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| Public Health Nurse, Ms Lorraine Archibald |
Charlestown Nevis (October 3, 2005) Ms Lorraine Archibald, Public Health Nurse in the Ministry of Health, has urged stakeholders within the community, to promote a society that is accommodating for senior citizens. She was at the time delivering a televised message to commemorate International Day of the Elderly.
I would like to call upon all governments and non governmental organizations, families, friends and all concerned to help to promote a society for people who are ageing, she said. To work towards changing societal attitudes, practices and myths and to change policies from early retirement so that, by the 21st century we would have already recognized the benefits that the societies have gained from the continuing contributions of the elderly.
Ms Archibald, who also manages the Gingerland Health Centre pointed out that too often the elderly population, is overlooked and their health needs are not fully understood. We failed to offer the full complement of services they require and deserve.
International Day of the Elderly is commemorated annually on October 1st, and according to Nurse Archibald the United Nations theme for this year's observance is Ageing in the new millennium, focusing on poverty, older women and development.
There are four known centenarians on Nevis and they are all females. Two are 103 years of age while one is 101 and one is 106, she explained. Life expectancy for women is longer than men, and they (the women) often find themselves alone, isolated and having to face the death of their loved ones and other stressful situations.
It was suggested that the number of senior citizens will increase over the next generation and that more people are expected to live in poverty. It contributes to the fact that many persons may have retired for 20 years or more and that they may not have enough money to live on. Many will have to depend on economic and social support system, such as social security, social welfare, local community membership and company-based schemes.
Throughout the world one out of every ten persons is 60 years and over, by 2050 one out of five will be 60 years and older. The oldest old (80 years and older) make up 11% of the 60 plus age group. Once the ageing population falls over 10 - 12% that is an ageing population.
Global population ageing is a process known as the "demographic transition". According to Grigsby 1991, "as countries pass through the three stages of the demographic transition, changes in fertility and mortality produce change in the population structure."
