Dear Editor
I am writing to express my concerns about the situation
of the elderly people in Costa Rica
There is not a culture in favor of
senior citizens in Costa Rica and there’s no longer any respect for them. We have
been listening about how they are suffering abandonment, discrimination, abuse and
neglect daily and because of these issues they have been sinking into
depression. The National Advisory for Older Adults (CONAPAM) estimates that
three of every 10 seniors are abused (physically, psychologically, or in some
other way.) In 2008, more than 1,000 seniors reported being victims of abuse,
with the most suffering from abandonment or neglect. The organization has been
tracking reported cases of abuse since 2005, and it has noticed an increase in
reported cases because more people have been seeking help.
However there are more issues such as physical
abuse, psychological abuse, patrimonial abuse and institutional abuse. We have
been reading and watching news about how people leave their elderly parents alone
without care, without food, without help using the bathroom and without social
interaction. Some people have been looking for the way to leave them alone in
the hospitals and sometimes these elderly people have been force to move to nursing homes, however they come in normal
and, little by little, they deteriorate until they become depressed. There are
two negative mentalities toward nursing homes in Costa Rica. First: People are indisposed
to bring their parents to these nursing homes because they think it means they
are a bad son or daughter; however it can mean a better life for them. And
second one, when those people think that nursing homes are places to leave them
there alone to be care by others and this is the real problem, because they are
abandoned and forgotten by their relatives.
The government has been investing
money and today we have a hospital dedicated to treating older people. However, we have to work together to reduce and eliminate these issues because, all
these will affect all of us, but it’s not only laws or a change in labor
practices that will improve the situation, we need to create a culture of
respect among families and society.
Dear Jeffry
ResponderEliminarI agree with you and your complains. Unfortunatly Costa Rica is not ready to carry out with this situation. Elderly people have been suffering since many years ago. We as a teacher must reinforce our good cultural roots and have to work on this topic, specially because we are going to need from them!!
Hi
ResponderEliminarHere is your feedback:
-the most (the majority)
-have been force(d)
-And second one (The second one)
-to be care(d)
-problem, because (problem because)
-because, all (because all)