By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

Five percent of Nigerian elderly are living in pain at their old age and they do not see anyone to share this pain with, said Dr. Chairman, St. Michaels Care Services Limited, Dr. Emokpae Osarenren.

He said this in a welcome address during the official launch of St Michaels Care Service Limited, themed: “Old is Golden” held in Lagos.

Emokpae added that the Japa syndrome have left a significant deficit on the elderly.

His words:”In recent years, we have witnessed Japa syndrome, a trend where many Nigerians, especially the youth seek better opportunities abroad. While this migration has its benefits, It has left significant deficits on the elderly.

“Many elderly fend for themselves without support, due to Japa syndrome. This absence of family care creates a pressing need for professional home care services.

“The general misery index of Nigeria was 73 percent in 2023 but that of the elderly was 80 percent. While the general misery index would be 80, that of the elderly would be 95 in 2024.

“What that means is that a lot of elders in which five percent of Nigerians are elders are living in pain at their old age and they do not seem to see anyone to share this pain with.

“The neglect of the elders is not just a social issue, but a pressing health challenge that requires immediate attention from the government and well meaning individuals.

“The death rate among elderly Nigerians is alarmingly high because of inadequate healthcare and lack of proper support and care.”

Also, Managing Director of St Michaels Care Services, Fadekemi Ogunleye, said that there are no operational policies that protect the elderly in Nigeria.

She said that they are faced with harsh realities that make it difficult for them to look forward to aging.

She lamented that Nigeria currently ranks 144 out of 166 countries on the SDG goal 10 reports.

Ogunleye said: “Ageing is a natural process, aging is not a diseases but a risk factor to a lot of diseases.

She cited statistics, saying that “there has never been a time on earth where we have the current number of people over the age of 60 as we have now.

“It means that there is a need for long term care because as more people starts to age and get into their older years, we stand to see a lot of them with age related issues.

“Older people are at risk of being maltreated, some of which are intentional, some unintentional.”