MPs call for comprehensive approach to elderly care

Two government parliamentarians have urged for a more inclusive and holistic strategy towards elderly care as the House of Assembly debated the five-year National Policy on Ageing.

St James Central MP Kerrie Symmonds and St John MP Charles Griffith emphasised the need to integrate health, education, and community support to ensure the well-being of Barbados’s ageing population.

Symmonds, who holds the foreign affairs ministerial portfolio, stressed the importance of a multidisciplinary approach.

“Healthy and active ageing is at the core of what we are struggling to achieve here in Barbados,” he said. The senior minister advocated for early integration of health, sports, and education to foster a supportive environment for the elderly.

Citing the recent Olympic performance of athlete Sada Williams, who placed seventh in Friday’s Women’s 400m finals in France, Symmonds highlighted the long-term health benefits of an active lifestyle.

“It is important to have a community that is participating actively in sporting activities and maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” he said, noting that such practices could alleviate strain on healthcare systems.

Symmonds also called for strengthening global partnerships to enhance ageing policies.

“We have to now seriously start to build relationships with parts of the international community that are there, available to assist Barbados in partnership,” he urged, advocating for leveraging international research and technology to improve local policies.

The St James Central MP further stressed the relevance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in elderly care.

“It is very relevant to the well-being of the elderly in Barbados, and we can’t have an elderly community in which we don’t accept or a country in which our elderly are not part of the conversation when we’re speaking about diversity,” he asserted.

Supporting the resolution, Griffith, the youth and community development minister, emphasised the crucial role of family support in elderly care. However, he criticised instances of exploitation, noting: “The pension cheque is used as a personal ATM for a lot of children.”

Griffith highlighted initiatives by his ministry to promote active ageing, including a swim programme with over 500 senior participants last year. He also spoke about community gyms utilised by both young and elderly residents. “If you go to Gall Hill on any evening, you will see the elderly folks utilising those facilities,” he said.

Both MPs supported the concept of intergenerational solidarity. Griffith suggested that older individuals should engage with younger generations to share experiences and preserve cultural practices.

“I think we should be able to do this in terms of having that bridge where our older folks can interact with the youngsters and talk to them,” he said.