The Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese, Bishop Alfred Agyenta on Saturday July 25, 2021 marked his 10th anniversary with a spotlight on care for the elderly in the church.
Ghana’s ageing policy defines an old person as someone who is 60 years and above. The policy estimates that the country’s aged population will constitute 14.1% of the total population by 2050. It further indicates that 63% of the elderly are rural dwellers as against their urban counterparts.
The United Nations in 2017 approximated that 2 billion people in the world will reach 60 years and above in the next three decades.
It is on this score that Bishop Alfred Agyenta is calling for more attention to be given to the needs of the elderly. At his 10th anniversary of episcopal ordination and third annual lecture which was themed “Pastoral care of the elderly in the church”, Bishop Alfred Agyenta noted that old age is a blessing from God but was quick to add that some people regret reaching old age due to the challenges and limitations that come with ageing.
In his view, majority of older people in both rural and urban areas are compelled to work to cater for themselves till they die.
He notes that old age comes with burdens and challenges describing that phase of life as a period for solidarity and interdependence. According to him, access to quality health care and good nutrition are major challenges negatively affecting the aged.
“Most elderly people do not get the necessary treatment for their ailment especially diseases that come with old age. They are not tackled because we don’t have specialists in our hospitals to be able to handle them which is something that we should all be worried about. Another point is that the National Health Insurance does not cover some of the challenges that elderly people have. So where do all these people go? I believe that we still have a long way to go as a nation in order to be able to think about how we can help the elderly and how we can make these people who are older in our society to be more comfortable and also to appreciate the contribution that they have made in our society” he Stated.
On what should be done to improve the lives of elderly people in the church, Bishop Agyenta called for periodic health screening, occasional social events amongst others as he sets out to construct modest homes for retired priests.
“The church needs to asses the special pastoral and spiritual needs of the elderly in our parishes to be able to respond to them adequately. We should not presume that we know what the elderly need or desire and what their aspirations are. We need to form an association that will bring them together so that we can give them a voice. I also want to propose occasional social activities and visits to their homes in order to cure the boredom that they sometimes go through” he suggested.
