Why are some people surprised that there is an absence of condemnation and general outrage at the level of abuse being meted out to the elderly in this country?We must concede that there are far too many examples of a general lack of care, consideration and respect for those who have paved the way for generations after them to thrive and elevate themselves.The statistics show that persons over 50 years comprise a significant segment of our population and the numbers are growing.In fact, the current debate over the planned restructuring of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), its pensions programme and other benefits, are all embodied in the changing demographic profile of our country.There is an imbalance in the profile of our population that would ensure the continued viability of the NIS with the current level of benefits to citizens.This week is Senior Citizens Week, and the matter of elder abuse was spotlighted by George Griffith, the coordinator of the Elder Care Companion Programme of the National Assistance Board.