When the children come and leave their parents they promise to return or make a monthly contribution. Most of the time I tell them they have to tend to their medical needs but they never keep to their promises. No one would even make a phone call to inquire about their parents,”– S. B Dissanayake (Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare, )
Irrespective of being known as a nation that is friendly and humane we have an unbelievable number of parents who are too feeble and, left alone to take care of themselves or just left behind on the streets without a penny.
A widely reported incident was that of an 84 year old mother who died while in an Elders’ Home. A resident in a remote village in Balangoda, she had 11 children of whom 9 were still living at the time of her death. Not one child was present at her burial, while all her health care, as well as funeral expenses were borne by the Elders’ Home which took care of her till her last breath.
Amid such heart rending stories, Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare, S. B Dissanayake’s statement recently seems like a drop of water in an oasis. In his speech he drew attention to the importance of introducing laws against children who neglect their duties towards elderly parents.
Speaking to the Sunday Observer, the Minister said, what he wants is to bring about a lasting solution to the issue rather than patching up with temporary plasters. He said, such an exercise would require finding solutions to the root causes and not merely addressing the issues on the surface.
“I do understand that sometimes, elders can be tough to deal with. With age they become aggressive and stubborn. And, with social and mainly economical constrains some are left with no option but to neglect their parents. But, that is not a justification.” said the Minister.
The Minster intends to introduce new laws to curb the situation. Accordingly, when parents are left by the children they will be prohibited from accessing any property that belonged to the parent. Such property will be declared state owned.
Statistics projection shows that by 2021 Sri Lanka would have an elderly population of about 3.6 million, which is 16.7% of the total population and by 2041 one-quarter of the population would be elderly.
Among other social issues mushrooming pertinent to the elderly population, financing them in a welfare society can tax public funds in the millions, including free health.
The Minister’s view is to initially make it possible for the children to keep their parents. “Our first efforts will be to take the parents back to the children. There are violent parents as well. In such instances, we will assist to settle them. We have government counsellors placed within AGA’s departments island wide. Anyone who wants their assistance could have access.
They will speak to the parents and the children, with a view to settle them and make sure that the parents are not neglected by the children, for whatever reason,” said the Minister.
Speaking to the Sunday Observer, the warden of the Home which took care of the above mentioned mother said, towards the end he had spent over Rs. 30,000/- for her healthcare and just once a child had given him Rs. 1,000/- .
“When the children come and leave their parents they promise to return or make a monthly contribution. Most of the time I tell them they have to tend to their medical needs but they never keep to their promises.
No one would even make a phone call to inquire about their parents,” the warden said.
It has been the case of many parents left behind in Homes. The administration of the Homes too is difficult to be met, with rising demands. They have limited resources. According to the warden of Aloka Home, there are no people to come and work in the Homes, to assist the elderly.
“Some need to be tended to for everything. They are very feeble, and unable to even eat or drink. So we struggle with the need for manpower,” he said.
Eager to share his experiences, even at the time of speaking, he was attending to a parent he had brought in to the hospital for medication.
So what does this law entail and in what instances will it apply?
In the above story of the mother left behind by 11 children, soon after her burial, her children had contacted the Home only to get the copy of the death certificate. The warden says, that was for claiming compensation from their respective employers.
According to Minister Dissanayake, there are about 200 cases reported at the IDH (Infectious Disease Hospital), Angoda. No one comes to see the parents, and some parents are not in an able position to divulge information about their children or even sometimes about themselves. In such instances, if the children do not make any efforts to come and see the parents or make a contribution to their care, any or all of their properties will be confiscated by the government.
The law is still in the process of implementation. How effective it will be has to be seen in the implementation and consequences of the practicality of such laws.
Warden of Aloka Elders’ Home believes, it would be an initiative towards building up a sense of responsibility within the people.
In instances where parents own any property, most children make sure that they first transfer the interests to the children. This is done on the premise that the parents will be looked after. So unfortunately, when the parents are left behind there is hardly any property in their names.
The issue is, whether the aforesaid mechanism is sufficient. In a few years’ time according to statistics, the elderly population will surpass the workforce in the country. In the light of this there should be provisions to make the elderly, self-sufficient, or, introduce methods for them to contribute to the economy so that the burden on public funds is eased.
“Without long lasting mechanisms we cannot bring about a realistic solution to the issue,” the warden of Aloka Elders’ Home said.