Seniors to be shielded from neglect, abuse under proposed bill

MANILA, Philippines  – Senator Grace Poe has filed a bill that will protect the elderly from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

“Maswerte tayo kung kasama natin ang mga senior citizen sa ating bahay. Pero paano na ‘yung mga nag-iisa, ‘yung mga nakikitira o kaya naman ay walang kamag-anak. Walang araw na lumilipas na hindi sila nakakaranas ng pagwawalang-bahala o kaya abuso (We are lucky to have elderly relatives living with us. But what about senior citizens who are alone, living with other people or those without relatives? They are neglected and prone to abuse),” Poe said in a statement on Thursday.

In filing Senate Bill No. 946 or the proposed Elder Victim Assistance Act, Poe said the measure is aimed at preventing/stopping elderly abuse.

“As elders become frailer, they are less able to stand up to bullying or to fight back if attacked. They may not see or hear as well or think as clearly as they used to, leaving openings for unscrupulous people to take advantage of them,” Poe said in the bill’s explanatory note.

Poe said that while the “traditional high regard for older persons remains characteristic of Filipino families, they have become vulnerable to neglect as the pressures of economic survival mount.”

Poe further noted that in 1970, there were about 11 working people for every one elderly from whom support could be drawn from.

“Yet by 2020, studies indicate that there will only be six people of productive age to support the elderly,” she pointed out.

The said bill, which she filed last August 27, 2019, would institutionalize an assistance program to victims of elder abuse and the training of health and government professionals to assist them.

The measure also seeks to create an inter-agency task force to implement the Elder Victim Assistance Program.

Its budget for operations will be sourced from the annual appropriations of the DSWD, Poe noted.

Under the bill, the said task force, which would be chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), would provide the following services:

• Immediate, short-term emergency services, including shelter, care services, food, clothing, transportation to medical or  legal  appointment as appropriate, and any other life services deemed  necessary  by  the  entity for victims  of elder abuse

• Counseling and assistance  for  victims  of elder abuse in accessing healthcare, educational, pension, or other benefits for which seniors may be eligible under law

• Mental  health  screenings  for  victims  of  elder  abuse  to  identify  and seek assistance  for   potential   mental   health  disorders  such   as  depression  or substance  abuse

• Emergency  legal  advocacy  for  victims  of elder  abuse  and,  as  appropriate, their families

• Job placement  assistance and  information  on  employment, training, or volunteer opportunities  for victims  of elder abuse

• Bereavement counseling for families of victims of elder abuse

• Education of the elderly to enable them to avoid being victimized, abused, or exploited

• Other services considered appropriate for purposes of the program.

/gsg