Devise system to prevent elder abuse

Abuse of the elderly in this day and age is sad, to say the least. It also shows that some sections of our populace still lack the tools to keep up with the pace of life here (“The hidden world of elder abuse”; Talking Point).

The punishment meted out to family members too old to resist may stem from a frustration at not being able to cope.

That is why it is important for the authorities to study this carefully, to prevent such sad and, by our standards, abysmal acts from recurring.

The old are sometimes not in a position to call for help and tell us of their suffering, so a system should be devised to monitor them.

This is not to be taken lightly, especially where pain is being inflicted, which means that injury and even death can occur.

The elderly are fragile and not in the best state of mind, so being pushed to extremes could cause permanent damage, physically and mentally.

Besides the cases we know of, how many more that we are unaware of are there?

As our nation steers towards another 50 years of growing up and being inclusive, we must work towards ensuring that all are cared for, especially the less fortunate — that they can fend for themselves, or are given avenues by which to seek help.

As we celebrate our birthday on Aug 9, the cake we cut must be shared with all. No one should be left behind or out, or suffer for that matter.

In this era of social media, there is also no excuse for not being able to report unacceptable behaviour, which must be nipped in the bud. Everyone must be vigilant and report what is not right, rather than ignore it.