Mides Reports Increase in Elder Abuse Complaints in Panama

The Ministry of Social Development (Mides) reported on Friday an increase in complaints of mistreatment against older people and urged the adoption of measures to prevent ageism and promote equal treatment and opportunities for this population segment. In a statement, Mides stated that this year it has processed "nationally, through its different attention channels, 1,640 complaints" of mistreatment against older people. In the same vein, the Mides National Coordination for Older Adults supervises 82 Comprehensive Care Centers that provide "protection and special care to more than 1,900 older adults". Mides detailed that it directs and develops public programs aimed at protecting older adults, such as the "120 at 65" program, an economic assistance of 120 dollars given to 117,111 people aged 65 or older "in conditions of poverty and extreme poverty". "Mides warns of the increase in complaints of mistreatment of older people and makes an urgent call to protect their rights," they indicated. "Mides reiterates its commitment as part of the Inter-American Convention on the Human Rights of Older Persons, which urges the adoption of measures to prevent ageism and promote equal treatment and opportunities for this population group," the official letter added. The ministry specified that, in accordance with the current protocol, complaints related to the mistreatment of older people "are brought to the attention of the Public Ministry, as the competent authority to carry out the corresponding investigations". Mides cited data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Inec), according to which in Panama there are 563,641 people over 60 years of age, representing 13.9% of the country's total population (of approximately 4.2 million inhabitants). 47.4% of older adults are men and 52.6% are women.