Respect for elders in decline … Senior bemoans rising disrespect in society

For 76-year-old Paul Watt, retirement was expected to be a peaceful return after two decades in the United Kingdom. Instead, he says it has become a daily experience of what he describes as a troubling decline in public respect.

Now living in St Andrew, Watt says the issue goes beyond inconvenience and speaks to how older people are treated in public spaces.

“I don’t think we are treated with enough care and respect. People just have no manners. Them say all kind of things or say whatever they feel like saying without thinking about respect,” Watt said.

His concerns come as global attention is focused on the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older adults during World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed annually on June 15. The day serves as a reminder of elder abuse as a human rights issue and a growing challenge in ageing societies.

For Watt, one of the key contributors to what he views as elder mistreatment is the state of public transportation in Jamaica. He said that when he returned after 20 years abroad, he expected a calmer and more dignified environment, but the reality has been disappointing.

“If I take the bus, everybody rushing and pushing and sometimes I say, ‘Bwoi, I sorry I come back a this country come live,’” he said. “It’s just terrible how I see people operate in this place.”

He also raised safety concerns about public transport practices, saying his experiences have left him uneasy.

“I came out of a taxi some weeks ago. I told him to stop the taxi, make I get out. Him just run a red light,” he recalled.

Last year, the National Council for Senior Citizens revealed that 134 cases of elder abuse were formally reported between 2019 and 2024. Chair of the council, Dr Julian McKoy-Davis, said 57 per cent of reported abusers were family members, while 31 per cent were caregivers responsible for the care of Jamaica’s most vulnerable elderly population.

McKoy-Davis said the three most frequently reported forms of elder abuse are financial exploitation (32 per cent), neglect and abandonment (29 per cent), and physical abuse (19 per cent).

On the weekend, several elderly people who spoke to THE STAR said many forms of abuse extend beyond the home environment. For 77-year-old Paul Williams, a former national football player and accountant, the issue is not isolated but a wider pattern of disrespect affecting older Jamaicans in daily life.

Williams said that after decades of work and national contribution, older persons deserve to live in dignity.

“We have done our part. A lot of elderly people have worked, raised children, served the country in different ways, and when you reach this age, you don’t want anybody to treat you like you are nothing,” Williams said.

He added that respect is often reflected in small everyday interactions.

“Sometimes is not even the big things. Is how people talk to you. Is how they answer you. Is how they make you feel like you are in the way,” Williams said.

For Carol Thompson, a resident of Fletcher’s Land in Kingston in her 60s, elder abuse takes many forms that can significantly impact older persons. She said many are especially vulnerable due to illness, reduced mobility, financial dependence or lack of support.

“There are a lot of things that factor into it, and some of the elders really can’t do anything about it in situations like these because they can’t help themselves. Them either sick and can’t move,” she said.

However, Thompson believes abuse also extends into public life, pointing to declining courtesy and neglect in everyday interactions.

“It’s really sad and you know what is more sad? The elder respect is lost. Even coming on the road, the disrespect is different on the road,” she said.

“One time, nuh matter how big the bag, someone offer to help me a carry. Now, them pass yuh like them deeven business.”

Thompson, who runs a small shop, said she has noticed a shift in how younger people respond to older persons, especially when assistance is needed.

She is calling for a stronger sense of community responsibility toward the elderly.

“Check on them. The old people don’t have the strength they used to have. Check on them,” she said.

“Just like how a community help raise the kids, they can all come together and help take care of their elderly. Mi think a that direction we should push towards.”

Thompson said ageing also brings financial anxiety, particularly regarding healthcare costs and loss of independence.

“It is scary to be honest. I’m scared getting older because sometimes you just don’t know, and you see when health issues start to come in, you will need trillions of dollars to get the proper care,” she said.

She noted that private healthcare is costly, while public services often involve long waits and inconsistent treatment.

“To see a private doctor, it is either $6,000 or $7,000 for the visit. At the hospital is even worse. The wait is long, and even staff who are there don’t treat the elders with basic decency, so it is all across the board,” she said.