est. 2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

Minister Kirk Humphrey and Theresa Castro

First it was the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and now some heartless Barbadians have found a new dumping facility for their elderly relatives at the Harrison Point COVID-19 Isolation Facility in St Lucy. They are dropping off the senior citizens infected with COVID-19 but are not returning for them after they have recovered…

Emblazoned on the front page of the recent Sunday Sun was the embarrassing news some Barbadians are abandoning elderly family members at healthcare facilities. The latest being the newly outfitted Harrison’s Point. What caught the blogmaster’s attention was the cookie cutter quote attributed to Minister of Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey – he described the development as concerning, pointing out that the situation was indicative of the work that was needed at the level of the family and government to ensure greater provisions for the elderly within a context of an ageing population …blah blah blah. Is this the same Humphrey who was to lead the new Blue Economy? 

Minister Kirk Humphrey this is a message for you. Have you ever been in the area of Top Rock gas station or Dover, and spotted an old lady with short grey hair, a slight stoop, and seeming confused wandering around talking to herself? If you have, then you would have seen Theresa Castro. 

It was brought to the blogmaster’s attention the elderly lady spends most of the day by Top Rock gas station. From reports, she sleeps in the gallery of her former home (where her daughter currently lives). There is a good Barbadian giving her food and has been trying to source assistance from several if not all of the social services for her. To no avail. It seems she has a mental challenge and is showing signs of dementia. It was reported to the blogmaster the plight of the elderly lady was reported to Minister Kirk Humphrey’s secretary. Up to the time of posting this blog there was no intervention from a single government agency to assist Theresa Castro.

Do you know Minister Kirk Humphrey was quoted in the 19 June 2022 edition of the Nation newspaper he has engaged the Barbados Police Service to assist with those who continue to abuse the elderly? …Blah Blah Blah
Is there any surprise Barbadians have become cynical and apathetic towards politicians?

The blogmaster further understands the plight of Theresa Castro was brought to the attention of the Nation and Barbados Today newspapers, Psychiatric hospital, George Griffith, family members et al- so far there has been no assistance forthcoming for Theresa Castro.

Have we become a soulless a society to ignore a senior citizen in her twilight years in need of assistance? What does it say about the society? What does it say about the good use of tax dollars funding Minister Humphrey’s Elder Affairs ministry?

347 responses to “Minister Kirk Humphrey and Theresa Castro”

  1. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Blah blah
    First you blast some .bajans as being heartless
    Then you blast Humphrey for putting his two sense worth of concern abought the plight of the elderly and govt necessity for more involvement
    Then the article takes the reader down a long winding path about an elderly woman in need of help
    Yet the article points out that this old lady has a home which is occupied by a daughter
    As if the article ramblings was not enough the concerns for the lady border on a point of ridiculous if one should belive that the opening Salvo started out as calling some barbadians heartless when in fact a heartless situation was being done to a mother by a daughter who occupied the mothers home while the mother was left to become a beggar on the street

  2. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    The solution is to put the daughter out of the old lady’s home, if she refuses to take on the responsibity of her mother. But if she is willing but not able then give her support and monitor her performance.

    But we cannot have the situation continue. If it has been brought to the attention of the minister and his agencies and no action has been taken, then it is blah blah blah indeed!

  3. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    We assume a lot as human beings and it just makes us look like fools.

    The article didn’t mention who owned the house, and no parent should expect that a child is obligated to look after them. We cannot expect that any child birthed will be given a moral compass or conscience.

    What we need is for full investigation of the situation and the relevant agencies getting involved to find a solution. Has it occurred to anyone that the lack of legislation to protect the elderly is the main problem that causes abuse to go unchecked on this rock? This is a failure of both administrations unable to produce anything to stop abuse of the elderly here.

    David, thank you for highlighting the plight of this lady.

  4. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Yes given the story as detailed in the article individuals can only assume
    The article sends out differing messages about the old plight
    However the concern that caught attention was that of the daughter
    If the writer of the article did not do a full investigation then the article should not have been published until a full investigation was done
    Needless to say perceptions can lead to assumptions as well as suspicions
    The article as written gives all a reason to assume

  5. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    David

    I find it amusing that some subjects seem very uncomfortable for people to address. The collective Bajan conscience for social injustices seems at an all time low.

    This article you have written doesn’t seem able to generate the type of response that abortion rights in another country does.

    What does it say about Barbadian society and its respect for the plight of the elderly, and the failure of govt to protect them?

    Are some of us guilty of turning a blind eye and being part of this heartless society you mentioned?

    Interesting times indeed.

  6. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    AC

    I understand where you are coming from, but it doesn’t take a way from the fact that a lady is in need of help.

    David has only highlighted the story, but it is the job of the agencies to investigate.

    The long and short is the failure of govt and society to protect the elderly.

  7. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    I was in the island a few weeks ago and I saw the lady several times wondering around the area but didn’t now the back story, I’m no fan of the Minister but why heap the blame on him? There is surely a societal disconnect when action is taken only when the plight of the elderly, homeless, mentally ill etc. reaches the front page.

  8. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    A certain collective amnesia seems to have infected the society.
    What is the new story here. Abandoning senior citizens is a national past time of the past three decades.
    We have a ruthless, insensitive group of peoples, who have been in the seat of power for decades and they now pretend that these problems all popped up in something they gleefully call the lost decade. We have at least five lost decades now galloping toward six!
    The plight of the abandoned citizens, the homeless and indiscriminate dumping of garbage are nothing new.
    State agencies such as the welfare department have now collapsed because of political savagery. State funds and other benefits for the poor have been managed by party/ political hacks.
    All COVID has done is exposed the system for what it is. Millions squandered on the altar of political expediency and vote catching by the Barbados Labour Party and the Democratic Labour Party.
    It’s going to take a Herculean effort to destroy this political skullduggery and culture.

  9. BMcDonald Avatar
    BMcDonald

    It is really silly to accuse Bajans of turning a blind eye, where some kind Bajan soul ensures that the old lady is fed and also makes an effort to nudge the social care agencies into action. The suggestion that a mother’s daughter occupying the family house, whether owned or rented is irrelevant, owes no obligation to support her mother comes from a monstrously evil place and leads to the dumping of family members in government institutions, because in the view of this evil, it is the government’s responsibility. Let us be candid, dementia is tough on the patient and the caregivers. But the suggestion that only legislation will resolve this is idiotic. Who is going to raise the alarm? Well I guess that will also fall to some government employee who comes in at 11.00 and leaves at 1.00. Get real.

  10. David Avatar
    David

    @Lisa

    In a blog you have to learn to scroll and ignore. Let us keep the focus on drawing attention to Theresa’s situation.

  11. David Avatar
    David

    @Sargeant

    We have to look after the vulnerable in the society in a holistic way. There is the delinquent family and then government that should act as a safety net.

  12. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    BMcDonald

    You seem to lack ability to think outside of your own need to insult. That is the problem with most people who like to comment about things they know nothing about.

    I’ve worked in healthcare in Ireland and the UK for many years, and I have a lot of experience in mental health. No one is dismissing the impact of looking after people with mental health challenges, but again you miss the point I was trying to make. Doesn’t give people the right not to ask for help or try and get the help that should be available if it becomes overwhelming.

    Unless a person is physically or sexually abused in Barbados, you cannot go to the police and make a report for any other type of abuse. Neglect is a form of abuse, so who protects the elderly when most perpetrators are family members?

    Trust me when I say I have had personal experience coming to Barbados and trying to get abuse matters address, and nothing could be done because of lack of proper legislation with teeth. How many people for all the years Theresa has been out and about tried to help? That would cause a whole lot of guess work and assumption.

    You are right though, some of the govt workers I’ve come across seem to always turn up late and leave early.

    Do have a very good day.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    We know when it comes to support for the vulnerable in society, ours is a dysfunctional support system. A few months ago one had to listen to a resident living in a government housing area complaining and complaining about an old lady next door who dumped human waste in her yard and created a stink. It took took too long for government agencies to respond. These are the kind of issues we have to get right. We must have support systems to treat our fellow men and women humanely.

    We have a long way to go in this regard.

  14. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “We have a ruthless, insensitive group of peoples, who have been in the seat of power for decades and they now pretend that these problems all popped up in something they gleefully call the lost decade. We have at least five lost decades now galloping toward six!”

    Barbados is signatory to the San Jose Charter on the Rights of the Elderly in Latin America and the Caribbean…..as they are to MANY, MANY other human rights legislation which they PROMPTLY IGNORE, violate and abuse the rights of the majority population anyway…the problem is the neglectful LIARS and SCAMMERS in the government…they have always set the tone for elder abuse.

  15. Verona Michael Avatar
    Verona Michael

    The Blogmaster has a valid point. Aren’t we our brother’s keeper anymore? Irregardless of whether Theresa (and she is the poster child for what I refer to as “implied elderly abuse”) has family and friends, the issue is that she is in need of assistance. Did she fall through the cracks of the Social safety net or have the powers that be concluded that they have done enough for her and have “wiped their hands clean” of her situation? How many more “Theresas” are out there wandering aimlessly and silently crying out for help? Have we as a society lost the art of caring? Certainly a point to ponder!

  16. BMcDonald Avatar
    BMcDonald

    How will legislation with teeth help? Who is the Complainant. You cannot say immediate relatives can be devoid of conscience and we must accept that and then immediately thereafter appeal to society’s collective conscience after labelling us ‘fools’, who is going to ask for help on behalf of the injured elderly. Are you advocating for a larger bureacracy?

  17. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Blah blah blah
    No one here is discounting or disregarding the plight of the elderly most of whom been the building blocks of Barbados socially and economically
    However what concern most is your rambling tirade about govt agencies and the Minister
    Unless one have hardened evidence of govt ignoring the situation and reasons given for such one has taken the road to politicize the issue
    Not good
    The article only sends the reader down a rabbit hole looking for reasons driven by speculations and assumptions
    As a daughter there is no way my mother would be on the street begging while I take residence and comfort in her house
    This story should be fully investigated which and one which includes the daughter ability or inability to take care of the mother
    Those who have helped the mom should be singled out as having a heart
    It would be of interest as to why the daughter haven’t reached out in a more sympathetic manner to her mom

  18. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    Death represents the wages of all those believing in the ‘I’ and the ‘me’ and the ‘mine’. The self-centeredness of White people. And Bajans are culturally White, dominantly.

    For all those who worship the ancestors of others and think it ‘nostalgic’ for the weeeeeee to think and be outside their frame of reference.

    When people like you are often guided by the notion that the individual is disconnected from the Ancestors. That there is only a world existent within their only puny mind.

    And if be Jesus Christi’s Wunna rasssoul people have no respects for the Ancient Afrikans to whom the Weeeeee belongs it was just a matter of time before the Elders who are being prepared to join the Ancestors would faced that same level of disrespect.

    Nothing but destruction can such a people without root discover!!!!!!

    And until these crimes against the Foremothers are assuaged death shall be the national occupation.

  19. Focused Avatar
    Focused

    How is this the Ministers fault if her daughter put she out. Are you saying he is now personally responsible for every wicked act by people to parents…
    This article, even the title sound like you have something personal against the man…..this was going on for years and the man now get there.

    I don’t know he apart from seeing he a few times years ago, but people say he’s a good man….
    …what a you doing to help the lady if you are so concerned…..if we keep putting out old people soon there will be no government building big enough to hold them…

    Bajans have to stop this foolish blaming government for everything and start looking at themselves tho.

  20. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Pacha
    “”Death represents the wages of all those believing in the ‘I’ and the ‘me’ and the ‘mine’. The self-centeredness of White people. And Bajans are culturally White, dominantly.”
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Bushie continues to be awed by your perceptiveness…..
    We have internalized the albino-centric nature of those who enslaved our ancestors (who ALSO foolishly fell for the same ‘materialism and greed’ trap eons ago – and who’s descendants have paid the price for GENERATIONS and Millennia)
    We have learnt NOTHING from the experience.

    We are truly BRASS BOWLS…. a lotta noise and passion, but mostly fulla shiite.

    To be quite honest, Bushie has been UNABLE to grasp the level of PATIENCE, LOVE and LONG SUFFERING that the Creator must have for our sorry donkeys to have persevered with us for soooo long.
    Were it up to Bushie, wunna donkeys would have been stew …MANY YEARS BACK…..

    Who would believe that at this stage, where even a complete jackass must see that the house of cards is all but collapsed, and just awaiting a COMPLETE reshuffle, that we would continue to be preoccupied with trivia….?
    Not a boy is interested in the INTENT of the CREATOR.
    Not a fella seeks to UNDERSTAND the truth about our experience called ‘Life on Earth’…
    …and why it is FALLING APART.
    We all just want to get back to the ‘good old days’ where we could enjoys the fruits of our greed and of our selfish focus….

    Well …as Pacha says, (although choosing NOT to term it this way…)
    THE WAGES OF BRASS BOWLERY IS DEATH….. so we had better start getting USED to our just rewards.
    cause…
    We WILL be seeing a LOT more of our ‘wages’…. in coming weeks and months….
    Unfortunately, It will NOT be pleasant.

  21. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Bushmanuh need to dig a,dig, and cover yuh head with a brass bowl
    All day long insulting people and some her help u with such insulting rhetoric
    But then again yuhsupporters got to be real Topsys fuh trute

    Xxxxx
    As for David he got to a real enabler allowing the daughter to pass on her mother’s responsibility to strangers and govt while she lives in the comfort of the mothers house

  22. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “For all those who worship the ancestors of others and think it ‘nostalgic’ for the weeeeeee to think and be outside their frame of reference. it was just a matter of time before the Elders who are being prepared to join the Ancestors would faced that same level of disrespect.

    Nothing but destruction can such a people without root discover!!!!!!

    And until these crimes against the Foremothers are assuaged death shall be the national occupation.”

    Pacha…this quotation by Nana Clarke features heavily in my upcoming issue of Kush Quarterly.

    They need something WORSE THAN DEATH…that would be too kind…

    “As long as you are dependent on other people solely for your jobs, your house, the cleaning of your streets, the education of your children, the image you see on television, or the image of God in your Church, you can cut it any way you want to, you are a slave.”

    John Henrik Clarke

    “We have learnt NOTHING from the experience.”

    the groomed imperalist mindset can learn NOTHING NEW, they haven’t since the 1920s…too late now…….they are stuck, right where they belong for the whole wide world to view their incompetence, neglect and lying dishonesty..

  23. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Waru

    The G7 meeting in Bavaria, after all these thousands of years of imperialism, have just decided that they will create a project to challenge the Belt & Road Initiative of China and a separate such initiative by Russia.

    These people are surrendering. If you can’t beat them join them.

    This tooooooo is tooooo late but of course their followers will continue to see these attempts as anything else but the latest manifestation to keep modern slavery formations going.

  24. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Possible meaning:
    If we sin we die. (“Death” here refers not to physical death but to spiritual death or eternal damnation.)

    Origin: The Bible (Romans 6:23): “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

  25. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Reading again, I could have been mistaken about the house belonging to the old lady rather than her daughter but regardless – who could sleep comfortably inside with her mother sleeping outside unless she had done the same to her?

    Dementia is extremely taxing on a caregiver and this is why I said that if she is willing but not able, there should be support available to her.

    This of course, should not require the attention of the minister but he would have claimed to have the answers when he “applied for the job” and he must have them now. He must, in consultation with the relevent professionals, ensure the policy is settled, the laws are adequate and that his Permanent Secretary is on top of the job.

    This is too important a matter for photo ops and blah blah blahs.

    The Minister looks young enough and fit enough to have energy sufficient for the task.

    This does not absolve us from looking after our parents who looked after us. If not us, then who could be more indebted to those who, in most instances, sacrificed for us? If not us, then WHO?

    If this does not move us, then we should at least note that if we have children, they are learning from us how to treat their elderly parents. And unless we die young, our time will come.

    I would like us to remember though, that it is not accurate to label Barbadians as uncaring when more old folks are well taken care of than not. More old folks are picked up from the hospital than not. More old folks are picked up from Harrison’s Point than not.

    What we must strive to do is make provision for the “nots”.

  26. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Which reminds me that I must drop the extra pounds that have my surprised frame confused, regain my energy, enough to pitch in once more as a citizen.

    Too much blah blah blah coming from me too in the last few years since my son no longer needs a fulltime mother.

  27. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “after all these thousands of years of imperialism, ”

    yeah, i noticed…

    Pach…….is that not a little too late by hundreds of years? living through global recessions consistently…..with progressive pushed back 50 years at a time is neither progressive nor living….especially for smal dependent islands..

    “Global Recession Risk Warning Issued

    Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing said last week the global economy may be headed for a recession as central banks scramble to combat inflation.

    “At least I would say we have 50% likelihood of a recession globally,” Sewing said at the Future of Finance Summit in Frankfurt, as quoted by Bloomberg.

    According to the top banker, the chances of a recession hitting the US and Europe in the second half of 2023 are higher than the bank’s previous forecasts before the start of the war in Ukraine.”

  28. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    *with progress pushed back 50 years at a time…

  29. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “This tooooooo is tooooo late but of course their followers will continue to see these attempts as anything else but the latest manifestation to keep modern slavery formations going.”

    am sure if they are measuring from the point of view of the the former clearing house for the enslaved….now .the trading post for the Slave minded, with their world stage runner trying to convince everyone to remain in the 1920s and follow them into a dark hole filled with cartels and criminal syndicates…..they will see, it won’t be as easy as before,

    their best course of action is to create a new system for themselves…and let Afrika and Afrikans be…

    they can have the Slaves/fowls/political pimps… not a fella will miss them…and that is more than enuff for them to work with anyway…

  30. Frankie Avatar
    Frankie

    Oh shirt. Now the lap dog calling you ‘Pach’. Maybe Pachie Poo. Any port in a storm 😸

  31. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    Pacha…me thinks once again there has been a huge miscalculation…..given certain happenings….

  32. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    Pacha…ah saw “the $600bn Rival to China’s Belt and Road Investment”

    now we got a figure to work with…so is any of that going DIRECTLY IN THE HANDS OF THE DESCENDANTS OF THE ENSLAVED across the region AND THE AMERICAS……..bypassing THIEVING, CORRUPT governments.

    that’s my FIRST QUESTION…

  33. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    Please everyone, let us not shift focus from the issue at hand. Outside of the fact that Theresa needs help, we have systemic failure in the delivery of services here.

    Why would all attempts to reach out to agencies bring zero change to her circumstances thus far?

    As a society we have come to accept less than adequate from across sectors. We have failures regarding getting anything done in a reasonable amount of time because most areas are understaffed or positions filled by people who don’t have a clue about what they’re doing, or just don’t care. The responsible ones carry the burden of the useless ones, and this county is too small to continue to sustain the level of incompetence I see.

    When are we going to demand better and hold people accountable for their shortcomings regarding the dysfunction society?

    We vote for change that is slow to come, and then turns up rebranded and repackage as a new promise for another vote in a few years.

    Do we continue as if we are not all affected or might be affected by poor governance at some point? You think when Theresa was younger it might have crossed her mind that a lack of legislation might be the thing that holds no one accountable when she needs help the most?

    Some have asked how proper legislation fixes anything, but if you have to ask what is obvious to most, you don’t deserve an answer.

    From observation we have a very entitled bunch of people on this rock, and I blame the culture we have created here by the systemic failures that create ‘others’. I have never come across a more confused, ego inflated people in such a small space, where everyone has now become so sensitive we can’t demand change to avoid hurting feelings or bruising egos.

    All of us with a conscience, an ounce of compassion and love, would never allow one of our family members the indignity of homelessness or needless suffering. However, to those who believe we all think the same and will treat others how we would like to be treated underestimate human behaviour.

    Theresa didn’t have to treat her daughter badly to be treated unfairly in return, the daughter might just lack compassion and have no shame.

    There is a lot of lip service out there regarding elder abuse, but nothing is being done about it. Same with mental health, and yet we stigmatise people out of ignorance and fear.

    If we could call an agency as a concerned member of the public to report abuse if we suspect emotional/psychological, finacial, neglect, abandonment or self-neglect, wouldn’t it be good to know these issues could be dealt with and those responsible held accountable?

    We don’t have an excuse to see something and do nothing. Legislation is like a comfort blanket for all of us who might be blessed to reach old age while living on this rock. We will continue to fail the elderly if all we do is talk and forever be unable to find solutions.

  34. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Yes the people vote for change
    However changes does not null.and void any and every issue
    As stated in the article the lady has a daughter
    Accountability also should be held towards the daughter out of respect for the mother well being
    There are processes which must first be adhere starting with a thorough investigation
    Govt just can’t take charge of the woman well being if there are family members involved
    There are legal ramifications involved if the daughter does not give the relevant govt officials reasons and permission

  35. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Lisa June 27, 2022 6:38 AM “and no parent should expect that a child is obligated to look after them.”

    I disagree. Parent’s are correct to expect that their children will after them in their old age. Just as infants and children have a right to care from their parents. If the adult child cannot manage all of the care giving, then they will have to pay someone else to do some of the work, and if no money is available, then it is the responsibility of the adult child to contact state agencies for assistance. And state agencies ought to be responsive. Legislation alone achieves nothing.

    @Lisa June 27, 2022 6:38 AM We cannot expect that any child birthed will be given a moral compass or conscience.”

    NOBODY is born with a conscience or a moral compass. Children have to be TAUGHT to be moral, to be compassionate, to be kind, to be loving. These things are not inborn. This teaching has to be done firstly by the parents, but also by the extended family, the community, the church, and the school. To expect that a child is born with a conscience is as silly as expecting that a child is born knowing how to speak, to walk to read, to write to fly an airplane and do do brain surgery. ALL of these things have to be TAUGHT by example and by word. And all of these things CAB be taught. If they are not taught there will be cat piss and peppa as we ALL age.

    @Lisa June 27, 2022 6:38 AM “Has it occurred to anyone that the lack of legislation to protect the elderly is the main problem that causes abuse to go unchecked on this rock?”

    No it hasn’t occurred to me. We have so many laws in this country which are never enforced. So why do we still behave as though more law will fix family DYSFUNCTION?

  36. David Avatar
    David

    As harsh as it seems no child is obligated to look after a parent. In this regard Lisa is correct.

  37. Critical Analyzer Avatar
    Critical Analyzer

    Too many assumptions are being made because all the facts behind the situation have not been aired.

    @Lisa is correct in the inadequacy of our laws in this situation.

    Social Services cannot jump in to assist unless the person accepts and consents and police cannot do anything until a crime is committed as our laws usually kick in when a crime has been committed.

    Does anyone know if the old woman was asked but refused to admitted to Psychiatric, District hospital or one of the other homes. Do you all know admission to those places is by consent only and cannot be under duress unless some crime has been committed.

    Does anyone know why the daughter has not admitted her into the house. Does her daughter feel threatened and fear for her life or her children’s life, if the daughter has children, while they sleep with her inside.

    I know absolutely nothing about the situation but I can say taking care of problematic old people can be a very dangerous job and something more has to be in the mortal since it sounds like agencies and press have already been involved and might have backed off because their hands are all tied.

  38. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    David

    I also have to agree with Lisa as well.

    Filial responsibility laws, for example, impose a legal obligation on adult children to be financially responsible for their elderly parents’ basic needs and medical care.
    I read that, according to North Carolina state law, it is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, for an adult child to fail to support an ill or indigent parent.

    The sad, harsh reality is, there aren’t any such laws in Barbados that legally require adult children to support their elderly parents who cannot otherwise support themselves.

    Hence, the easiest option for the children is to abandon them at the QEH or any other state owned health care institution.

  39. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    AC
    Anyone who has ever gone by Top Rock and interacted with Theresa will notice that she lacks the capacity to make some judgements on her own. Interacting with her can bring about conversation sometimes but other times you will find it hard to interact with her focused because she is having a difficult day.

    The most Theresa would be able to do is bring the things she hoards from outside on her daily trips to house. For this reason alone, if the daughter couldn’t cope she could contact agencies to help her mother. To my knowledge none of this has happened.

    From what I have asked about her, she was a teacher at some point and had a mental break after her mother died, and went into slow continuous decline. It is amazing what you can find out if you take a little time to notice someone in need. And it was shocking to hear people say she needed help, but none has tried to offer it.

    Social agencies have been made aware of her situation and to this point no one has done any follow up on her. The story never ran in any news paper I’m aware of, so maybe they just never ran it for reasons known only to them.

  40. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    and keep her focused… is what I meant to say

    It has been a long day.

  41. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    AC

    To touch on something else you mentioned. The NAB has a job to assign social workers to investigate any complaints made in relation to the elderly. From their assessment and investigations, recommendations are made to first establish if a person can be looked after at home. This is what allows them to send home helpers in to care for a person at home.

    For someone like Theresa, this would be made difficult because she is mobile and need to wander. Facility care would be the likely recommendation because she is in need of treatment.

    If a person has a mental health history and is on file with mental health services, they can be picked up, but only if they have an assessment done.

    Who will take Theresa for that assessment?

    If you are a danger to the public the police can be called to take you to Black Rock after the community mental health nurse sends a form over to them. This old lady is a danger only to herself, so she remains out there and without the right kind of help.

  42. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    CA

    My apologies for addressing you AC. It has been a very long day, and AC is stuck in my head because you see her post often on here.

  43. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    There is a moral duty which no child can null or void
    Whether or not the law states that the child is obligated or not
    Citizens duty should be one of advocating a voice not only towards govt as the guardian but placing the responsibility on the families or family member of the neglected individual
    Not going sit here and join with those who just simply want to place burden of responsibility on taxpayers back when in this case there is a daughter who should be shouldering such responsibility for the parent in areas of food and shelter

  44. David Avatar
    David

    The speaker of the house Carrington had a moral responsibility to pay Griffiths his money.

  45. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    It would be of interest if the mother is collecting govt financial benefits how are these benefits being handled and by whom
    If the mother is is poor health mentally

  46. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    Everyone keeps talking about moral duty as if everyone has them. Theresa is walking about day into night, but somewhere a pension is sent. Who benefits from that pension if Theresa goes into care? Everyone should know by now that with Theresa in any govt facility, her pensions stops. Financial abuse and neglect is alive a real in Barbados and is top of the list in terms of abuse committed here.

  47. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    LisaJune 28, 2022 12:20 AM

    AC
    Anyone who has ever gone by Top Rock and interacted with Theresa will notice that she lacks the capacity to make some judgements on her own. I

    The most Theresa would be able to do is bring the things she hoards from outside on her daily trips to house. For this reason alone, if the daughter couldn’t cope she could contact agencies to help her mother. To my knowledge none of this has happened.
    Xxcccc

    The above comment has interesting observations
    One the mother mental state
    Two the daughter not getting in contact with relevant officials

    Those two observations are tell tale signs as to why the daughter would not seek intervention and also if there are financial benefits derived which the daughter can access and handle
    Hence govt intervention might become a hindrance
    Behind all of this noise is a selfish daughter who only thinks about her own interest and not the mothers

  48. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    Angela

    Unfortunately we have raised society unable to take responsibility for most things (including our politicians).
    Where family fail, social services should fill that void. We are not from a culture that appreciates the elderly unfortunately. How many of you see family members of a certain age, given up on in terms of medical treatment options? I’m sure many of you would have a story to tell. The elderly are disposable, and a drain on the NIS in this place. We need to get real of the realities of Barbados.

  49. David Avatar
    David

    A famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi springs to mind here: ‘the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members’.Sep 15, 2016

  50. David Avatar
    David

    @Lisa

    Many posting here are ‘bredded’ in a North America culture where the practice is to pack old people off to homes and senior citizens villages.

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