Today is International Day of Older Persons
South Africans urged to take care of their seniors.
Today the world celebrates International Day of Older Persons and as a result, President Jacob Zuma has wished all seniors well.
The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Leaving No One Behind, Promoting a Society for All’ and as a result Zuma has urged all South Africans to celebrate older persons and see them as resources instead of a burden on society.
He says that seniors play an important role in many families in the country, looking after grandchildren and other vulnerable family relatives at an age where they should not be caring for anybody.
There are seniors who still share their wisdom and knowledge in the professional environment while others remain powerful reservoirs of information for the younger generations.
Zuma says: “We want a safer South Africa for all older persons and therefore we urge all locals to care for and report all those who abuse them to law enforcement officers.
“Everyone, especially the youth must play a role in building safer communities and environments for them.
“We urge families and communities to celebrate older people not just today but every day.”
Social Auxiliary Worker at the Soweto Home for the Aged, Dinah Moloi says that old people need to be cared for and loved because most of the time families become impatient with them.
Others are thrown out of their homes or abused hence they end up homeless and roaming the streets with no on to care for them.
Moloi says they have seniors that get dumped at the old age home then they are never visited.
“This is sad because some of these elderly are sick and in need of love and support.
“Only a few families come to visit the gogo’s and mkhulu’s that are placed in homes.
“We urge residents to try and understand these seniors, love them, respect them and care for them,” she says.
Moloi says if one has parents or grandparents that are sick, they should assist in going to the clinic for them should they be unable to go get their medication or go and get information so you can be able to support them.
