED TO CONSIDER THEM AND MAKE ADEQUATE AND SENSIBLE LEGISLATION(s) TO PROTECT THEM.
Mind you, Barbados is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.  Conventions are ‘hard laws’..ie when a UN Member State ratifies (signs) a treaty, the treaty becomes legally binding on that member state.
Notwithstanding all of this, there are legislations under which older persons can be protected, such as the Domestic Violence Law, Human Rights Law, and Criminal Law for theft or fraud.  So why is it so difficult to get action for these ‘vulnerable’ people?  I’ll tell you.  They just don’t frigging well care.  Its merely academic
This is a crying shame. NO.  It’s flipping unacceptable.
https://social.un.org/ageing-working-group/documents/Coalition%20to%20Strengthen%20the%20Rights%20of%20Older%20People.pdf

40 responses to “This Island State”

  1. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Kim “the less achieved and accomplished are deposited at the Geriatric Hospital with less than a backward glance.”

    Not only the “less achieved” whatever that phrase means. Members of the political class have ended up there too, and I know at least one mother of a permanent secretary who went there, and died there, even while her spouse had more than $200,000 in the bank, and the grandchildren were working in “elite” professions.

    Ya tink people easy?

    We seem to believe that laws/legislation/ will fix everything.

    Today is Saint Valentine’s Day. BU intelligentsia please tell me how ya does legislate love?

  2. David Avatar
    David

    @Simple Simon

    We know what she means by less achieved.

  3. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ Silly Woman

    Girl, I see that you, not content to * up de ole man, are working hard to get this Mugabe Regime EF YOU UP!

    Why you post that 1st comment and throw that solid right jab at de politicians?

    Well leh me help you along

    “…There is also a People’s Empowerment and Elders Affairs Ministry, headed by Member of Parliament for St Thomas Cynthia Forde, as part of the new-look Cabinet…”

    Dat come from Mugabe Mottley self list of MPs appointed in her 30 to 0 cabinet!

    Cynthia, bless her illiterate soul, IS ONE OF THE SEVERAL MINISTERS IN THIS “ministerial smasmagorg”, who are avidly competing for the position of WORST OF THE BLP MINISTERS.

    There are easily 20 of them vying for this coveted position.

    In their defense, this is a multi pronged issue

    Retirement Planning, inadequate preparation, inflation, medical issues and costs, pension shortage, deaths of relatives, family maltreatment, fraudulent caregivers, uncaring societies, national costs…

    This is a multidimensional issue that, unless we get a handle on it, I fear that we will see the emergence of and increase in Planned Euthanasia where ailing citizens opt to take “the decent rather more dignified way” out of our ignominious existence here

  4. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Your assistance please

  5. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David BU

    No , David BU, we know not what she means. We need to be more precise if not the moot goes all over the place ,like Punka.

    All social classes have family members who abandon and abuse their elderly. They just are irresponsible.

  6. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ Simple Simon

    As usual, you are correct. GoB cannot legislate love. One has to be trained from young and demonstrate love. It is a verb…a doing word. Not talk ! talk! talk.!

  7. GP Avatar
    GP

    happy valentine to sexy silly simple simon and dearest darling donna

  8. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    With the demise of the extended family; we are now confronting new methods of caring for our aging population. Once more this challenge will be greater for the lower economic groups that basically depend on state assistance.
    We can only hope that this is removed from political gamesmanship and is pushed as a national effort, whether we have aging parents and relatives must not matter.

  9. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Barbados governments are frauds, pay lip service only and only look out for themselves…but they too will get old, if they live that long, some of them already look like they have one and half foot in their graves, some of them already look like the outright walking dead.

    No one abuses the elderly more than the tiefing lawyers in parliament and bar association…not even their useless, vicious families, those criminals not only abuse and rob the elderly but also generations of their descendants leaving them in poverty and unprovided for…even though their elderly relatives left massive estates and large bank accounts.

  10. ks Avatar
    ks

    …. and in the cases where family members do care & come together to assist…… government don’t provide any support in the way of tax deduction, etc…… many go to private medical support rather than subject their loved ones to hours & days of waiting for attention at the QEH….. sad!!!

  11. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ KS

    Love and responsibilities are evidenced by the sacrifices families make. Do you want the overburden tax payers to foot these bills too?

  12. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    Piece the Legend February 14, 2020 8:10 AM ” this is a multi pronged issue…Retirement Planning, inadequate preparation, inflation, medical issues and costs, pension shortage, deaths of relatives, family maltreatment, fraudulent caregivers, uncaring societies, national costs…”

    i rarely agree with you, but this time you are right.

    I am all in favour of good laws. And I am all in favour of implementing good laws. But we seem in Barbados to have this thingy in Barbados that if we pass another law, then that will fix things. that if we have another law then that will fix things.

    It wont.

    I ask again on this Saint Valentine’s Day, how do we legislate love?

  13. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    GP at 8:39 Thank you and the same to you and your lovely wife.

  14. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Asked to have this posted but …

    @ Silly Woman

    Girl, I see that you, not content to * up de ole man, are working hard to get this Mugabe Regime EF YOU UP!

    Why you post that 1st comment and throw that solid right jab at de politicians?

    Well leh me help you along

    “…There is also a People’s Empowerment and Elders Affairs Ministry, headed by Member of Parliament for St Thomas Cynthia Forde, as part of the new-look Cabinet…”

    Dat come from Mugabe Mottley self list of MPs appointed in her 30 to 0 cabinet!

    Cynthia, bless her illiterate soul, IS ONE OF THE SEVERAL MINISTERS IN THIS “ministerial smasmagorg”, who are avidly competing for the position of WORST OF THE BLP MINISTERS.

    There are easily 20 of them vying for this coveted position.

    In their defense, this is a multi pronged issue

    Retirement Planning, inadequate preparation, inflation, medical issues and costs, pension shortage, deaths of relatives, family maltreatment, fraudulent caregivers, uncaring societies, national costs…

    This is a multidimensional issue that, unless we get a handle on it, I fear that we will see the emergence of and increase in Planned Euthanasia where ailing citizens opt to take “the decent rather more dignified way” out of our ignominious existence here

  15. David Avatar
    David

    Why do we distill every issue with a political lens?

  16. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @Mr Blogmaster, exactly what do you mean at 12:27 PM? Phillips writes on a POLITICAL theme and all issues stemming from his essays would be political, not so!

    But more importantly though … don’t you believe that YOU need to hold Mr Phillips to a higher standard of veracity and VALIDITY?… afterall, he writes regularly on YOUR forum as a professional expert in his field and now an aspiring leader of the nation… if he wants to lead and you are keen to give him (or others) this forum to speak then surely you MUST ask of him more than the average contributor! …

    It is time that you DEMAND that Phillips EXPLAIN his taxation numbers?

    From day one he has been asked to ‘score’ his tax policy… it’s a simple term which requests an analysis of HOW the words translate into hard numbers…. No one is asking for his secret sauce of governance…. simply these broad queries (as asked over and over by @PLT, @Artax, @Donna, @The Johns etc etc).

    *–How much money per annum (1st year and then following years as the collection supposedly improves) will the 10% flat tax bring in?
    *–How does that compare to current tax revenues?
    *–What tax revenue increase or deficit would there be with the 10% corporate rate?
    *–What are 1st, 2nd yr revenues re the foreign currency by the Central Bank , as noted on his site, that would be *–“taxed at 0% during the first year, and 2.5% thereafter”?
    *–What are his scenarios re the late payments of 10% fee after the 1 month deadline for taxes payable which his site also mentions?
    *–What are revenue gains deficits with the abolition of VAT and NSR and use of his plan?

    Now Mr Blogmaster this gent had said in the past if we want this info we should run the numbers ourselves. REALLY! That makes NO SENSE. He would HAVE had to run numbers to reach his conclusions so what’s the DIFFICULTY in sharing some of that to prove his bonafides?

    And none of @Artax, @PLT, @John2, @Donna are running for office so no burden can be on them or any of us to ‘score’ his proposals.

    As I have said before I think the man is decent, and full of integrity but he brings his integrity into question here.

    And in sum, @Mr Blogmaster that you allow him to skirt these fundamental questions whenever the tax matter comes us is worrying: A. you either think his proposals are in fact a joke and you humor him and allow him to make a jackass of himself as it’s good blog fodder, or B. you KNOW the proposals are a joke and allow him to make that fool of himself for some other ulterior motive….,f course I would NEVER go as far as @Pieces goes with his conspiracy thoughts!🤣

    So I join with all those named above and the many others to ASK you the REQUEST that Mr Phillips add numbers to his bland words of his tax policy or otherwise to bluntly say: STFU on taxation.

  17. GP Avatar
    GP

    q do wood chucks chuck wood?
    do bull shitters efflux bull?
    can folk with no solutions for Barbados offer solutions for Barbados just because they say they are Solutions Barbados and thus imply that they have solutions for Barbados

  18. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Ask Cynthia

    https://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/243901/forde-incest-worry

  19. David Avatar
    David

    @Dee Word

    Which blog did you intend to post your comment?

  20. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    Aha… I am in the wrong spot as you surmise.

    This should be at Mr Phillips’ blog!

  21. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    De ole man will give you part of the solution Silly Woman.

    For those who have homes ONLY.

    De ole man is a sort of Social Activist Psychologist

    I mek dat up.

    It mean dat I does watch people as an occupational hazard heheheh

    There are 3 sets of people I have watched

    1.Elderly people with homes and no family (or family who dont give a RH)

    2.SFHH – Single Female Heads of Household who need housing and employment

    3.the State which has to take care of the Elderly (QEH or geriatric care) or SFFHs (social care checks and childcare) & provide housing and housing stock

    Piece the Legend recommends
    A Reverse CareGiving program which

    1.contractually takes ownership of specific homes of specific elderly people without heirs

    2.identifies and qualifies SFHHs for enrolment in Said Caregivers programme.

    3.Mothers will be trained to support the needs of elderly Paired Party/ies. Caveat is that programme pairs single mothers and kids NOT FAMILIES.

    4.credits earned for (a) caregiver (b) children busfares, school fees, lunch money etc.

    5.elderly parties are occupants for lifetime but property belongs to state AND CAN NEVER BE SOLD BY STATE.

    6.Not part of National Housing Corporation assets and forever administered by ElderCare Ministry.

    Board or agency MUST HAVE REPRESENTATIVE OF OPPOSITION as well as a church representative and NGO

    If we continue doing de shy$e we doing DIS IS NOT GINE WUK so de ole man putting forward alternatives for symbiotic geriatric care which incorporates unemployed single mothers

    UNLIKE GRANVILLE PHILLIPS heheheheh

    But den again de ole man can think Granville is a Clown!

  22. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    But @Mr Blogmaster the point remains: you need to hold this gent to some RATIONAL standard of validity.

    It quite ridiculous that week after week for these many years since he ‘came out’ politically that we get into these crazy ad hominem arguments rather than dealing in HARD data points.

    If you facilitate the man then you need to set the standard.

  23. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    Oh Lordie… Re @Pieces above that housing verbiage is a no no 😂!

    I crafted that as a PRIVATE business concept a while back … alas never moved it anywhere but I have to imagine that if separately we went in the same direction that others have also gone that route!

    I don’t see that got a ting to do wid government!

    So methinks you should stop hypothesizing with private enterprise projects possibilities pon de people blog 😎😂!

    I gone.

  24. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ DpD my old friend,

    I just smash a ball down into your court as an idea to consider.

    I is not Cynthia Forde but what I know is that care for the elderly IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, as is unemployment among single mothers, as is housing as is the availability of slots at Eldercare homes.

    What de ole man did was to weld a matrix of possibilities for consideration by all.

    I is not de Minister but what I do know is that there is Section 8 funding for single mothers, there are reverse mortgages, there is state supported home care, there is minority housing….you get my drift?

    So all I am proposing is an eclectic version of all the above FOR BARBADOS

    as far as I know all the above are government programs so you or others can tell me why it wont work and IN 20 YEARS, WHEN YOU IS A GERIATRIC YOUSELF, you can complain bout why somebody putting you in a home!

    According to you, de ole man gone! cause I taught dat we heah looking to propose solutions fuh de cuntry but I am wrong bout dat.

    So according to de Blogmaster I gine continue filtering my comments through a political lens…

  25. David Avatar
    David

    @Dee Word

    The BU family has some a good job of probing. Let the chips fall where ever.

  26. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Your assistance please Honourable Blogmaster

  27. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    Piece,
    there are some one and two bed attached cottages or condos selling up there in Boarded Hall with all the elderly care amenities in house.

    i bought a two bed that i will move into at some point after i sell my standalone house when i have aged

  28. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @Pieces, you misread I think.

    Not suggesting you shouldn’t offer proper ‘solutions’. I was serious when I said the concept is a positive PRIVATE enterprise…. Thus it surely can be govt sponsored as well.

    Never said or suggested govt can’t make it work RATHER I emphasized the viability as a PRIVATE enterprise.

    That’s it bro

  29. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Greene February 14, 2020 4:50 PM

    All fine and good once you do not require a serious level of care.

    Once you do not require help to carry out the activities of daily living.

    At some point many elders will need help with toileting, bathing, teeth brushing, dressing hair combing, feeding etc. Then you need a HUMAN BEING who whether for love or for money will help you to do those things, or even do them for you.

    You have a stroke and you are discharged from the hospital, and you need one hand to hold the toothbrush, and one hand to hold on to the counter, but now you have only one functioning hand. What do you do?

    And when your dementia gets worse, having a nice house doesn’t help unless you also have a nice person or a nicely [paid] person around.

  30. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ Simple Simon

    I agree with you.I prefer the home care approach. It is a bit stressful but it brings peace of mind to the caregiver/ relatives. I find institutional care too impersonal.

  31. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Good suggestions, Piece! Worth a good deal of consideration.

  32. curley16 Avatar
    curley16

    It is high time that financial institutions particularly insurance companies here in Barbados design products specifically for this segment of the market. Well designed long term care policies with good tax incentives would be ideal. Throwing in CII ,dreaded disease and proper annuities would be a bonus,be careful with life annuities, period certain is advisable,just my two cents worth.

  33. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ De Pedantic Dribbler

    My apologies.

    I misread what you said and recant.

    The saddest thing about this is that most people WANT TO DO THE HONOURABLE THING for their parents and family BUT MANY CANT AFFORD IT!

    Mr. William Skinner says and I quote

    “…We can only hope that this is removed from political gamesmanship and is pushed as a national effort, whether we have aging parents and relatives must not matter…”

    We going age, hopefully, and our private parts (pert breasts and Mandingo organs which we lied ole men like to tell untruths about) going droop and get swibbly!

    Mr. Greene falls in the active planning grouping of people on the cusp who recognise that “that pretty house” with all its upkeep expenses, in vexation of the spirit.

    My suggestion comes with some caveats- there cannot be any of the medical complications like strokes etc.

    I am proposing nurturing the care of our citizens in our golden years in a symbiotic and dignified way where Grandpa John, minus a stroke or other challenges could, if no other family members are alive, or care bout he, could elect to join this Reverse ElderCare Programme with his new daughter and grandchildren.

    Of course the necessary legal agreement would ensure that no elder oriented fraud would occur but YOU GET MY DRIFT.

    De ole man is all for creating that environment where “it takes a village to raise a child, but we create a village to nurture the grand parents too”

    I know that what I am suggesting IS GOING TO ATTRACT THE INSTITUTIONAL VULTURES DPD but we can plan for them.

    “Any public servant found seeking to fraudulently dispossess a Reverse Eldercare Citizen or SFHH shall be fined 5 times the amount involved AND/OR SHALL LOSE ALL GRATUITY/ PENSION BENEFITS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE VALUE OF THE FINE IS RECOVERED!

    We need to stop playing games that Cynthia Forde and David Durant have been playing for years!

    Mentioning their names going get the BU BORG vex but dem ent old yet and doan thing old age gine touch dem!

  34. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ the Honourable Blogmaster your help please

  35. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    De ole man is asking for help with an item, thank you

  36. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    @Silly woman,

    i take your point but according to their brochure, they provide that sort of care too once you can pay of course.

    i hope for a quick clean death but that unfortunately is not up to me, although it can be, so i dont want to burden my children or relatives if i can pay someone to take care of me to a reasonably degree until the end comes. and if it is too burdensome put me out of my misery

  37. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Curley16

    Barbados is grossly underinsured. Motor and whole of life insurance are like picking low hanging fruit.

  38. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Piece, February 14th at 11:20 p.m. “…where Grandpa John, minus a stroke or other challenge…”

    Ahhh, but therein lies the rub. What about Granpa John + the stroke? Granpa John and Granma Jane probably do NOT need any care until the stroke or dementia or serious heart disease, or severe Parkinson’s sets in, so you are essentially proposing a program for people who do NOT need care. I was on the supermarket shuttle today, a woman on board who is 92 hopped on and off with almost as much ease as I did. She does NOT need a stranger or the government interfering in her life. Healthy old people do not require much from family nor from the state.

    @Greene February 15, 2020 11:16 AM “…once you can pay of course…”

    Ahhh, but therein lies the rub. What about the many thousands who cannot pay? I don’t think that we need to worry our heads about making policy for the elderly sick captains of industry who CAN pay. However policy needs to be made for the thousands who cannot pay.

    @Greene February 15, 2020 11:16 AM “I hope for a quick clean death… if it is too burdensome put me out of my misery.”

    As always the devil is in the details. Whom do you nominate for the gory task of putting you out of your misery? Your spouse? Your son? Your daughter? Your grandchild? Your doctor, ie. somebody else’s son or daughter? And what if they don’t want to do it? Can they be compelled against their wishes to put you out of your misery? And what will it do to a human being so compelled?

  39. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ Silly Woman

    How is you?

    Let me rephrase what I said in a different way.

    “…Home care is supportive care provided in the home.

    Care MAY BE provided by licensed healthcare professionals who provide medical treatment needs or by professional caregivers who provide daily assistance to ensure the activities of daily living are met.

    In-home medical care is often and more accurately referred to as home health care or formal care…”

    That is a cut and paste but the point I am trying to make is that we can be eclectic in our indigenous solution by.

    1.having elderly people who so elect, opt into this indigenous programme

    2.selecting and then training our own second tier of healthcare providers WHO MUST BE SINGLE HEADS OF HOUSEHOLDS

    3.such SFHH must be unemployed and must qualify as such a professional caregiver. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT DOCTORS OR NURSES HERE.

    4.there will be an optimal relationship between the Eldercare recipient, the size and facilities at their home and the selected SFHH family unit.

    In an optimum environment what previously was the “keepmiss” now becomes an indigenous eclectic system for bajan Eldercare needs Silly Woman

    And Mr. Greene said something that you DID NOT UNDERSTAND

    “…i hope for a quick clean death but that unfortunately is not up to me, although it can be…”

    You need to see these statements that are made in the quiet of the noise Silly Woman

    The man has said “although it can be…” and with that one can understand the resolve of some of we ole people who say “life WITHOUT DIGNITY, IS NOT LIFE AT ALL…, and decide the moment”

  40. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ the Honourable Blogmaster your assistance please with an item

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