Sir, – The letter from Donagh O'Riordan (May 22nd) concerning his elderly parents is indeed harrowing. The notion that our elderly should be harassed and threatened while suffering from dementia and advanced Parkinson's disease is certainly "barbaric". All those who live with Parkinson's disease can empathise with the feelings of fear and vulnerability which this disease brings on a daily basis. It is this fear of what the future holds for someone living with Parkinson's that has the power to depress, disable and destroy. Is it not ironic that those who purport to be the providers of care and stability for our elderly and sick people are seen as the purveyors of that instability and fear which make life more difficult? – Yours, etc,
DECLAN MORIARTY,
Clancy Road,
Finglas, Dublin 11.