The massive earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti last January sent thousands of Port-au-Prince residents to the streets.

Among them are the elderly residents of what used to be Port-au-Prince’s main nursing home.

The grounds of the former nursing home are now covered with tents offering minimal housing conditions for internally displaced persons and families who lost their houses in the disaster.             

Inoncia Rosias entered the home in 1996. She doesn't remember her age but local staff said she might be the oldest pensioner.    

[Inoncia Rosias, Nursing Home Pensioner]: 

''I cannot live. Small animals bite all night. Two months after the earthquake, we are here, we call it the slaughterhouse, we are here, we call it the slaughterhouse.''

During the day, five to six nurses rotate to provide care for the pensioners.

But residents and local staff say the nurses usually leave by mid-afternoon and the pensioners are left on their own until the next morning.

And residents say they don't see doctors regularly.   

[Francois Elira, Nursing Home Pensioner]: 

''No, we hardly ever see any doctors, doctors. Some nurses give us capsules but we don't have doctors.”

The nursing home is under the authority of Port-au-Prince municipality.

The non-governmental organization HelpAge International has tried to help but this has not been easy.             

HelpAge signed a cooperation agreement with the mayor's office on January 18th and has pledged $385,000 U.S. Dollars to provide food and pay 75% of the employees' salaries for six months.

That should result in three meals a day. But residents at the camp said they were only receiving one or two meals a day.

HelpAge’s emergency public health coordinator Andreini Michael has concerns about items missing in the camp, food being taken and possible misappropriation of funds.

The NGO is also concerned about the safety of the pensioners who are surrounded by internally displaced people. 

The Haitian government is planning to create four or five large camps to relocate the homeless and HelpAge is campaigning to create a secure space for people with special needs including the elderly or handicapped people.