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    "id": 550794,
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    "content": "from their family and the State. The State is also enjoined by Article 57 of the Constitution to ensure that older persons fully participate in the affairs of the society and pursue their personal development. Article 57(c) is critical to this Motion where the state is under obligation to take measures to ensure that older persons receive reasonable care and assistance from their families and the State. What are these measures the State is supposed to take? They are policy, legislative and administrative measures. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I look at what the Mover of the Motion, Sen. (Dr.) Machage, is looking for. He is looking for a comprehensive audit of the existing legislation. However, if you look at the content of the Motion, you will find that he is also decrying the fact that the budgetary allocations that have been done on the issue of mental health are inadequate. In my view, if this Motion passes, which I hope it does, the Senate Committee on Health must not only help us to come up with proper legislation on this issue, but must also find ways of ensuring that we achieve the budgetary objectives that are appropriate and can deliver health care support for people living with dementia. They must live in dignity and we give effect to Article 57 of our Constitution. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the issue of taking care of older people, or people who have certain health challenges like people with dementia, has for a long time been left to the relatives and sometimes friends. However, because of the increasing complexities of modernity in African societies, it is no longer possible for children, young adults and other family members to be available to take care of their aging parents some of whom could be patients of diseases like dementia. As much as we are still very alive to our values as Africans, it has become impossible because of the complexities of modernity. Their availability is not guaranteed. However, the type of care that these patients who are unable to process thought properly any more require is so intense and time consuming that they require professional care givers sometimes. Therefore, the whole question of resources being available, so that these patients can be taken care of, like it would happen in other developed countries, becomes extremely important. Other than family members, the work of giving care to such elderly people and patients of dementia and similar diseases such as mental health patients has been left to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). However, I want us to remind ourselves that the duty to provide health, including mental health and the health of older persons is not the primary duty of NGOs. The primacy of the responsibility lies on the State. This is the more reason there is need for adequate legislation and policy interventions, including appropriate budget allocations to ensure that this area of mental health receives the attention it deserves. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, dementia is a reality and the complexities of modern life have made certain diseases that were not common in Kenya before become common. The realities of modernity have made it impossible for family members to give adequate care to elderly people, including people with dementia. For that reason, the only remedy is to make sure that we obey the Constitution and come up with legislative measures to help us take care of patients of dementia. Since I am not an expert in health, I do not want The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}