Abuse of elderly people has become a global social issue that affects the health and human rights of millions of older persons around the world.

According to Ghanaian abuse prevention group, Guardian of the Graymasters, a good number of older persons facing abuse actually wish they were dead. 

Lead advocate, Abigail Miezah, said the rate of emotional and verbal abuse by the youth often has a negative effect on the elderly. 

She spoke on Luv Fm in commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June, 15.

“There’s a very strong psychological effect attached to this treatment we give to the elderly. I have had some of them call me to complain all the time about how their children tend to treat them and at the end, they want to commit suicide. Sometimes not even their children alone,” she said.

Abuse Awareness Day is observed each year on June 15. It was officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 66/127, December 2011.

It followed a request by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), who first established the commemoration in June 2006. It represents the one day in the year when the whole world voices its opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted on some older persons.

From a health and social perspective, unless both primary health care and social service sectors are well equipped to identify and deal with the problem, elder abuse will continue to be under-diagnosed and overlooked.