Help Age International, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to the well-being and dignity of older people, responded on Tuesday to the recent BBC exposé on alleged mistreatment and neglect of the elderly at the PCEA Thogoto home for the elderly in Kikuyu, Kiambu county.
The organisation has demanded that the National Police Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) respond to the report’s allegations.
They also stated that the police and the DPP’s office should ensure that those found guilty face the full force of the law.
According to HelpAge International, every individual, regardless of age, has the right to be treated with respect, compassion, and care, and mistreating the elderly is simply denying them a basic human right.
Over the years, HelpAge International has worked to improve the lives of older women and men in low- and middle-income countries.
The BBC exposed the mistreatment of the elderly at the Thogoto care home, which was established by the PCEA church.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Social Protection and Senior Citizens Affairs, Joseph Motari, condemned the mistreatment and promised appropriate action against those responsible.
The video showed some members of the care home’s staff physically abusing patients, failing to attend to their medical needs, and putting the elderly in deplorable conditions. In one image, an elderly woman is caned while surrounded by attendants.
According to the exposé, Jane Gaturu, the manager of the care facility, denied the allegations, claiming that there was no basis for the claims of medical negligence. She has also emphasised the facility’s adherence to Christian values and the rule of law.
The home operates independently and currently houses over 50 elderly people.
