Minister turns attention to needs of elderly
(CNS): Government is beginning the process of forming a policy to advance and protect the rights of the more elderly members of the community for the next twenty years. Officials from the community affairs ministry will be hosting a stakeholder workshop Friday, where pensioners, government officials and other relevant community members will explore the status of older people in the local community and the challenges they face in Cayman today and in the future.
In a statement Thursday, Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden said, “It is imperative that we not only recognise the contributions older persons have made and continue to make in our development, but go further than this by ensuring that they are able to maintain their highest level of independence where possible, participate in family and community life, benefit from high standards of care, achieve self-fulfillment and live with dignity.”
Ahead of Friday’s meeting at the Family Life Centre in George Town, Bodden said his ministry was charged with developing the blueprint for a National Older Persons Policy for the Cayman Islands and legislation to cover the needs of the elderly for the next two decades.
A steering committee, formed in the ministry, has been focusing on promoting the rights and welfare of older people and guidance on the delivery of quality services. But in order for the policy to take shape, the minister said, it was important to canvas the views of the public, especially the elderly, those working with older people and community advocates.
“Input from the participating stakeholders will be collated to inform the continued development of the Policy. During the upcoming months, additional opportunities will be available for the general public to contribute to the development of the policy,” Bodden added.
The stakeholders’ workshop will be held on Friday, 1 July, at the Family Life Centre.
Category: Local News, Politics
How about the government creating communities for the elderly and not just the pines. But give them a place where they can gather and socialise and I don’t just mean at the hospital…
Why does CNS never gives a date but consistently refers to the day of the week. This article, for I stance is date June 30 (a Thirsday) and it’s saying that the workshop will be held on “Friday”. Is it Friday ?July 1st (one day’s notice) or the 8th??? or when?? Also, what time of the day. People are not mind readers
The elderly in Britain are the reason that the nation committed economic suicide.
Yup … the elderly saw the corruption in the EU, how the elites of those countries were influencing the democracy of the British people… let’s not hear and get rid if them all!
Or a simpler explanation is that that generation are much more racist.
Better late than never. Would you prefer if nothing is done? Come on fall in line and try to help out. It’s every body’s business. We owe our very lives to the elderly among us.
The most important need for the elderly, is to protect them from their immediate family fleecing them financially and otherwise causing them to sign their property over. After the fleecing they turn their backs on them, leaving the liability to government.
Don’t forget the extended family that believe they are entitled to whatever the family member has to actively spend on things that have nothing to do with the elderly individual.
Policy Item 1. “No Driftwood”
Hey, If we don’t reduce our cost of living and make it easy for Caymanians to do business and create jobs, then we will have many more elderly folk to feed in the future and place on welfare allowance!
Just be realistic man! :/
Teacher each and everyone of us to work, save and economize, that way we should have something put aside for the future. Stop spending, trying to keep up with the Jones’s.
That’s what top business owners want us to do, so keep us under them: “Teach each and everyone of us to work, save and economize, that way we should have something put aside for the future.”
My way threatens the business owners that want to rake in all the cash for themselves: Have government reduce the cost of doing business for Caymanians, exempt them from the cost of permits if they hire locals more than 60% of their staff. Such measures would strike at the roots and transform the market making it competitive and creating jobs. In their own country, Caymanians don’t need the ease of being under somebody else – they need the ease of doing their own thing and special exemptions so they can hire their own. Reduce business licenses for Caymanians. If they are first time business owner, exempt them from certain fees, etc … That will solve the employment and low-wage problems we have here. Meanwhile government need to works on the high cost of living we have here. 😉
At what time please on1st July 2016 Family Life Centre?
Election pandering 101.
Govt already spends over $50,000,000 per annum on social welfare without any defined criteria or effective oversight.
And those who instinctively want to thumb down this comment should look in the mirror and reflect on their own efforts to support the elderly in their own families.
I support my father even though I’m the only child and have children of my own to support including one with special needs. I thumbs down because I know that instead of helping the elderly, Needs Assessment is helping those lazy people walking about on the road that won’t work and are able. Govt should be helping the elderly not those able to work and refuse to work. Sometimes the child/children can not support the parents.
Govt also needs to do something about people fleecing the elderly. It’s not always family. An outsider fleeced my father of everything he had. When they reach a certain age, they should be assessed automatically, have someone appointed guardian if they are unfit and not able to sign documents.
To any particular law firm that wants to advertise their services. I am seeking to obtain power of attorney or guardianship of my elderly parents because extended family and non family members are seeking to obtain whatever they can get their hands on. Please let me know which ones offer these services. If they all do, they I can start going down the line.
Thanks