Adelaide Wood, a 90-year-old retired public servant, has called for renewed national attention to the welfare of older people, citing declining care and support systems.

She expressed concern about what she described as the erosion of societal values that uphold respect, care, and communal responsibility for the aged, leaving many vulnerable.

Madam Wood raised concerns when she led her family to donate assorted medications to HelpAge Ghana in Accra to mark her 90th birthday.

“Growing up, it was a community. Older people watched the younger ones grow. Today, that culture is fading. Young people no longer respect the elderly, and when older people speak, they are told to keep quiet,” she said.

Madam Wood, who served in the Attorney-General’s Department for more than 40 years, said she chose to support elderly persons instead of receiving gifts, noting that many struggled to afford basic medication.

She called for increased investment in social protection systems for the aged.

“In other jurisdictions, older people are treasured as sources of wisdom and experience. We must return to that culture,” she stressed.

Madam Wood urged individuals, institutions and policymakers to prioritise elderly care, saying it was an investment in society’s future.

Mrs Ethel Boakye-Wilson, Executive Director of HelpAge Ghana, commended the Wood family for the gesture, saying the donation would support beneficiaries.

She said the organisation, established in 1988, operated in 23 communities in Accra, with outreach to the Volta, Western, Northern and parts of the Central Region.

“Many older persons suffer from health conditions that require continuous medication, but they simply cannot afford them. Some cannot even afford a simple breakfast like ‘koko and koose,” she said.

Mrs Boakye-Wilson said donations had declined since the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting operations and support for beneficiaries.

She also highlighted the absence of a comprehensive national policy framework for the aged, noting that efforts to pass an Aged Persons Bill since 2020 were yet to materialise.

Mrs Boakye-Wilson urged families to avoid neglect and social isolation of elderly relatives.

“You bring your mother from the village to the city and leave her alone all day. That loneliness is killing many of them. Ageing is beautiful, and there is no way that you grow and become a witch or wizard.

“There are other ailments or health issues with ageing that if you don’t understand, you would think that the person is being troublesome, but it’s all part of ageing,” she advised.

Madam Vivian Schandorf, a retired nurse with HelpAge Ghana, said access to medication remained a major challenge for older persons, many of whom suffered from chronic conditions.

“Some of them don’t have anyone to support them. Even those living with relatives are sometimes neglected. Yet they need constant care and medication,” she said.

Madam Schandorf said medications were provided free of charge based on prescriptions to help manage conditions and prevent complications.

She said the centre faced operational challenges, including inadequate funding for feeding, utilities and transport, as well as the absence of doctors.

“At a point, we used to cook and feed them here, but now we can’t because of lack of funds. Even transport is a challenge. Sometimes we have to support them with small amounts to get back home,” she said.

Beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the support, describing it as timely and life-saving.

They appealed for transport assistance and urged individuals and organisations to support the centre to enhance care for older people.