By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – THE Convener and founder of St Monica Home for the Elderly, Dr (Mrs) Patience Onuwaje has called on governments to establish nursing homes to curb the rising challenges of care for the elderly and has expressed her readiness to collaborate for such ventures.
She spoke during her monthly meeting and distribution of food items to the elderly in Benin City, a venture she said has been doing since 2018 and expressed her desire to extend such free giving to the elderly to the entire 18 local government areas of the state.
“The federal government has started with some efforts to take care of the elderly, Edo state also just launched its own version and when they were doing it, they invited us to come with old people so the state government is also on it but we are encouraging them to do more and to also encourage us that are already doing it to expand our scope. If we can do it in the 18 local government areas, we will be glad but the means is a constraint.
“We appeal to people and people of goodwill who appreciate what we are doing and contribute to it, I write letters but sometimes, the letters are pushed aside but I am undeterred because I have passion for the elderly, I started it when I was very young.
“The Home is set up to uplift the dignity of the elderly but presently we are only able to gather them like this and at the end of the meeting, we will give them the food items and other things we are able to gather. We have some of them in the home; those that have nothing, no children, nobody to help them but we cannot accommodate many that want to stay in the home because it is a charity organization
“But we are planning to set up a nursing home where people may have to pay. I went to the US to be trained on how to take care of the elderly.
“Many people are urging me to set up a nursing home and they say they will bring their people there but we believe the government can collaborate with us to set up a nursing home that will take care of elder people. In those days, there are grandchildren that would go and stay and care for their grandparents but now everybody is far away from home.”
One of the beneficiaries, 72 years olf Mrs Timi Aiziobogbor said “This monthly activity is really gingering us up, it gives us hope that there is always a bright future for us. Government should encourage this home and come and see what they are doing there and support them.”
A pep talk on how the women should manage their properties and distribute them through will which they were advised to write while alive was given by Itse Elijah Nikie, a lawyer.
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