Business
Neglect in elder care; a form of abuse
To live in safety, with dignity and respect is a basic human right, especially during a time when age takes over and one’s body and mind begins to deteriorate. However, elder abuse is one of the most common and inherently one of the most difficult forms of abuse to detect as it can occur not only physically but mentally, in the form of verbal abuse, threat and most of all neglect.
“Elder abuse is defined as physical, emotional and financial harm inflicted upon an elder including exploitation and the neglect of their welfare by people who are directly responsible for their care.” Richard Gould, Director of English Nursing Care, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is at a high risk as the demographic is shifting to being one of the fastest ageing economies in Asia. The North Colombo Teaching Hospital records 38.5% of their out-patients over the age of 65 years at risk of abuse. The survey highlights 45% reporting verbal abuse and neglect. While 5.6% report physical abuse. Nevertheless, a substantial number of elders refrain from reporting such misconduct due to fear, shame or mental illnesses.
Sachini lives with her family abroad. Her elderly mother used to visit her quite often and Sachini used to come down frequently to take care of her. Once the pandemic disrupted all means of travel this wasn’t possible anymore. Sachini’s mother was now being taken care of by a home nurse in Colombo.
“During this time my mother had completely changed. She was once a bubbly and outgoing person who loved to dance and live life to her fullest. She had now become bedridden, unable to speak or even recognise me. She had developed pressure ulcers which were not healing and was given heavy medication without my consent.” says Sachini. Due to the neglect and unprofessional service of the carer who refused to give updates of the elderly’s health and only threatened to leave, Sachini’s mother had become severely ill. Unnecessary medication and unexplained billing was abusive to Sachini’s mother physically and financially.
She was desperate to find another way to help her mother, “I had heard about English Nursing Care from a friend, I gave them a call and shared my concerns, this was one of the best decisions I made for my mother and myself too. They took over my mother in their care and had a team of doctors, a nutritionist, the home nurse and the management networking to get my mother back”
Today, Sachini’s mother’s bedsores have recovered well, she is able to walk and has become her social self again with medications reduced gradually. Through such professional care, communication and transparent billing Sachini’s mind is at ease.
The importance of good elder care
Old age requires engaging and comprehensive care. English Nursing Care understands the significance of this responsibility. Thus, ‘Care plans’ are created by our local experienced Nurse Supervisors and then reviewed, discussed and updated with input from our UK nursing support team. Thorough knowledge on medical history, current medication dosage and emergencies is pivotal. Staff update family on the progress of the client every week or as requested. Nurses at English Nursing care are trained to inculcate the latest methodologies in their practice with focus on delivering quality care with empathy. A review process is held every month to warrant the service given to your loved ones.
With neglect and abuse arrives the unfortunate consequences of dejection, anxiety and hopelessness. Care staff play a crucial role. English Nursing Care is an advocate of celebrating life and takes pride in the holistic service they offer with guaranteed peace of mind for the elderly client as well as family often living far away.
Business
Affairs of Sri Lankan Airlines could be turned around using local expertise – former CAA chair
The financial affairs of national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines could be turned around along with the fortunes of Mattala Airport, using local management expertise without divesting these assets, former chairman CAA and veteran travel and tourism expert Upul Dharmadasa said.
“Sri Lanka has experts and knowledgeable persons to develop Sri Lankan Airlines into a viable entity. But when it comes to the debt restructuring process the government should absorb the losses to salvage our national carrier, former chairman Civil Aviation Authority Upul Dharmadasa told The Island Financial Review.
Speaking on Mattala Airport Dharmadasa said that during the Covid 19 pandemic he spearhead the airlines’ operations to bring more than 138,000 Sri Lankans back into the country. “At that time Mattala Airport functioned as a second international airport and it assisted the government in managing Covid patients in a more systematic way, he said.
Dharmadasa added: ‘Further, Mattala Airport’s 12 anniversary falls today. It falls on the government to develop it as the second international airport. It could attract large aircraft.
“We need to deploy proper and qualified persons to streamline the entire process.
“I have been in the airline industry for more than four decades. The number of airline arrivals in the country and departures from it have come down considerably after Covid 19 pandemic.
“In this scenario, Sri Lankan Airlines should focus on launching new flights to US and Canada. Together they account for more than 1.4 million Sri Lankan diaspora members who fly to Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lankan Airlines should resume Rome flights as well, which is a lucrative market. Apart from that Sri Lankan Airlines should focus on new destinations, wherein they could sell tickets and attract huge revenue to the airline.
“The airline should have 25 aircraft to offer uninterrupted services to air travelers but at present it has only 23 aircraft.”
By Hiran H Senewiratne
LOLC Al-Falaah, Sri Lanka’s leading provider of alternate financial solutions, proudly announces the launch of ‘Al-Falaah Wakalah Future-Cash’, a pioneering Shariah-compliant alternative for Factoring, Invoice & Cheques discounting facility, designed to transform business financing. This ground-breaking financial solution empowers businesses to elevate and realize future cash flows in real-time, while maintaining adherence to ethical financial principles. Setting a new benchmark in Sri Lanka’s Islamic financial services sector, this initiative strengthens LOLC Al-Falaah’s commitment to innovation and excellence in the alternate finance arena.
Unlike conventional Factoring, which relies on interest-based returns against receivables, LOLC Al-Falaah’s ‘Wakalah Future-Cash Today’ product is structured under the ‘Wakalah-Bil-Istithmar’ concept, ensuring full compliance with Islamic economic jurisprudence. Through this model, LOLC Al-Falaah provides capital infusion into business operations in exchange for a pre-determined Anticipated Profit Return (APR), eliminating interest-based transactions. Businesses are appointed as agents to deploy these funds within their operations, with surplus earnings allocated as a performance incentive. This structure enhances financial discipline, promotes transparency, and encourages ethical business practices.
The introduction of this pioneering facility is particularly timely as Sri Lanka transitions towards economic recovery and long-term stability. Shiraz Refai, Head of Alternate Financial Services at LOLC Al-Falaah, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “As Sri Lanka embarks on a path of economic resurgence, businesses require the right financial instruments to capitalize on emerging opportunities. As a trailblazer in the alternate financial services sector, LOLC Al-Falaah has identified a critical gap in the bills-discounting and factoring industry. The launch of LOLC Al-Falaah’s ‘Wakalah Future-Cash Today’ product presents a strategic solution that enhances liquidity and working capital efficiencies while adhering to Islamic financial principles.
City Cycle Industries Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd, a leading provider of sustainable mobility solutions and renowned for its household brand Lumala, has been honored with the Best National Industry Brand award under the Large-Scale Other Industry Sector at the recent National Industry Brand Excellence Awards 2024.
Organized by the Sri Lanka Technical Development Board under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, the award ceremony was held on 21 February at Eagle Lakeside and saw the participation of distinguished leaders from diverse industry sectors. The vent was graced by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya as the Chief Guest.
Ms. H. M. D. N. K.Wataliyadde appointed Commissioner General of Labour
Anti Corruption (Assets and Liabilities Statements) Orders 2025 to be Gazetted
Cabinet nod to review report on non-commercial institutions owned by the Government
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