On Old People’s Bitter Lot

ON OLD PEOPLE’S BITTER LOT

news.am
Nov 10 2009
Armenia

Seven old people’s homes – four government-financed and three
privately-owned ones – are working in Armenia, Anahit Gevorgyan of
the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Security told NEWS.am.

She reported that 1,100 old people are currently in charge of the
institutions, with 1,010 of them in government-financed and only 90
in privately-owned ones in Vanadzor, Gyumri and Abovyan. The daily
allowance for one person is 2,860 AMD (less than U.S. $8), with
1,160 AMD of this amount provided for food. The situation is a little
‘better" at the Vanadzor mental home – 5,000 AMD per patient.

Gevorgyan said that the "charges’" relatives can hardly help them.

Rather, it is grave social conditions that force people to send their
old parents to nursing homes. Gevorgyan said not a single instance
of children taking their parents back home has been registered over
the last 20 years.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS