State run aged-care homes are concerned with the high number of applications from families wanting to place their elderly members in these facilities.

Department of Social welfare Director, Rupeni Fatiaki, says it is saddening, and they are trying to find the root cause of this.

“No, we have an ever-increasing number of applications coming to us. (These are) families wanting to place their old people in the old people’s home. And then we do our assessment and discovered that some of these families are able to look after them. They’re capable, they’re working. I don’t know what would be the reason behind this.”

Fatiaki says they discourage families from placing their loved ones in these facilities.

He says society has a responsibility to look after our elders and not to forget the sacrifices they made to nurture families.