Revised National Policy for Senior Citizens to be Presented Sept. 21

The revised National Policy for Senior Citizens will be presented to the country on Wednesday, September 21.

“This is a very important occasion, because the National Policy has been in the revision process for some time, so we are happy to present a final document, which is a framework or roadmap for ageing in Jamaica,” Executive Director of the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), Cassandra Morrison, told JIS News in an interview.

Also on September 21, the Minister of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), Hon. Karl Samuda, will launch Senior Citizens’ Week, which will be observed from September 25 to October 1.

September is celebrated as Senior Citizens Month, and this year the NCSC will observe the month under the theme: ‘Ageing Jamaica: Epitomising Resilience and Greatness’.

On September 21, Jamaica will also join the rest of the world in observing World Alzheimer’s Day. A distinguished lecture on the topic: ‘Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer: A Call to Action’, will be delivered by Dr. Ishtar Govia, the Jamaica Lead for the multi-country dementia care improvement study called, Strengthening Responses to Dementia in Developing Countries (STRiDE).

According to Mrs. Morrison, the intention of this lecture, “is to provide families, caregivers and persons with dementia with information on how to cope, and to make sure that people with dementia have a good quality of life.”

On Thursday, September 22, the National Seniors’ Spelling Bee competition will take place. All 14 parish champions will compete for the title of the National Senior Spelling Bee Champion. This will be streamed live on the MLSS and JIS’ Facebook and YouTube pages, starting at 9:30 a.m.

To start National Senior Citizens’ Week, the NCSC national thanksgiving service for 46 years of service to Jamaica will be held at the Webster Memorial United Church, Half-Way Tree Road, on Sunday, September 25.

This will be broadcast live on Love 101 FM and streamed on the MLSS and JIS’ Facebook and YouTube pages, starting at 10:00 a.m.

Following the church service, the NCSC will host an evening of entertainment which is dubbed, the games edition for grandparents, in recognition of National Grandparents Day, which is usually observed on the last Sunday in the Month of September. This will be held at the Council’s office, 11 West King’s House Road.

“We will engage the seniors and their families in intergenerational activities. There will be games and entertainment. We want our grandparents to know how special they are, not only on the day but every day,” Mrs. Morrison said.

The NCSC will host an Ageing Fair on Thursday, September 29, in Emancipation Park, Kingston. Seniors, caregivers, and family members will have access to health and wellness, financial, digital, and social services. The fair is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m.

Activities for the Week will culminate with the observance of International Day of Older Persons.

According to Mrs. Morrison, the Day will be used by the NCSC and its stakeholders to reflect on the theme: ‘Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World’.

“We will discuss what strategies to put in place to enhance the lives of the older persons as the population ages,” she said.

Established in 1976 as a Department in the MLSS, the NCSC promotes the well-being and concerns of persons 60 years and older at all levels. It has over 20,000 registered members across the country.