Isolation
Isolation
Later life isolation continues to be an area of great concern in many Ugandan communities, in the face of the collapsing culture of the extended family system that provided the woolen warm covers for the weakening, frail, depressed older persons.
The wounds of loneliness are even made worse by the absence of television, radio, pension benefits, and presents even a more bloody scary stance to the widows as compared to their married counterparts .
To the majority of them, this plight is mixed with other life pains like poverty, family issues, and ill health.
Lack of right policies, ageism, cultural issues, modernization, illiteracy, loss of their children to HIV /AIDS, lack of food, clean water supply and poor access to services
The older persons continue to be stigmatized and discriminated against by service providers. Their problems apply not only to the un learned, rural dwellers but also to the learned, urban dwellers and retired civil servants alike.
The majority however drawl in the rural areas where poverty is rife, economic opportunities are limited and health services are in hard to reach areas.
Older persons’ needs and aspirations are neglected in the community perspective, NGO and government programming.
According to police records in Nabwigulu sub-county, five (3) cases have been reported of older persons found dead due to heavy rains that wouldn‟t allow them access their basic requirements.
Many of them stay alone in their collapsing, dilapidated, un shattered mud and wattle huts exposing them, especially the widows to rape cases and murder yet their death from these gruesome acts is often announced by the huge smell and swarm of flies from their isolated home steeds after weeks.
Many of them die prematurely from treatable and preventable diseases. “There have been four (4) incidents of death of old people from my village and it often takes days for the community to notice. These are clear indicators of isolation and discrimination of old people ” As a community we must stop this. Narrates: Mr. Tooli Clovis, The chairman Kamuli District NGO forum chairperson
Despite suffering from old age related diseases that require constant medical attention, older persons have been insulted and less considered for service delivery in health centers and the similar plight applies in many other service delivery systems.