From time to time, government officials appeal to Jamaicans not to abandon their elderly relatives in hospitals. While that message is understandable, it fails to confront the harsh realities facing thousands of families across the country.

The conversation cannot stop at condemnation. It must go much deeper.

Caring for an elderly person, particularly one living with dementia, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, or other chronic illnesses, is a full-time responsibility. It requires constant supervision, specialised medical care, medication, transportation to appointments, proper nutrition, adult diapers, medical equipment, and often home modifications. In many cases, a family member must leave their job to become a full-time caregiver, sacrificing their own income and financial security.

Who is helping these families?

The truth is that many are left to struggle alone. The cost of caring for an elderly relative has become overwhelming. There is little meaningful support from the State to ease this burden. Jamaica’s social safety net for elderly care remains inadequate, and the financial assistance available is often nowhere near enough to meet even the basic needs of seniors.

For many pensioners, their monthly pension cannot adequately cover food, much less medication, utilities, transportation, and other essential expenses. Families are forced to make impossible choices every day between paying rent, feeding their children, or purchasing medication for an ageing parent.

This is not simply a family problem. It is a national social policy issue.

Before government officials criticise relatives, they must also examine whether the State has provided the resources, infrastructure, and support necessary for families to succeed. Compassion without practical assistance places an impossible burden on ordinary Jamaicans.

Where are the subsidised home care programmes? Where are the caregiver grants? Where are the community respite centres that allow exhausted caregivers to rest? Where are the expanded day care facilities for seniors? Where are the tax incentives for families caring for elderly dependents? Where is the comprehensive national strategy for an ageing population?

Jamaica’s population is ageing rapidly. This challenge will only grow in the coming years. Continuing to rely solely on families, many of whom are already struggling to survive, is neither fair nor sustainable.

Most relatives do not abandon their loved ones because they lack love. Many do so because they have exhausted every available option. They are physically, emotionally, and financially overwhelmed.

If we truly believe that our senior citizens deserve dignity, then the responsibility cannot rest solely on families. Government, communities, churches, the private sector, and civil society must all become partners in building a comprehensive system of care that protects both the elderly and those who care for them.

Our elderly spent decades building this nation. They deserve more than speeches and appeals. They deserve policies that recognise their worth and support the families who continue to care for them despite overwhelming odds.

It is time for Jamaica to move beyond rhetoric and invest in a national elder care strategy that reflects both compassion and responsibility. That is how we honour those who came before us.