Black Immigrant Daily News
Three million Barbados dollars will be allocated to repair the senior citizens’ homes located in Lancaster, St James, and at Vauxhall, Christ Church.
This was disclosed by Minister of People’s Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey during a National Task Force On Homelessness meeting held at the Raddison Aquatica Resort Hotel, Carlisle Bay, St Michael today Wednesday, January 25.
“The Landcaster and Vauxhall Senior Citizens’ Homes, we’re doing significant repairs. Those repairs would cost us about $3 million dollars to be able to offer better accommodation for our older persons.”
Minister Humphrey explained that this initiative stemmed from the high number of Barbadians who have put elderly persons out on the street.
“I fear, I really do fear that unless we start having these conversations with families about taking care of their own,” the problem will only continue to grow. “People and I would say it in Barbadian vernacular, people are putting out people for the simplest things. There used to be a time when Barbadians used to be able to work through their challenges and to come to some resolution, but the easiest thing now it seems is to put somebody out on the streets and then to suggest that the government now has a responsibility to take care of the person that you have now put out on the street. It can’t work!
“…We have to do a lot of comprehensive work to prevent that from happening in the first place.”
He professed that this act is most appalling when you consider that in many instances the elder was once the breadwinner in the home.
“It becomes even more egregious when an older person, who has done all of the work, paid all of the bills, supported you, supported your family, took care of your grandchildren, is then the person that you are now seeking to put on the street.
“And that is what we are seeing especially as older people dealing with the challenges associated with getting older and the families find themselves unable to deal with it.”
He added:
“We have to build systems to help families to do the jobs that families have traditionally done in this country, so that we can end homelessness at the root.”
NewsAmericasNow.com
