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Remarks by the Honourable Delma Thomas on the Opening of the Month of the Elderly – October 2013

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ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, Wednesday, October 02, 2013 -GIS: Today October 1st, Grenada joins the United Nations in celebrating the Month of the Elderly 2013.

The theme for this year is “Longevity: Shaping the Future.”

For this year, a number of events have been planned and will be implemented in observance of the Month for the Elderly.

It was October 7th 2002, the International Day of Older Persons, when the World Health Organization offered some astonishing statistics on the aging population world wide. It is expected that in the next 50 years the population of older persons will increase from 600 million to almost 2 billion.

Today one in every 10 persons is 60 years and older. By the year 2050 one out of every five will be an older person and by 2150 one third of the people in the world are expected to be 60 years of age and older.

Coming closer to home it is expected that by 2025 the proportion of older persons in the region will rise from 8% to 10.4 %

Statistics revealed that Grenada has already exceeded this figure by 2%. The Country Poverty assessment conducted in 2008 indicates that 14.9% of the population is estimated to be over 60 years of age.

The above figures are not surprising when compared to the Global trends. In other words, the Global trend in the population of our elderly citizens is not peculiar only to Grenada but to the rest of the world at large. This constant and considerable increase in years among our people is the result of both national and community efforts.

This longer life expectancy syndrome is or can be contributed to the improved health care situation in our country.

I take this opportunity to salute the Ministry of Health for its thrust in the control of chronic and contagious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, especially as they relate to older persons. The Ministry of Social Development has been partnering with other Ministries and Organizations to provide the climate and engender conditions that promote a healthy and longer living local population which will become the envy of our region and neighboring states. We are working to ensure that our elderly, who unfortunately, because of their advanced age and physical deterioration, cannot properly care for themselves, are cared for.

I refer in essence to a non-governmental organization by the name of Extended Care through Hope and Optimism (ECHO). The Government of Grenada provides an annual subvention to this organization to aid in its operations.

Our Ministry is also aware that the private sector and committed individuals have been contributing significantly, and have continued to give tangible support both in cash and kind.  This contribution, together with that of the Government, goes towards the improvement of the welfare and existence of our elderly needing Geriatric and Medical Care.

I take it that we all recognize the changing life styles, fragmentation of the family structure, migration, increasing female-headed households, male irresponsibility with little or no fatherly attention to their children, disrespect for the elderly and the list of negative social behaviours in our communities. These situations strongly affect the Elderly in some way or the other. We urge you, as families, neighbors and communities to do the best you can to our Elderly citizens so that they enjoy a comfortable loving and peaceful life.

Let me assure you Grenadian brothers and sisters, as Minister responsible for meeting the needs of the Elderly, my Staff and I are doing and will continue to do everything in our power to make the later years of everyone in our tri-island state comfortable and rewarding.

The Government of Grenada sees our Elderly as the corner stones of families and communities, and has placed them high on our agenda.

For the year:

The Government continues to meet the needs of the elderly population through the provision of services such as the Public Assistance Programme, Water Assistance Programme, Housing Programme, Drug Assistance Programme and Burial Assistance. The Government has made the collection of the Public Assistance more accessible for the Elderly by extending the collection time from 3 days to 5 days.

The Ministry continues, through its Gender & Family Affairs Unit, to address the issue of gender inequality and abuse among the elderly citizens. During the year 2013 The Domestic Violence Unit (DVU), now Gender-based Violence Unit (GBVU) has been involved in the provision of support services to elderly persons who are victims of Intimate Partner Violence. The Unit in response to reports collaborates with the Police in order to provide protection to the elderly. Case conferences with relevant persons, visits to homes, regular follow ups, referral to counseling, and referral for psychological evaluation, liaising with family members and other actions are taken.

The Geriatric Caregivers Programme continues to expand its services. In May of this year an additional eighteen (18) Geriatric Caregivers were recruited into the Programme. This programme provides home care to the vulnerable and indigent elderly persons throughout the tri-island state. To date (September, 2013) there are one hundred and sixty (160) Clients on the programme being cared for by forty one (41) Caregivers. They are supervised by two (2) supervisors. The overall management of the programme lies with the Chief Supervisor and the Co- ordinator for the Desk of the Elderly.

Our Ministry views training and development of its Human Resource as a priority. In May, twenty two (22) persons were trained in Geriatric Care. This training was conducted for the eighteen (18) Caregivers that were newly recruited and an additional four (4) Caregivers that were functioning in the community and did not receive any formal training. It is the policy of the Desk of the Elderly that all Caregivers delivering care to the elderly in the community should be well trained and the service should be efficient and of a very high quality.

The Council of Older Persons is now a functioning body and is working towards strengthening its members in representing the needs and interests of the older persons in Grenada. We encourage you the Elderly to be affiliated with the Grenada National Council for the Elderly so that you would also be speaking on behalf of the elderly citizens in Grenada Carriacou & Petite Martinique.

Our Ministry in collaboration with the wider Diaspora received and distributed a large quantity of pampers and other medical supplies to the elderly in the community and geriatric homes. For this I take the opportunity to extend many thanks to our dear friends and to let them know that we appreciate their hard work in assisting us in making our elderly citizens comfortable.

Dear Grenadians, I now take this opportunity to encourage you to participate in this Month of Activities, and also to plead with you to love, care, support, respect and show kindness to our Elders in one way or the other.

I take this opportunity to declare the Month of the Elderly 2013 open.

May God richly bless you all.

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