It would be wrong to put our elderly in retirement homes

Editor,Reference is made to the article, “What are we going to do with our elderly? Put them in retirement homes?”(The New Times, October 30), but I disagree with the solution provided by Sunny Ntayombya.I think that it is profoundly unnatural to pack a group of old people together. Research shows that putting elderly people together may be convenient for the caregiver, but it is catastrophic for the old people. Elderly people need the stimulation of the youth to keep going. When deprived of such stimulation, depression and rapid decline follow.The youth also benefits as this is the mechanism by which culture and tradition is transmitted. Remove this generation connection and you have young people raised by TV! Their reference will be Hollywood.That is how some people start looking down on their culture. Is this something we want for Rwanda?Rashid Swaleh, New York, United States---------------------------How many neighbouring countries have such facilities? There are some things we see in Europe or elsewhere out of Africa that cannot be applicable here.It would be unwise to send our elderly into retirement homes as long as we know how to handle such issues in our own way. No continent has a higher rate of extended families than Africa – that is simply our way!Kalisa, Kigali

Opinions

It would be wrong to put our elderly in retirement homes