In a bid to enhance the welfare of the elderly in Epe, Kakalistiq.com reports that the Thani Oladunjoye Old People Care Center (TOOPCC), has extended a helping hand to ensure the seamless distribution of palliative care and services for senior citizens. This move comes in the wake of recent challenges faced by the elderly during government-led palliative distribution efforts.
The decision to offer support was announced during the distribution of palliative to over 200 elderly beneficiaries at the 2023 edition of the International Day of Older Persons, organized by the TOOPCC in Epe. Mr. Tunde Thani, the convener of TOOPCC, while sharing his thoughts on the significance of the palliative distribution, emphasized the need to embark on the exercise and make a case for a partnership with the government to provide exceptional care for the elderly.
Mr. Thani expressed, “Government cannot do everything, and that is why we have come on board to fill in the gap by forming laudable partnerships. As you can see, it is like we have mastered the game in terms of giving palliative care, particularly to that sector of our community, the aging community.”
He continued, “So, it will be wonderful if we have to partner with the government. In fact, that would be the best thing, particularly when they segment Epe people; we know their statistics, their nuances, their behaviors, and their attitudes, and like you saw today, the palliative distribution was very well organized, peaceful, and dignifying, and they were very happy. So, it will be awesome if we are invited to partner.”
Mrs. Oluwayemisi Oluwole, the convener of the Age Nigeria Foundation, during an interview, echoed the sentiments, citing feedback from elderly individuals who struggled to access government-issued food relief packs in crowded distribution settings. She emphasized the importance of dignified treatment for the elderly during such processes.
“How do you imagine the older people struggling with the youth because of palliative? How would they access it in that large crowd? They cannot. The local government, or whoever is in charge of the distribution, did not take into consideration the separateness of the older person. We need to treat them in a dignified way. The pushing, the struggling, the strife, and the maltreatment are not worth it.”
“It is very unfair. They should have made a concrete arrangement for the elderly to get theirs. Just like the TOOPCC palliative, I tell you, no LG package is up to this. We’ve gone around, and we have our people in the LGs; what were they given? We are so happy the TOOPCC with the support of our foundation came up with such a package that can sustain them for up to 2 weeks,” she remarked.
During her lecture, titled ‘Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations,’ Mrs. Oluwole shed light on factors influencing healthy aging and emphasized the elderly’s right to universal healthcare. She also discussed the importance of socio-economic engagement and urged the government to support non-profit organizations like TOOPCC for greater effectiveness.
Mr. Oluwole, in his address, revealed that Epe currently has 10,000 elderly residents, with only 2,000 under the care of TOOPCC. He highlighted the need to expand facilities and plan for the future as the population of older individuals aged 60-100 years is projected to rise significantly.
