ILOILO CITY, Aug.11 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is hoping to get a clear picture of the extent of elderly abuse to back the passage of a law giving protection to senior citizens.
Social Welfare Officer 1 Jewel Rose C. Galila on Friday explained that they need data to prove elderly abuse, hence a data banking through the Reporting System and Prevention Program for Elder Abuse Cases (RESPPEC) was initiated.
RESPPEC is currently being piloted in Barangays Gines and Maribong in Lambunao, Iloilo. Lambunao was chosen to represent Western Visayas, one of the four regions in the country where the initiative was pilot tested. Others are in Regions 1, 11 and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Lambunao based on the latest information has around 11,000 senior citizens; Maribong has more than 330 while Gines has 103.
The profile of senior citizens in these areas was taken, to include their skills that they could impart on their peers.
A Protective Committee for Senior Citizens (PCSC) was established for a start. PCSC is a multi-sectoral council that looks into the welfare of the elderly.
Galila said that the pilot areas were “super active,” especially in Gines. A core group was created to receive information on cases of neglect, which is a form of abuse.
In Maribong, they have a case of neglect, although it was unintentional on the part of the family. Galila explained that there are families, especially in far-flung areas, not equipped to take care of their elderly.
The case was being monitored and the elderly was provided with a medical assistance.
Meantime, 20 others were given livelihood assistance. They are identified to be on the “red flag for abuse,” specifically neglect, hence as a measure they were provided with livelihood assistance.
They are also considering food suuport to those identified to be at risk.
Apart from neglect, other forms of abuse could be psychological, physical, financial and even sexual, she said.
Meantime, Galila urged family members of the elderly “not to let them feel that they are useless because they are old.”
She said that they should understand them because they have a different dynamic.
Senior citizens should also come out and report if they feel that they are being abused. If they are ashamed to do so, which is usually the case, then they can share the information with their peers for a start, she said.
The pilot testing of RESPPEC will last for two years. A memorandum of agreement was entered into by the local government of Lambunao and the DSWD for the project. (PNA)
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Topic: Proposed system to report elderly abuse tested in Iloilo town (Read 203 times)