Urgent action needed as 79 year old woman commits suicide in Ra

There is saddening news as we have lost another person to suicide today.

This time a 79-year-old woman from Ra has passed away after suffering 65 percent burns, and this takes the total number of elderly persons who have committed suicide this year to 20.

The post mortem will be conducted on Friday.

While reacting to this tragic news, Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran says its devastating to hear the news that another older person has taken her life, and this happened on the day when we should be celebrating Older Persons Day, a day we celebrate the contributions of our senior citizens.

Kiran says increasingly there are cases reported of older persons struggling with loneliness and depression as the younger generation are moving offshore leaving their elders behind.

She says research indicates that senior citizens are exposed to a range of risk factors which can increase vulnerability to suicide such as chronic pain, perception of being a burden to others and dependence on others, loss of families or friends and loneliness.

The Assistant Minister says it is important that we take care of our older family members and relatives who have contributed to our own upbringing and nation building.

Kiran says even though there is law in place where elders can report their children for neglect, no parents do that as they do not want to see their children in trouble.

She says the onus is on the children, kinship and the community to reach out and take care of our senior citizens.

According to the World Health Organization, mental health conditions are under-identified and under-reported in older adults.

Kiran adds we all know our elders are set in their ways and often do not want to ask for help and become dependent on others, and it is upon us to ensure they have care and service.

She says often we also find that older people are difficult to manage as they get frustrated with their aging process, poor physical health, chronic pain, sensory impairment and mental health challenges making care giving difficult, but its important to remember when we are children and are difficult, our elders still looked after us.

Kiran calls on our community networks and faith groups to reach out to older persons living in your community who may not have the necessary support and create opportunities to engage them to ensure they feel included and have a role to play in the society.

She stresses that we can all play a role in suicide prevention.

For senior citizens who need someone to speak with and who need support, please call the toll free number 5626. Language is not a barrier - call and ask for help.