Advocates urge awareness, patience, and implementation of long-overdue policies to protect the rights and dignity of older citizens.

Elderly abuse has become a growing concern in Ghana, particularly in the regions of the north where cultural beliefs and economic pressures often lead to mistreatment.

Many older folks, suffering from physical and mental health issues, are wrongly tagged as witches or wizards. Some are even subjected to public beatings and ridicule, such as the 2020 “Kafaba” incident where a 90-year-old woman was whipped after being accused of witchcraft.

Founder of the Guardians of the GrayMasters Foundation, Abigail Miezah, says the abuse arises largely from a lack of understanding about aging and the emotional and physical demands of caregiving.

In an interview on LUV FM, she explained that many caregivers become overwhelmed, especially when faced with the financial and emotional burden of caring for elderly relatives who may be suffering from mental health.

Abigail noted that financial strain is a key factor leading to elderly abuse. With limited resources, caregivers are often expected to support both their immediate families and their aged parents.

The pressure can lead to frustration and even resentment. Tasks like cleaning up an elderly person who can no longer manage basic hygiene can be psychologically demanding, particularly when caregivers lack proper training or support.

Though Ghana’s 1992 Constitution touches on issues of abuse and discrimination (Articles 17, 24, 25, and 29), there is little specific protection for the elderly.

The National Aging Policy, while formulated, has yet to be implemented, leaving a significant gap in safeguarding older adults’ rights.

Ms. Miezah compared Ghana’s situation to that in Western countries, where older adults are often placed in nursing homes. While this offers peer interaction and structured care, it can also lead to loneliness and abandonment.

In Ghana, the elderly typically remain in family homes and have their grandchildren around, offering them companionship though this advantage is lost when the younger ones are away or not involved.

Ms. Miezah emphasized the importance of public education about aging and the mental health challenges elderly people face, such as depression, isolation, and poverty.

She advocated for expanding events like Senior Citizens’ Day into local communities to give older adults a chance for social engagement and to share their experiences and skills.

She further echoed the call for family members and youth to treat older relatives with respect and compassion, stressing that today’s youth will also grow old one day.

“Some older adults are living poorly today because they spent everything on our education,” she said, highlighting the need for gratitude and responsibility.

To combat elder abuse, the Guardians of Gray Master Foundation has begun training programs to educate caregivers and families on how to properly care for the aged. These programs focus on understanding the aging process, managing stress, and offering practical caregiving skills.

“If we want society to treat the aged well, it starts with how we, as family members, value them. That value will echo through the community,” Abigail emphasized.

The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is commemorated on June 15, Ghana stands at the brink of how it treats its elderly population. With increased awareness, the implementation of protective policies, and a cultural shift towards empathy and support, elderly abuse can be reduced as very citizen has a role to play because aging is a journey we will all take.

Researchers reveal how a compound called methylene blue reduced signs of aging in human skin cells, as well as in a 3-D model of human skin.

Lead study author Zheng-Mei Xiong, an assistant research professor of cell biology and molecular genetics at the University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park, and colleagues say that their findings indicate that methylene blue could be added to cosmetic products to help combat skin aging.

The researchers recently reported their results in the journal Scientific Reports.

Methylene blue is a compound primarily used for the treatment of methemoglobinemia, a disorder in which the blood is unable to effectively carry oxygen.

Recent studies, however, have suggested that methylene blue is effective for reducing cellular senescence – that is, the arrest of cell division, which is considered a key player in aging.

“Based on these observations, we speculate that MB [methylene blue] may effectively protect skin from oxidative stress and delay skin aging,” write the authors.

Methylene blue reduced markers of senescence in skin cells

To test their theory, Xiong and colleagues tested methylene blue and three other antioxidants – N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, MitoQ, and MitoTEMPO – on skin fibroblasts. These are cells in the dermal skin layer that produce collagen, the skin’s primary structural protein.

The skin fibroblasts were derived from healthy middle-aged and older adults, as well as from individuals with progeria – a condition characterized by accelerated aging.

After treating the fibroblasts with methylene blue for 4 weeks, the researchers identified a decrease in reactive oxygen species, which are known to cause skin cell damage. Treatment with methylene blue also led to a reduction in markers of cellular senescence; the compound increased cell division and reduced cell death.

In fibroblasts derived from older adults, who were aged 80 and older, the researchers found that 4 weeks of treatment with methylene blue led to numerous improvements. These included a reduction in the expression of the genes beta-galactosidase and p16, which are markers of cellular aging.

“I was encouraged and excited to see skin fibroblasts, derived from individuals more than 80 years old, grow much better in methylene blue-containing medium with reduced cellular senescence markers,” says Xiong. “Methylene blue demonstrates a great potential to delay skin aging for all ages.”

The team notes that methylene blue was much better at reducing signs of aging in skin fibroblasts than the other three antioxidants tested.

Increased water retention, skin thickness in 3-D model

Next, the researchers tested methylene blue on a 3-D model of human skin, which was developed by Xiong and senior study author Kan Cao – an associate professor of cell biology and molecular genetics at UMD – using living human skin cells.

“This system allowed us to test a range of aging symptoms that we can’t replicate in cultured cells alone,” notes Cao.

The team found that the skin model not only retained more water when treated with methylene blue, but it also increased in thickness. Cao says that both increased water retention and greater skin thickness are typical features of younger skin.

Furthermore, the researchers found that methylene blue led to little or no skin irritation, which further increases the compound’s feasibility as an effective anti-aging product.

“Our work suggests that methylene blue could be a powerful antioxidant for use in skin care products. The effects we are seeing are not temporary. Methylene blue appears to make fundamental, long-term changes to skin cells.

We have already begun formulating cosmetics that contain methylene blue. Now we are looking to translate this into marketable products.”