The Cyprus Third Age Observatory is demanding the immediate appointment of a Commissioner for Older Personswith expanded and executive powers. In a statement marking the International Day of Older Persons, it warned the government, the House of Representatives and the competent institutions that "tolerance has run out".
"Not the last wheel of the cart"
"Older people are not the last wheel of the cart. The International Day of Older Persons is not simply a day of honour. It is the day that reminds us of the state's inadequacy towards the Third Age," the statement said.
It added that "our elderly are not second-class citizens, nor a 'burden' on the state. They are the generation of sacrifice, the pillar of the Cypriot family and the cohesive link of our society."
The problems older people face
"Unfortunately, the Cypriot reality they experience every day is relentless," the statement said. It pointed to:
- pensions that do not last the month amid unprecedented high prices;
- hardship and delays in GeSY, the General Healthcare System;
- the absence of specialised geriatric clinics, facilities and affordable rehabilitation services, which it described as tragic;
- inadequate inspections of care homes.
In care homes, it said, cases of neglect, institutional abuse, ageism and social isolation remain "an open wound for our civilisation".
