 Just imagine spending your life taking care of your family Working hard and making your contribution to society You raise grandchildren as your own everybody's needs you would beat And whoever came to your door make sure they got something good to eat The time has come you get old and gradually people get so distanced and cold All the sacrifices you've made till you reach the end of your years They're waiting for you to die to shed their crackers and tears Getting old is a pre- In 2006, the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse designated June 15th as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day This is to raise awareness of the issue of abuse of the elderly and to find ways to challenge this behaviour This year, 2020, we celebrate this day with the theme Lifting Up Voices to Create Awareness of Elder Abuse The World Health Organization defines elder abuse as a single or repeated act of lack of appropriate action Occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes distress to an older person Implicit in this definition is a wide range of actions that are sometimes not considered as such but which constitutes elder abuse And so I believe that it is important to understand so that it is recognized that elder abuse is not only physical But rather it can be financial, verbal, sexual and can involve the violation of rights to medical care and attention Sharing and name-calling as well as discrimination which restricts their opportunities to participate in family and or community activities It can also invoke harm done to an older person by someone whom they know or have a relationship with Such as a spouse, family member, friend or neighbour And that it can be perpetrated by people who an elderly person relies on for assistance such as staff at a nursing home and pale helpers or caregivers Ladies and gentlemen, the aforementioned highlights that the fact that elder abuse can take a variety of forms And I want to draw your attention to that central point and to emphasize the need to recognize it in all forms and to address it You may recall an incident in December 2019 when we heard reports of one of our very own esteemed persons A lady of over 100 years being brutally attacked and raped within the confines of her own home While we all vehemently condemn the attack it forcefully directs attention on the broader fundamental issue of elder abuse And begs the question of how many such situations are out there, undisclosed and unknown How many of our older people continue to suffer unspeakable acts of violence, abuse and neglect without a voice, without recourse, without someone to say stop How many such situations are unreported and remain unattended to Certainly at the global level the World Health Organization recognizes it as a serious social problem and continues to bring attention to the issue of elder abuse throughout the world At the local level we are also concerned about elder abuse and commit to addressing it in a comprehensive manner Ladies and gentlemen, our current reality with the experience of COVID-19 and the economic, social and psychological challenges anticipated Will increase many stresses in the household and in society and may intensify existing risk for our nation's older people I implore you do not allow this situation to be a trigger for elder abuse As families, communities and governments try to cope with the new normal as a result of this pandemic I take this opportunity to remind us all that as people we must not forget our elderly Those people who have labored in the pursuit of raising families and building the economy of our country As the world's population continues to age and the same trend is recognizable in St. Lucia The issues and challenges of elder abuse continues to be a source of concern and national priority for our government The media population estimates of St. Lucia between 2015 to 2019 shows that 32 to 34% of the population is above the age of 45 Putting them squarely in the category of older people Last year alone St. Lucia honored more than 30 centenarians and it is our understanding that there were several more Ladies and gentlemen, as I indicated previously, the government through my ministry is committed to supporting our older people And to ensuring appropriate programming in that regard Through our public assistance program, many of our most vulnerable older people are provided with assistance in the form of a monthly cash transfer, health care and where necessary burial assistance Our residential facility, the Comfort Bay Senior Citizens Home, prides itself in providing excellent care to the residents on a daily basis And often the observation is made of fast improvements in individuals health condition over time compared to when they were initially admitted The government also provides subventions to residential facilities for the elderly as well as organizations committed to working with and supporting our population of older people Additionally, the SSDF's home care givers program continues to give much needed direct home care to many of our elderly and we are committed to continuing this program The Ministry of Health's universal health care program also ensures access to medications for many older people, particularly the ones suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension Further, organizations such as HealthAge St. Lucia, club 60 groups St. Vincent de Paul and others continue to collaborate on projects and activities to provide relief and care to our elderly I wish to acknowledge the efforts of the aforementioned and others such as the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports for their assistance with programs such as senior games which helps to provide a platform for older people to showcase their talents and receive the honor and recognition they deserve I also recognize and salute the many unsung heroes in the form of neighbors, family members and friends who provide loving care and assistance to our older people on a daily basis, I say thank you for what you do As a further commitment of this government to ensuring that our elderly have a voice, an elder care unit was established within the division of human services in October 2018 to assist in providing specialized and committed social services to older people throughout our island Though small, that unit has done tremendous work to promote the interests and well-being of older people and to honor the efforts and contribution to our country Our government, through the division of human services and major stakeholders, is also in the process of facilitating a review of the national policy on older people for implementation thereafter We believe that the establishment of this framework will serve as a useful tool for providing structural support and guidance for our interactions with older people The government remains committed to working with all partners towards strengthening existing systems and developing new ones to meet various needs as they emerge However, there is much more to be done and we cannot and should not stop as long as one older person continues to suffer neglect or abuse of any kind We must stand united and strong against elder abuse and each of us must do our part as individuals and as a collective to stop such actions The message is clear, elder abuse cannot and will not be tolerated Of course, the government cannot do it alone and so as I close, I urge each person hearing me to take personal responsibility for positive action against elder abuse with your word, your actions, your choices and your behavior Let us lend a helping hand to meet the needs of older people, let us speak up against elderly abuse and report cases that we may be aware of Let us make a commitment today to communicate respect, to show consideration for the older people and to treat them with dignity Today on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and every day, let us stand firm and say no to elder abuse Let us lift our voices to the awareness of elder abuse, let us do our part to end all forms of elder abuse I thank you Everybody's needs you would meet and whoever came to your door make sure they got something good to eat And then the time has come you get old and gradually people get so distanced and cold All the sacrifices you made till you reach the end of your years They're waiting for you to die to shed their crackers and tears All the sacrifices you made till you reach the end of your years