An 88-year-old expat was spotted wandering disoriented, dehydrated and spatially lost in the Pescadero area on October 11 around noon. Spotted by a local man, the community came alive when this was posted in a WhatsApp group. Within the next 30 minutes, information was gathered, people were contacted, and thankfully the gentleman was safely returned to his home.
This ended up being a happy ending for all involved and is a reminder for all that just like it takes a village to raise a child, it equally takes a village to care for members of the community as their cognitive and physical abilities start to decline.
But what if it happens again, or several more times? What if it’s monthly, weekly or daily?
Baja California Sur is ahead of the rest of Mexico in having a larger aging population already. Currently, the largest age demographic in BCS is between 25 and 29, compared to the rest of Mexico where the largest demographic is between 10 and 14 and this is alarming for many reasons.
This indicates that as a population, we are no longer growing. This also means that as time moves forward, we will see even more decline in young residents and a more overwhelming larger portion of the population being older.
This also indicates that episodes like the one above are going to increase in frequency and happen to more people. The current declining birth rate in BCS paired with the constant influx of imported retirees contributes to that.
This issue needs to be preemptively addressed now. The vulnerability and helplessness that someone experiences when they lose their independence is a fear many harbor, yet many are also afraid to have real solution-oriented dialogues about this topic. Solutions and dialogues need to consider factors such as individuals living on their own with no immediate family members in the vicinity, the mental illnesses that accompany loneliness and ageing, the civic duties, ethics and liabilities of others related to helping, and the anticipated financial consequences.
This topic is and will remain an open, evolving conversation for the next decade without a doubt. The real question is, what do you think about this and how will this impact your future here?
Let’s talk about it. Meet me at www.naailahauladin.com
