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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie Sharon Griffin (centre) addressing members of the media during a recent press conference held to announce that October will be observed as National Older Persons Month in The Bahamas. Activities have been planned throughout the Commonwealth in conjunction with the National Council for Older Persons. Also pictured (first left) are: Alan Strachan, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Services and Community Development, and (at right) Juliette Barnwell, Chairperson, National Council for Older Persons. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
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NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Government of The Bahamas is committed to providing age-inclusive environments for older persons throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie Sharon Griffin said recently.
This includes providing environments that are well-planned and provide opportunities for full participation in the decision-making process as it regards the construction of neighborhoods; educational opportunities; safe communities that provide the appropriate resources; age-inclusive public facilities and transportation. The Government will also promote communities that encourage the highest quality of life possible.
There is expected to be an expansion of some of the services offered to the country’s older adults to respond to the evolving needs of older persons “as we ensure age inclusiveness in every community of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”
“For its part, the Ministry will continue to provide food assistance, small house repair, independent and assisted living accommodations, day and respite care, investigation of maltreatment and family counseling and intervention services for our older persons,” Minister Griffin said.
Mrs. Griffin’s assurance came as the country gets set to observe Older Persons Month this October. Officials from the Senior Citizens Division of the Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Services and Community Development, and the National Council for Older Persons have
joined forces to initiate a slate of activities in New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands as part of their continued public education and awareness campaign designed to bring greater attention to the benefits and/or challenges facing an ageing population.
The move also comes as international research shows that global populations are getting older with the 60 and older population expected to reach 1.4 billion in just fifteen short years in 2030 and that more and more older persons will be moving into more urban environments.
According to a recent United Nations Report, the move of people worldwide to cities is already happening at a record pace, with 6 out of every 10 persons worldwide expected to reside in urban areas by 2030. Consistent with the phenomenon of urbanization, the number of older persons is increasing most rapidly in urban areas of developing countries such as The Bahamas.
The combined effect of both phenomena means that the number of people over 60 living in cities may grow to over 900 million worldwide by 2050 – making up a quarter of the total urban population in developing countries.
Mrs. Griffin said local research confirms this, as there has been a migration of older persons from some of the more established or older inner city neighborhoods to newer, suburban communities. The research further shows that more and more persons are moving from the Family Islands into New Providence.
“It is therefore imperative that we provide age-inclusive environments for all older persons in The Bahamas wherever they reside,” Mrs. Griffin said.
Minister Griffin said the Government – through her ministry - will continue to seek to raise awareness as to the need for environments that are well-planned and provide opportunities for full participation in decision-making.
This falls in line with the United Nations theme for the 2015 commemoration of Older Persons Month: “Sustainability and Age Inclusiveness in the Urban Environment.”
“Living up to the Secretary-General's (U.N. Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki Moon) guiding principle of ‘Leaving No One Behind’ necessitates the understanding that demography matters for sustainable development and that population dynamics will shape the key developmental challenges that the world is confronting in the 21st century,” a United Nations statement read.
“If our ambition is to ‘Build the Future We Want’, we must address the population over 60 which is expected to reach 1.4 billion by 2030. The 2015 celebration of the 25th anniversary of International Day of Older Persons (IDOP), in anticipation of the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) to be held in 2016, will focus not only on the impact of the new urban environment on older persons, but also the impact of older persons on the new urban environment.
“In principle, these trends offer older persons prospects for improving their quality of life. Well-planned cities are more likely to provide income generating and education opportunities, in addition to housing and urban environments that are more accessible and safe for older persons, including the incorporation of age-friendly features in public facilities.
“This includes access to affordable, reliable, safe and physically accessible transportation, which is one of the cornerstones of older persons’ participation, independence and social inclusion. The 2015 IDOP celebration seeks to demonstrate that an age inclusive agenda is crucial for sustainable urban environments to promote equity, welfare and shared prosperity for all,” the U.N. statement concluded.
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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