Caring for our senior citizens

The world ranking for the care of the elderly is just hot off the press. The elderly population, geriatrics in medical terms, is not as much in Kenya as indeveloped countries. Kenya is estimated to have about 1.8 million people over the age of 60 years.

But our life expectancy is on an upward trend and this number is expected to double by 2050. We’ll be contributing to anticipated world statistics in 2050, when the population of older people will surpass the under 15s for the first time ever.

Sweden has been ranked top for the care of the elderly, not for the first time in matters of health. And Kenya?We did not even make it to the rankings, thanks to the lack of readily available comparative data. A guestimate would possibly rank us much further down the list. The Swiss geriatric population can expect the best of care, they are the envy of everyone else. So, what are the Swiss doing that others cannot do, including ourselves?

Geriatrics have special health needs, both physical and psychological. Their care must be multi-faceted, spanning from direct family care, to public or private institutional care. Funds, physical infrastructure and professional expertise are among the things that must be in place. The rest is unwavering commitment to caring for the elderly.

Majority of elderly care in Kenya is borne by family members. This can sometimes be an uphill task, both financially and emotionally. The moral duty of care for our senior citizens cannot be ignored. We must treat our elders with respect and dignity. They need help with simple physical tasks, and ongoing emotional support. And they will need medical help time and again.

We must plan well in advance on the best ways of caring for an increasing aging population. Counties should aim to keep elder people engaged in economic activities for as long as possible. Research indicates a disproportionate higher risk of death, especially in men, shortly after retirement. Let’s keep them working for longer, and better manage pension schemes to cater for financial needs.

County governments must also create enabling environments to cater for daily needs of the elderly. Simple things like concessions on public transport and easy access to buildings make day to day activities easier. Older people must be able to especially access healthcare services. We must make these affordable, well-staffed and stocked to cater for special health needs of the increasing older population. Counties should also have the capacity to run affordable nursing homes.

Wealth is not the only factor that played a role in high rankings for the countries with good elderly care indices.Countries like Sri Lanka and Bolivia ranked higher than much wealthier nations. We too can put workable processes in place and manage what we have better. Health benefits will accrue for all of us as we grow older.