Group pleads: Improve health care for the elderly

As countries around the world celebrate World Health Day, HelpAge International is calling for improvements in the delivery of health care to older people in Jamaica.

72-year-old Isilda Leanor from Carron Hall, St Mary, wants an end to discrimination against older people, especially when it comes to accessing health care.

"It's a shame, sometimes, the discrimination that older persons face in this country on a whole. And this includes health care too," Leanor stated.

76 million older people around the world are being excluded from vital health care, with healthy life expectancy at 60 decreasing or static in 38 out of 194 countries, noted HelpAge International's campaigning network Age Demands Action on World Health Day (April 7).

As part of an international drive, Age Demands Action has witnessed older people mobilising, and running media campaigns to demand quality health care for older people in at least 40 countries on World Health Day.

end discrimination

In Jamaica, older persons are calling for an end to age discrimination. More specifically, they are asking for geriatric clinics, increased dialogue with the Ministry of Health, more respect shown to older persons at health facilities and pharmacies, better communication and signage and health facilities.

Monica Osbourne, a senior citizen from St Catherine, describes what older persons go through in her parish.

She said, "Older folk have to wake up like 4.30 or 5:00 a.m., and sometimes they are there until 12:00 p.m. without seeing the doctor. After waiting so many hours to see the doctor they then have to wait for two to three more hours at the pharmacy, only to be told that they do not have the medication. I do not think this is right."

Progress has been made to improve life expectancy globally, but the gains made exclude 76.8 million people aged 60 and over - close to 10 per cent of the global population of older people across 194 countries.

"With more than 300,000 persons in Jamaica, aged 60 and over, Jeff James, Caribbean Representative for HelpAge International, believes that the time has come for policy shifts in the way health care is delivered in Jamaica to reflect the demographic transition that is taking place.

He believes that health care workers need to be better trained in order to provide age-friendly health-care services to older people and to be better able to respond to their needs.

New research published this week by HelpAge International shows that health systems can change and that ensuring older people are included in community health care is vital to them maintaining a good quality of life.