Older Persons’ Month is October and celebrated in Cayman Islands
Throughout the month of October the Cayman Islands will pay tribute to its seniors.
To mark the occasion the Department of Children and Family Services has planned a number events that will bring together persons aged 60 and over throughout the community.
In addition to recognising the ongoing contributions that seniors make to the community, objectives include raising seniors’ awareness of issues such as healthcare and care planning, but also educating the wider community about senior citizens’ unique needs, officials say.
Noting that this year’s theme is “60+ We All Matter”, Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden stated: “People who are 60 or older most definitely matter. They have a great deal to contribute. In particular their viewpoint is enriched by hard-earned historical knowledge of their communities. Wiithout them Caymanians and the Cayman Islands would lack a sense of identity and a sense of self”.
[Cassandra—I’d like to insert something here about the Ambassadors Evert Scott and Yvonne Miller. Are there any bios? How did you come to choose them? What is their role?]
Organisers have planned a number of activities on Grand Cayman that include cultural performances, a prayer tea, and simple community gatherings. These are:
- The Older Person Month Launch, which is set for Thursday, 1st October, 10.00 am to 1.00 pm at the Family Life Center off Walkers Road.
- On Thursday, 15th October, from 5.00-8.00 pm, seniors will be special guests at the opening of a National Museum exhibition, entitled “60+ and Shining”.
- Eastern District Day takes place at the Bodden Town Civic Centre on Tuesday, 20th Oct 2015, 5.30pm-8.30pm.
- The Circle of Love Prayer Tea is scheduled for Saturday, 24th October, 2.00 pm to 5pm, at Triple C School Hall.
- Then the Seniors’ Bash takes place at the Westin Casuarina Resort on Thursday, 29th October, 6:30 to 10.00 pm.
- To wrap up the month Cayman National Cultural Foundation has invited seniors to a special performance on Friday, 30th October, 8.00pm at the Harquail Theatre. Limited spaces available. For more information contact 949-0290.
Meanwhile on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman,
- A Seniors’ Island Tour takes place on Tuesday, October 13th and Tuesday, October 27th, 8:30am to 2.00pm
- The Cayman Brac Seniors’ Social will be at the Aston Rutty Civic Center on Wednesday, 28th October 10.00am-2.00pm.
- On Little Cayman a church service and luncheon takes place on Sunday, 25th October at the Little Cayman Baptist Church 11.00 am.
At the end of 2014 there were nearly 3800 persons aged 65 and over living in the Cayman Islands. Some 6500 were aged 55-64.
Urging seniors to attend the upcoming events, Acting Director of the Department of Children and Family Services Paulinda Mendoza-Williams says: “We believe that the events developed by the organising committee will appeal to older persons on all three islands. We hope that they will take advantage of this opportunity to come together as a group and prove that, as our theme says, seniors do indeed matter.”
Photos: GIS
Poster for Older Persons Month 2016 with Evert Scott and Yvonne Miller
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Rousing Open for Older Persons’ Month in Cayman Islands
More than two hundred older persons turned out to a special lunch yesterday (Thursday 1st October 2015) to celebrate International Older Persons Day and the start of Older Person’s Month in the Cayman Islands.
As it does every year Cayman National Bank hosted the lunch which was served by members of the Lions’ Club.
St Ignatius High School swing band provided most of the music, along with a musical performance by students of the Truth for Youth School and entertainment by some of the seniors themselves. Local Attorney Natasha N. 
Bodden also gave a presentation on the topic of advanced care planning.
Yesterday was only the start of the festivities as throughout the rest of this month the Cayman Islands will continue to pay tribute to its seniors.
The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has planned a number events that will bring together persons aged 60 and over throughout the community.
In addition to recognising the ongoing contributions that seniors make to the 
community, objectives include raising seniors’ awareness of issues such as healthcare and care planning, but also educating the wider community about senior citizens’ unique needs, officials say.
Noting that this year’s theme is “60+ We All Matter”, Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden, who has responsibility for DCFS, stated: “As Government and the society at large, we have a responsibility to create a caring environment for vulnerable members of our community, including our senior citizens. To us, they are valuable treasures who have helped shape this democratic society in which we live today”.
This year the organising committee has appointed Evert Scott and Yvonne Miller as Older Persons’ Month Ambassadors. Both are active members in their districts’ senior’s fellowship and advocates for all older persons. As the committee carries out media appearances throughout the month of October, the public will have an opportunity to learn more about Mr. Scott and Mrs. Miller.
Organisers have planned a number of further activities on Grand Cayman that include cultural performances, a prayer tea, and simple community gatherings. These are:
- On Thursday, 15th October, from 5.00-8.00 pm, seniors will be special guests at the opening of the “Georgette Ebanks” exhibition at the National Museum. Titled “60+ and Shining”, the event will feature the display and sale of crafts made by older persons.
- There will be special displays of Caymanian heritage and culture, at Eastern District Day which takes place at the Bodden Town Civic Centre on Tuesday, 20th Oct 2015, 5.30pm-8.30pm.
- The Circle of Love Prayer Tea is scheduled for Saturday, 24th October, 2.00 pm to 5pm, at Triple C School Hall. This event promotes fellowship time in recognition of contributions of all older persons.
- Then on Thursday, 29th October, older persons will enjoy dinner and dancing to live music when the Seniors’ Bash takes place at the Westin Casuarina Resort, 6:30 to 10.00 pm.
- To wrap up the month Cayman National Cultural Foundation has invited seniors to a special performance of the international play “Pantomime” on Sat 31st October, 8.00pm at the Harquail Theatre. Limited spaces are available. For more information contact 949-0290.
Meanwhile on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman,
- A Seniors’ Island Tour takes place on Tuesday, October 13th and Tuesday, October 27th, 8:30am to 2.00pm
- The Cayman Brac Seniors’ Social will be at the Aston Rutty Civic Center on Wednesday, 28th October 10.00am-2.00pm.
- On Little Cayman a church service and luncheon takes place on Sunday, 25th October at the Little Cayman Baptist Church 11.00 am.
Urging seniors to attend the upcoming events, Acting Director of the Department of Children and Family Services Paulinda Mendoza-Williams says: “We believe that the organising committee has developed events that will appeal to older persons on all three islands. We hope that they will take advantage of this opportunity to come together as a group and prove that, as our theme says, seniors do indeed matter.”
Minister Bodden adds: “Older persons continue to play meaningful roles in all areas of our society; in politics, voluntary and community work and family life. For this reason we must do everything in our power to promote and protect their rights. It is also critical that we facilitate inter-generational activities so that our seniors can pass on their knowledge and experiences to our young people.”
“I want to encourage each family to celebrate the older persons in their lives during October and all year long,” the minister went on to say.
Photos: GIS
- More than 200 people, including the Governor and Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden, attended the Older Persons Month Launch at Family Life Centre on 1st October. There were even special tables for guests from Cayman Brac and residents of the Pines.
- The mood at the celebration was lively. Shown here audience members spontaneously gave performer Vernice Williams (not shown) a standing ovation.
- Guests at the Older Persons Month Launch included France Lynee and Cora Grant
- Older Persons Month 2016 poster with ambassadors Evert Scott and Yvonne Miller
- Older Person’s Month calendar
Caribbean heritage visits Bulwell to celebrate International Older People’s Day
By Jon Pritchard From Nottingham Post
Nottingham’s first museum celebrating Caribbean heritage has paid Bulwell a visit as part of International Older People’s Day.
The team from the SKN (Skills, Knowledge and Networks) Heritage Museum attended the event at Riverside Library in the town.
Part of its From Caribbean Isles To The British Isles – Home To Home exhibition, which looks at what brought Caribbean people to the UK, was on show.
Among those with a stall at the event was Ann Wright, of Rise Park, who was there to promote Bulwell Forest Bowls Club.
Nottingham businesses encouraging shoppers to stay in the city for Buy British Day
The 60-year-old said: “I was going round the stalls just to see what else was there and I found the exhibition very interesting.
“It’s amazing to look at the suitcases and think that people had to make a decision on what to bring with them to the country. It really makes you stop and think.”
Ms Wright thought it was a great idea for the exhibition to travel around the county.
She said: “Sometimes people don’t realise what is out there.
“It’s a good idea to take it around Nottingham so everyone can see it.
“I’ve not lived in Nottingham for very long, so I’m always learning about its history, and its fascinating.”
Another visitor to the exhibition was 82-year-old Cilla Heath. She said: “I was very interested in the exhibition. It is part of my culture, so it was nice to see what it was all about.
“It was quite nice to be able to get out and chat to people because I am an old woman and quite lonely.
“I want to get involved with the museum, even if it is once or twice a week, so I can have somewhere to go and talk to people about that sort of history.”
Catherine Ross, founder and director of SKN Heritage Museum said: “It went very well. A lot of people were coming to the exhibition and I think they were quite shocked to see things they recognised from their past.
“It was great to have someone like Cilla visit us so she could tell us some stories about her past.
“We like to get out into the community, because one of the things we want to do is interact with people who wouldn’t usually go to a museum.”
IMAGE: Cilla Heath at the exhibition
For more on this story go to: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Caribbean-heritage-visits-Bulwell-celebrate/story-27910295-detail/story.html#ixzz3nWhMLj00
Elderly population in some Caribbean countries to surpass even Canada
From CARIBBEAN360
United States, Thursday October 1, 2015 – With advances in medicine helping more people to live longer lives, the number of people over the age of 60 is expected to double by 2050 and will require radical societal change, according to a new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the International Day of Older Persons which was celebrated last Thursday (1).
Currently, the country with the oldest population in the region is Canada. However, projections based on data from the UN Population Division indicate that in less than a decade, the older population in countries such as Barbados, Cuba, and Martinique will surpass Canada’s.
“Today, most people, even in the poorest countries, are living longer lives,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of WHO.
“But this is not enough. We need to ensure these extra years are healthy, meaningful and dignified. Achieving this will not just be good for older people, it will be good for society as a whole.”
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Cilla Heath of Bulwell at the Caribbean heritage and social history museum exhibition at the Riverside library Bulwell. The exhibition was held honour of International Older Peoples Day
cilla is on tel 07779251244
Lynda from the museum on 07535 693 426 or Catherine from the museum on 07469 189 550
The Nottingham-based SKN Heritage Museum, the first Caribbean heritage and social history museum in Nottingham and the UK, is taking its From Caribbean Isles to the British Isles: Home to Home exhibition to Bulwell Riverside, so it can be seen and enjoyed by older people who may not be able to see it otherwise, in honour of International Older Peoples Day on 1 October and Nottingham Older Peoples Week, which runs from 28 September to 2 October.
The exhibition will be on show at Bulwell Riverside, Main Street, Bulwell on 1 October from 9.30am-12.30pm as part of a special event celebrating International Older Peoples Day and Nottingham Older Peoples Week, after SKN Heritage Museum were invited to take part in the celebrations by Nottingham City Council.
The exhibition tells the stories of some of the first Caribbeans to arrive in Nottingham during the Windrush Generation era following the Second World War, so its sure to bring back memories for many of Bulwells older residents.
The exhibition was launched at Nottingham Carnival in August, where it was seen by over 1,150 visitors so its a great opportunity for older people in Bulwell to enjoy a unique exhibition revealing what Caribbeans chose to bring with them in their suitcases, as they were only allowed to bring one small suitcase with them on the sea voyage.
Beautifully displayed in vintage suitcases and trunks from the era, exhibits on display will include clothes, photographs, books, hair and beauty products, tools and accessories, games, records, ornaments, cameras and lots more.
The exhibition will also feature the things Caribbeans c
Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), WHO’s Regional Office for the Americas, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne added that while the developments are advances to be proud of, countries need to prepare for “the challenges that this demographic shift will inevitably bring to our societies, social protection systems, and especially to our health systems.”
Contrary to widespread assumptions, the report finds that there is very little evidence that the added years of life are being experienced in better health than was the case for previous generations at the same age.
“Unfortunately 70 does not yet appear to be the new 60,” said Dr. John Beard, director of WHO’s Department of Ageing and Life Course. “But it could be, and it should be.”
While some older people may indeed be experiencing both longer and healthier lives, these people are likely to have come from more advantaged segments of society.
“People from disadvantaged backgrounds, those in poorer countries, those with the fewest opportunities and the fewest resources to call on in older age are also likely to have the poorest health and the greatest need,” added Beard.
The report stresses that governments must ensure policies that enable older people to continue participating in society and that avoid reinforcing the inequities that often underpin poor health in older age.
The population of the Americas is among the world’s oldest. In 2006, there were 50 million older adults in the region, and that number is expected to double by 2025, and again by 2050, when 1 in 4 people in the Americas will be over 60 (globally, the proportion will be 1 in 5).
People in the region are now living longer. Today a 60-year-old can expect to live until age 81, that is, 21 more years. In the last five decades, regional life expectancy has increased an average of 20 years. More than 80 per cent of people born in the Americas today will live to age 60, and 42 per cent of them will live past 80. In 2025, there will be an estimated 15 million octogenarians in the region.
“Every country in the region is aging, and they are aging at a speed that has never before been seen in history. But we still have time to respond to this demographic change,” said Etienne.
“This report makes clear that aging in and of itself is not the problem, nor are older persons the problem. Rather, it is the loss of 10 years of healthy living that is the problem, as our health and social systems are not ready to provide independent living and long-term care for those who need it. The report also makes clear that for achieving and maintaining a fully functioning life, older adults need to not merely fight against disease, but to live out their full potential in conducive environments.”
The new report rejects the stereotype of older people as frail and dependent and says the many contributions that older people make are often overlooked, while the demands that population aging will place on society are frequently overemphasized or exaggerated.
The report emphasizes that while some older people will require care and support, older populations in general are very diverse and make multiple contributions to families, communities and society more broadly.
It cites research that suggests these contributions far outweigh any investments that might be needed to provide the health services, long-term care and social security that older populations require. And it says policy needs to shift from an emphasis on controlling costs to a greater focus on enabling older people to do the things that matter to them.
IMAGE: Group Of Old Black And Caucasian Men Talking In Park WASHINGTON,
For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/elderly-population-in-some-caribbean-countries-to-surpass-even-canada#ixzz3nWNoDaAm
