The Sunday Mail
Disability Issues Dr Christine Peta —
IT APPEARS that there is some kind of mystery that surrounds ageing, hence society tends to discriminate against elderly people, more so if the elderly person has some form of disability.
Some people regard elderly people as sub-standard good-for-nothing beings that have gone beyond their “sell-by” dates and yet aging is not a determinant of a person’s ability or disability, but it is a natural process which happens gradually to everyone. Given the choice, who would choose to die in their young age as opposed to living a long, healthy and productive life?
In any case, for as long as a person is healthy, he or she can remain active and vigorous until his or her dying day regardless of age (Obiozo and Koledoye, 2011), there is no need for anyone to have an inactive, boring and depressed old age in which they are clueless on how they should spend their time.
It is sad that instead of taking heed of the advice that is proffered by the WHO, which directs society to maximise the health and functional capacity of older people, most people discriminate against elderly people, alongside a mistaken belief that “what can you expect, she is old anyway, so she is disabled and she cannot do much”.
Who says all elderly people are disabled? And even if they were, do all kinds of disability turn people into brainless or useless beings?
The reality is that among other things, it is the collective effects of illnesses and diseases that people suffer from over time, which may result in people acquiring disability at the later stages of their lives, a lot depends on a person’s lifestyle from the time that they are young.
In any case, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO, 2001) defines disability as, “the . . . result of complex relationships between an individual’s health condition and personal factors and of the external factors that represent the circumstances in which the individual lives”.
Disability is, therefore, “not a characteristic of the individual per se but rather of the intersection between the individual and their environment, and the potential of therapeutic environments to maintain or increase quality of life for older adults” (Chappell and Cooke, 2010).
That is not to say that increased age does not come with the likelihood of disability, but it is to say that some gerontologists have introduced the term “successful aging” to buttress the fact that not all aging is negative.
Research has indicated that women live longer than men but reasons for this gender difference have remained unclear. However, most elderly people are women who may develop disabling conditions depending on among other things their lifestyles. A study carried out in the US revealed that of the 29 million Americans who are aged 65 and above, 21 million of them are women (Boylan, 1991). Furthermore, a larger number of Americans who live alone are women who are poor, widows, or women who are in their eighties. There is generally a dearth of reliable ageing, gender and disability statistics in African contexts.
Among both male and female adults the most common causes of disability are: “chronic diseases, injuries, mental impairment, malnutrition, HIV/Aids and other communicable diseases. The major chronic conditions of an aging society include: cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscular-skeletal conditions including arthritis and osteoporosis, mental health conditions such as dementia and depression, and visual impairment” (Chappell and Cooke, 2010).
The medical profession has been criticised for showing negative attitudes towards elderly persons (Boylan, 1991). In 1989 healthcare staff at a hospital in Vienna were exposed for murdering older patients on the grounds that they were either too old or they were stubborn. A more or less similar scenario was reported in the UK were elderly women with disabilities were often abandoned by health care staff, only to be attended to when a crisis arises. On a worldwide scale, health care services which older people receive tend to be administered in inappropriate and insensitive ways, as if an elderly person is less of a human being, it can be worse in cases where the person is disabled.
Way forward
There is need to carry out further research which seeks to explain the gender differences in aging and the link between aging and disability, to enable us to understand the issues in a better way and to inform policy and practice. Critical knowledge gaps exist for responding to the concerns of elderly people who may or may not have disabilities. Such a lack of credible sources of information result in people speaking and making decisions from the top of their heads to the detriment of the people concerned
We should not have a negative image of aging but as postulated by Kennedy and Minkler (1998) we should weigh all facts and ideas (including those that contradict each other, evaluating them and hopefully arriving at the truth. Whilst an ageing population can be seen as a positive outcome of public health efforts there is need for society to maximise the health and functional capacity of older people as well as their social participation and security, to enable each one of us to age gracefully and to cope with disabilities in cases where they occur (WHO, 2017).
Let us not support practices that hinder the effective livelihoods, human performance and general well-being of elderly persons. Considering that research has indicated that a large number of elderly people can manage their own lives if they are given adequate support services, there is need for families and communities to develop psychological and physical support for elderly persons including women (Boylan, 1991).
With the breakdown of the social fabric particularly in African contexts, which arises from the migration of families to different parts of the world, some elderly widows face the risk of abandonment, destitution, chronic diseases and death in their homes and communities (Obiozo and Koledoye, 2011). Some people opt to abandon their elderly parents without taking time to put some support mechanisms for them in place, when the death message arrives, the most they do is send money for a coffin and flowers from abroad.
Let us stop to think and re-consider some of the decisions we make in relation to the care and support services for our elderly parents, who may suffer from debilitating diseases and acquire disabilities that could have been avoided, but that occur due to neglect whilst we are abroad.
Some people suppress the planning and initiatives of elderly persons, believing that they should just be confined at home awaiting their death day, whilst younger people think for them and tell them what to do. Some just send money, believing that all that an elderly person needs is money to buy this and that. But why should our focus be solely on finances, elderly people can actually live longer and healthier lives which are “free” from disabilities, if they are supported in their quest to develop new interests and involvements and in staying busy.
Most elderly women in developing countries suffer from arthritis and in cases where they cannot afford a wheelchair they may be stuck for long periods of time in their village homes, unable to go outside, neglected by family members who regard them as a burden (Boylan, 1991).
As age, femininity and disability come together to frame a woman’s identity, women tend to be discriminated against much more than men, in the final analysis, old age and its pitfalls may weigh heavily on women because they are the ones who live longer than men.
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Dr Christine Peta is a public health care practitioner who, among other qualifications, holds a PhD in Disability Studies. Be part of the international debate on how best to nurture a society which is more accessible, supportive and inclusive of disabled people. Partner with Disability Centre for Africa (DCFA) on WhatsApp 0773-699-229, website www.dcfafrica.com and e-mail; [email protected]
