Recent events on national television about the treatment of some of our elderly citizens by a state agency and in another case family members have brought into sharp focus the fact that if we look around carefully, we are not evolving to be much of kinder and gentler society. Who really cares for the aged and infirmed among us?

The fact is, quite a large portion of our society is ageing and many have to wonder what will be their fate if economic conditions should worsen and persons end up poor and destitute. Will their lives simply be wretched, nasty and brutish because we have lost our soul as a people? Minister Bobby Montague may have gone a bit over the edge in dealing with the matron about conditions at the Portland infirmary but from the analysis of the events, one could clearly discern his deeply felt passion on caring for the residents of the facility.

no necessary preparations

The reality of the present situation is that some elderly parents in their youthful days did not support their children or made the necessary preparations for future needs and may be reaping the payback but some persons have genuinely fallen on hard times. A parallel can be seen in the United States of America were many citizens have reached retirement age and have to be still working as they cannot afford the basics of life when many have seen their 401K pension literally disappear in front of their eyes.

It is said that people know the quality of a society by how they they treat their young and elderly and the legislators were right when they enacted laws such as the Maintenance Act and the National Insurance Act as they foresaw future problems. Frankly, parents have a right to maintain their children and the reverse is likewise. It seems that part of today's problem, apart from the economic dictates, are long-standing social problems on how we view parenting. Too many of us are irresponsible in our behaviour by simply having children and expecting someone else, particularly the Government to "mind them".

What kind of society can function properly when many children are simple left on their own with little supervision and then end up being menaces to society and wards of the state? How many children do we think can evolve from these institutions without physical and mental scars and a feeling that they belong somewhere where a decent standard of life is expected?

It is a fact that today's family is more fragmented and the nuclear family is under threat and this is one area that the Government should put some resources in to mitigate the problem. The National Health Fund should be mandated immediately to embark on a sensitisation campaign to impart to Jamaicans the need for responsible parenting, the promotion of family values and how to take care of our elderly, as annually we all pay the price of trying to correct these social problems in our lock-ups, prisons and infirmaries.

Those of us who were children in the 1970s still remember the 'Two Is Better Than Too Many' campaign and have heeded the warning. While we are looking at this problem, we can throw into the debate the matter of how we treat our citizens, the physically and mentally challenged who complain daily but get little or no relief.

embarrassing position

How long will the National Insurance Scheme based on current trends be able to sustain its present payouts of which funeral grants make up a large chunk? Many times the amount paid out on each contributor's death can barely cover the funeral expenses, yet many families would be in a very embarrassing position if this facility was not available. Many of these beneficiaries did contribute to the building of this society and, collectively, we owe then a return on their investment.

Now is the time to pull all stakeholders together, the Government, non-governmental organisations, churches, schools, charities, youth clubs, social activists, etc. to look at out society with fresh eyes, as the situation should not be allowed to worsen. What if when we rejoin the International Monetary Fund, it mandates us to restricts social spending?

Let us make the necessary sacrifices now as we are not short of ideas to fix this country's problems and remember that it does not only take cash to care.

I am, etc.,

DUDLEY L.H. MCFARLANE

dudsjn@hotmail.com