Academic Article- by Cheena Khanna
INTRODUCTION
COVID-19: Violence and neglect increases for older persons during the lockdown, says UN expert
COVID-19 preventative and mitigation actions were sudden and were difficult for Most nations', with the prolonged lockdown putting a burden on economic activity. Human rights abuses and violations, which can cause psychological anguish, are particularly sensitive to the pandemic's negative impacts on marginalized groups and individuals. We focus on mental discomfort and disruptions that have arisen as a result of human rights constraints and breaches during the epidemic in this review. We emphasize how the power of the pandemic, as well as the preventative and mitigation systems put in place to battle the disease, have a direct influence on mental health.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, violence, abuse, and neglect of elderly people have been brought to light. Claudia Mahler, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older people, issues the following statement in honor of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day:
"Distressing reports from care homes around the world revealed neglect, isolation, and a lack of adequate services, including healthcare, social, and legal services." Gender-based violence increased as a result of lockdown measures, as did the risks of violence, abuse, and neglect among older people who were confined with family members and caregivers.
Caterina Salvi, 90, waits for a visitor inside a protective inflatable plastic tunnel at the Martino Zanchi nursing home in Alzano Lombardo, northern Italy, on February 24, 2021.
Susan Robinson, a 68-year-old nursing home resident of the United States, was awakened one night in March by the sound of her neighbor gasping for air. "She was on her deathbed," Robinson explained. "They took her to the hospital. " They didn't say anything to us." Robinson's life was a haze over the following several months after testing positive for Covid19 and losing many friends due to illness. As the virus spread like wildfire across her facility, she claimed she was tossed about "like a ping-pong ball" from room to room. She became increasingly lonely and despondent when the epidemic stopped, unable to meet friends and family save for brief periods outside.
On the contrary, some troubling practices have been reported, such as care homes being exempt from civil liability for COVID-19-related deaths and putting in place contractual clauses that waive the right to file a lawsuit and instead force alleged abuse or mistreatment to be resolved through arbitration. Older people and their families have voiced their dissatisfaction with the lack of openness and attention to concerns made to aged care service providers in other places. These trends jeopardize elderly people's ability to obtain justice and meaningful redress. Older people are people with rights, and their dignity and rights do not expire as they age. The right to a fair trial, equal access to and equality before the courts, and the right to seek and secure reasonable and timely remedies for human rights breaches all fall under the umbrella of access to justice.
CONCLUSION
Older persons should be able to earn a living or collect pensions in a secure manner. They should have proper healthcare access. Governments should address long-standing nursing facility staffing and infection control issues. To combat abuse, especially the misuse of psychotropic medications, regulators should increase control. Older persons should have access to resources in their communities so that nursing home care is a choice rather than a necessity.
The importance of upholding human rights and addressing the long-term mental health needs of people who have suffered disproportionately during the epidemic is emphasized in this report. A proactive psychological response to medical therapy, as well as current preventative initiatives, can be included by countries. International human rights norms are helpful in this regard, but the focus should be on building rights-based psychosocial responses with specific initiatives to improve mental health over time Although all age groups are at risk of contracting COVID-19, older people face a significant risk of developing severe illness if they contract the disease due to physiological changes that come with aging and potential underlying health conditions.
REFERENCE
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=2 7163&LangID=E
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.603875/full
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/04/covid-19-exposed-need-protect-olderpeoples-rights
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/elder-abuse