An NGO, YinkaKenny Girls Care Foundation has called on governments at all levels to create and equip elderly care homes for the care of senior citizens in the society.
The founder of the organisation, Mrs Yinka Kenny, made the call in Lagos on Saturday, on the sideline of an event organised by the Foundation to celebrate the elderly in communities.
Kenny said that senior citizens were not given the adequate care they need, due to the absence of elderly care homes.
She urged the Federal, State and Local Governments to create homes for the care of old people in strategic locations where they would access the best of care, particularly in rural communities.
At the event tagged, ‘Operation Feed the Elderly’ the foundation donated food items to about 200 elderly people in Mushin community of Lagos State.
According to her, many senior citizens, particularly at the grassroots are not pensionable, adding that those entitled to pensions sometimes do not have access to their money.
“The process of regularisation and verification is usually too cumbersome for them.
“Unfortunately, some of them have dependents, leaving them with no option but to beg on the streets,” she said.
Kenny called on the youths, public and private organisations to look out for the elderly in their communities and give them as much care and assistance when possible.
She thanked individuals who supported the quarterly feeding programme, for helping the organisation fulfill its vision of feeding the elderly.