Ogun Commissioner Urges Creation of Elderly Care Homes to Prevent Neglect and Premature Death

In a heartfelt call for better support systems for the aging population, Adijat Adeleye, Ogun State’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, has advocated for the establishment of senior care facilities across the state.

Speaking on Sunday at the launch of Bayink Care-Home in Adigbe, Abeokuta, Adeleye warned that the erosion of community-based care is leading to premature deaths and rising cases of dementia among the elderly.

“We used to be a community that cared for one another. Now, parents go to work, children chase livelihoods, and our elderly are left alone forgotten and unattended,” she said.

According to Adeleye, the traditional structure where families lived intergenerationally is fading. In its place, elderly people are often left isolated in large houses or in the care of young, inexperienced domestic staff.

Key Concerns Raised:

• Growing trend of elderly isolation in urban Nigeria

• Young house helps unable to emotionally support older adults

• Mental health issues like depression and dementia now more common

• Cultural shift from multigenerational homes to nuclear family dynamics

Adeleye emphasized that senior living communities provide elderly people with:

• Peers to interact with

• Mental stimulation through conversation

• Emotional companionship and shared memories

• Better monitoring of their health and routines

“Placing elderly parents in care homes isn’t abandonment. It’s giving them space to thrive among peers rather than waste away in silence,” she noted.

Mrs. Olayinka Odumosu, Founder and CEO of Bayink Care-Home, echoed the Commissioner’s views, adding that aging is not the end of life.

“Older people still have stories to tell, laughter to share, and love to receive. Why wait to throw a party after they’re gone when you can cherish them now?” she asked.

Odumosu urged families to prioritize the well-being of their elderly loved ones over social appearances or outdated expectations.