Brochure - Human Rights and Health: Older persons

JULIA’S ABANDONMENT

Confused and humiliated, Julia, a 76 year old woman with no known relatives, is evicted from her flat and dumped into one of the country’s most inadequate public health institutions—a nursing home. Although Julia did not suffer from any medical conditions, her landlord dismissed Julia because her old age was viewed as a financial burden.

For a year, Julia hopelessly tried to return to her flat. The stigma of the elderly as incompetent made her powerless. Forced to live in a dirty, cockroach infested, and unsanitary institution, Julia was offered expired medication, inadequate meals, and insufficient sanitary facilities. Soon she weakened and became ill.

Psychologically, Julia felt alone and betrayed. The scarce medical personnel ignored her, and tied her and the other older residents to chairs as a way to “manage” them. After a year battling to survive in these conditions, a social worker from the country’s program on elder abuse called an NGO to take on Julia’s case.