Group calls for golden years national plan

A group advocating for better conditions for people in their golden years is calling for a national strategy to combat abuse of senior citizens and improve their lives.

According to a statement on Facebook by the Cyprus Third Age Observatory, “senior citizens in this day and age have an important role to play as they pass on knowledge and experience and take care of grandchildren when parents are unavailable.”

The group posted the comment on Tuesday, International Day of Older Persons according to a UN resolution, adding that senior citizen rights are respected by the European Union.

Citing low birth rates in the Republic of Cyprus as well as an increase in life expectancy, the observatory called for the adoption of a national plan that would secure senior citizens having an active and healthy aging process through various programmes and best practices that would enable them to be creative and independent to the best of their ability.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, the group also criticized ageism, the equivalent of racism based on age, where senior citizens often fall victims based on negative or ill-informed perceptions.

A number of incidents were reported in local media this year, where senior citizens were either physically or mentally abused, cheated and defrauded, and even died under alleged conditions of negligence.