The Crossroads of Church and State in Elder Care
“There
are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers.
Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who
will need a caregiver.”- Rosalyn Carter
One of the characteristics of being a Jamaican is that we have an opinion on every issue even those far-removed from our experiences. We are not ashamed to give advice, and we give our suggestions unreservedly on all matters. One issue which has become important for me over the last year and half is that of being a caregiver. Since my dad’s diagnosis in August of 2018 with Stage 4 Kidney Disease I was baptized in the world of a caregiver. Unfortunately, we live in a society which does not give much support to the ageing population. There is not much State assistance for caring and providing care for the elderly. Yes, there are old age homes, commonly referred to infirmaries but even those are not properly operated and monitored. Additionally, there is the stigma which is associated with poor houses. Perhaps this is why the Jamaican culture is not supportive of having our loved and aged family members in an infirmary or poor house. The overwhelmingly percentage of the Jamaican society prefer to keep their aged family members close to home.
Church
I often wonder if our churches could do more in the area of elderly care. Jamaica is known for among other things the number of churches per square mile. This beautiful island is always referenced as a religious country, yet only few denominations have actively ventured into this arena of providing a structured care programme for the aged. I am not speaking to what happens at Christmas when some churches put on a show as a public relations campaign to try and impress the wider population that they are engaging with the elder. I am referring to what happens when the cameras are not on and the spotlight is dimmed. Those involved denominations which have done have established nursing homes for the elderly. While I am aware and appreciate that not every church will be able to do this. I am also of the belief that more churches can and should look into establishing a formal branch of their ministry which caters to the elderly. Oftentimes, once a member of a church becomes old the wider congregation does not remember that congregant; minimal support is shown if any at all to those members. In some jurisdiction, namely the United States of America there are adult day care centers which provide a range of serves for the elderly. The older members of the society can spend a few hours at the centers during which they are actively engaged. This is where I do believe our churches can and should play a greater role. Each church should have a ministry catering to the needs of the elderly, in the same way there is a Youth Ministry in almost all churches. Our churches for the most part are closed during the day, this practice should be revisited. In fact our churches can do much more in reaching out to the older population in and around their space. The church could open its door during the day for a few hours and facilitate a supervised programme in which the elderly could interact with members of their own age and also provide some basic services to this often forgotten segment of the society. The Jamaica Council of Churches could provide some leadership in this avenue and encourage their members to become more involved and supportive in the sub group of the Jamaican society. The United Nations uses 60 years and older to represent older persons. In a research done by Professor Eldemire Shearer, it was revealed that the Jamaican population is ageing. According to the United Nations, “the world’s population is ageing: virtually every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older persons in their population. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) , the number of people aged 60 years and older will rise from 900 million to 2 billion between 2015 and 2050. These statistics are mind- boggling. Unfortunately, many countries have not adequately prepared to meet the challenges of an ageing population. Population ageing is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century, with implications for nearly all sectors of society, including labour and financial markets.” Data from World Population Prospects: the 2019 Revision, by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age 65 (16%), up from one in 11 in 2019 (9%). By 2050, one in four persons living in Europe and Northern America could be aged 65 or over. In 2018, for the first time in history, persons aged 65 or above outnumbered children under five years of age globally. The number of persons aged 80 years or over is projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050. The World Health Organizations realizes the challenges an ageing global population will mean for all of us. The WHO has designated 2020 to 2030 the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030) is an opportunity to bring together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media, and the private sector for ten years of concerted, catalytic and collaborative action to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live. The Jamaican State also needs to do more in terms of reaching out to the elderly. In other countries the State pays for a nurse or health care provider to visit for a few hours daily the homes of the elderly. These medical practitioners ensure that medications are taken as prescribed and that care being given to the older members of society is meeting basic standards. The fact is should we live long enough we too will require a caregiver. The time to act is now to ensure that we developed a national registry of qualified support services for the elderly. Oftentimes we do not value those who have taken on or those who have been tasked with being caregivers. It has become commonplace to hear of enquiries regarding the person being cared for, hardly anyone asks about the caregiver. It is this time of their lives when the elderly need to feel useful and a sense of belonging to family and the wider community. Many elderly often commit suicide as they go into a state of depression fuel by a belief that they have become a burden. Jamaica urgently needs a comprehensive policy on ageing. We need to revisit the operations of nursing homes to ensure that they meet minimum guidelines.
In the words of Tia Walker, to care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honours.
@WayneCamo
One of the characteristics of being a Jamaican is that we have an opinion on every issue even those far-removed from our experiences. We are not ashamed to give advice, and we give our suggestions unreservedly on all matters. One issue which has become important for me over the last year and half is that of being a caregiver. Since my dad’s diagnosis in August of 2018 with Stage 4 Kidney Disease I was baptized in the world of a caregiver. Unfortunately, we live in a society which does not give much support to the ageing population. There is not much State assistance for caring and providing care for the elderly. Yes, there are old age homes, commonly referred to infirmaries but even those are not properly operated and monitored. Additionally, there is the stigma which is associated with poor houses. Perhaps this is why the Jamaican culture is not supportive of having our loved and aged family members in an infirmary or poor house. The overwhelmingly percentage of the Jamaican society prefer to keep their aged family members close to home.
Church
I often wonder if our churches could do more in the area of elderly care. Jamaica is known for among other things the number of churches per square mile. This beautiful island is always referenced as a religious country, yet only few denominations have actively ventured into this arena of providing a structured care programme for the aged. I am not speaking to what happens at Christmas when some churches put on a show as a public relations campaign to try and impress the wider population that they are engaging with the elder. I am referring to what happens when the cameras are not on and the spotlight is dimmed. Those involved denominations which have done have established nursing homes for the elderly. While I am aware and appreciate that not every church will be able to do this. I am also of the belief that more churches can and should look into establishing a formal branch of their ministry which caters to the elderly. Oftentimes, once a member of a church becomes old the wider congregation does not remember that congregant; minimal support is shown if any at all to those members. In some jurisdiction, namely the United States of America there are adult day care centers which provide a range of serves for the elderly. The older members of the society can spend a few hours at the centers during which they are actively engaged. This is where I do believe our churches can and should play a greater role. Each church should have a ministry catering to the needs of the elderly, in the same way there is a Youth Ministry in almost all churches. Our churches for the most part are closed during the day, this practice should be revisited. In fact our churches can do much more in reaching out to the older population in and around their space. The church could open its door during the day for a few hours and facilitate a supervised programme in which the elderly could interact with members of their own age and also provide some basic services to this often forgotten segment of the society. The Jamaica Council of Churches could provide some leadership in this avenue and encourage their members to become more involved and supportive in the sub group of the Jamaican society. The United Nations uses 60 years and older to represent older persons. In a research done by Professor Eldemire Shearer, it was revealed that the Jamaican population is ageing. According to the United Nations, “the world’s population is ageing: virtually every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older persons in their population. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) , the number of people aged 60 years and older will rise from 900 million to 2 billion between 2015 and 2050. These statistics are mind- boggling. Unfortunately, many countries have not adequately prepared to meet the challenges of an ageing population. Population ageing is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century, with implications for nearly all sectors of society, including labour and financial markets.” Data from World Population Prospects: the 2019 Revision, by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age 65 (16%), up from one in 11 in 2019 (9%). By 2050, one in four persons living in Europe and Northern America could be aged 65 or over. In 2018, for the first time in history, persons aged 65 or above outnumbered children under five years of age globally. The number of persons aged 80 years or over is projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050. The World Health Organizations realizes the challenges an ageing global population will mean for all of us. The WHO has designated 2020 to 2030 the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030) is an opportunity to bring together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media, and the private sector for ten years of concerted, catalytic and collaborative action to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live. The Jamaican State also needs to do more in terms of reaching out to the elderly. In other countries the State pays for a nurse or health care provider to visit for a few hours daily the homes of the elderly. These medical practitioners ensure that medications are taken as prescribed and that care being given to the older members of society is meeting basic standards. The fact is should we live long enough we too will require a caregiver. The time to act is now to ensure that we developed a national registry of qualified support services for the elderly. Oftentimes we do not value those who have taken on or those who have been tasked with being caregivers. It has become commonplace to hear of enquiries regarding the person being cared for, hardly anyone asks about the caregiver. It is this time of their lives when the elderly need to feel useful and a sense of belonging to family and the wider community. Many elderly often commit suicide as they go into a state of depression fuel by a belief that they have become a burden. Jamaica urgently needs a comprehensive policy on ageing. We need to revisit the operations of nursing homes to ensure that they meet minimum guidelines.
In the words of Tia Walker, to care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honours.
Wayne Campbell is
an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as
they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com@WayneCamo
©
#JamaicaCouncilofChurches
#ageing #population #census #Jamaica #adultdaycare
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