It was reported recently that Sri Lanka’s growing elderly population is facing difficulties due to the lack of facilities to cater to their needs, especially elderly care facilities. According to Dissanayake, out of the 91 elderly care facilities located in the Western Province, 90 are managed by the private sector, and owing to this situation, there is now a need for more elderly care facilities. According to Kannangara, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the elderly population in two ways, i.e. He added: “Currently, only two elderly care facilities operate under the direct supervision of the Government, one in Gampaha and the other in Kataragama. What our responsibility is, as citizens who will one day become the country’s elderly population as we grow old, is to ensure that the elderly population is treated with respect and dignity.

Source: The Nation January 27, 2021 21:56 UTC