This is not a country to grow old in. Old folk need care, activity and love. A recent EU survey says people stop feeling young at 34 and start feeling old at 58. Here, old people are like detritus. We lock them away, we want no reminder of our own mortality; only to be forever young. Age has no clout, is not sexy or connected and has nothing to plunder! We are impatient with old folk “You are so slow! Go weh, dis bus nah tek nuh owl ooman! Why can’t you remember?” Or “Memba wen yu use to flag me? My time fi flag yu now!” His every bone aches with arthritis, memory stolen by dementia. “Where am I? Are you my son?” Incontinent, he wears Pampers in a second childhood. The old lady’s wrinkled, wasted face belies a once sultry beauty…aaah life! Look at her, love every crevasse of her worn face – that’s you! Time’s rolling stream takes all away! We are born, wear out, then we die. No exceptions! Worms rule the world! Some 13 per cent of our citizens, over 55s, are at this wearing-out stage and most need our help. Let us affirm our common humanity by helping them. Remember, what goes round, comes around!

To be old and poor in Jamaica is bad. To be old, poor, sick and have no help is tragedy!

We had a good start with our aged as innovations in England were brought here after 1865, but we fell behind. The Poor Relief Act of 1886 is the salvation of our poor and ageing citizens. We are fighting poverty with tools forged by the English 100 years ago. Flat-screen TVs and flash cars do not make us civilised! Our inspector of poor and staff are the front line, but are hostage to a dozen laws – from street people to indigent housing and resources.

Poor relief officers (what a depressing job title) were trained in 1997 and not again until 2007 when nine were trained (invested by Minister Harry Douglas and Professor Eldemire-Shearer), a gap of 10 years. Are we serious about poverty and our old folk? But can you have a good old age if you never had a life of work? Jobs are most important!

For 150 years, the Big Yard was a sheet anchor of society. It brought up kids and cared for old folk. It was a ghetto (the Jewish sense), not a garrison. Lyndhurst Road Yard was aspirational, some had fallen on hard times, many came from country or wait for a farm work chit, all were on the way up and they shared. One knew the homework, another to fill forms; you could “Google” anything in the Yard as “when SonSon cum ‘ome ‘im wi tell oono”; some “cut hair” or “do hair”, sew, fix shoes; some “work out” and buy cloth at staff price in Princess Street; some “work in” – wash, starch and iron and “half-Chinie” Lee made furniture, was cussed for the sawdust but he blamed the breeze. Old folk get priority for toilet and standpipe; kids brush hair, rub Tiger Balm on an old knee and sweep. Life was hard but good! The Yard was an incubator for industry, ambition and values.

After Independence, the selfish gene thrived, we hyped the “I and I”, must have “a home of my own”, or “look out for # 1”. Today many state agencies spend millions to do what Big Yard did. Let’s revisit our housing concepts. A sprawl of houses is not a community. Africa had intimate villages. Cowboys circle wagons and the Latins use the courtyard – multiple dwellings around an open area – as recreational space, refuge, common services to care for young and old. The unintended consequences of destroying Big Yard – our “virtual village” are legion. Our Independent state over-promised and underperforms. We need spaces that empower family and community, mirror Big Yard in geriatric and child care, managing poverty, security, capital accumulation and social cohesion. We need a new vision for 21st century housing solutions. Let’s challenge our social engineers, architects, planners and developers. Alumni of Big Yard now live uptown and have top jobs here and abroad. Big Yard works, let’s evolve the concept!

Those at peak, past peak (life expectancy, 75), worried by mortality, legacy and end-game issues, need help. This means 12-17 per cent of our population – the largest block of voters and the workforce – have needs not understood until age 45-50. How can we help them?

*The welfare net we need is unaffordable. Our NIS fund is some $40b (how much income was lost to the JDX?). We won’t get close until four out of every five of us are in jobs, paying taxes, deductions and the fund has in some $150b.

*Cabinet must be told that poverty and ageing (affects rich and poor) are not the same.

*We need a young “cutting-edge” minister to re-vision and lead the ageing charge; then, a new suite of laws to replace the Poor Relief Acts; a national Ageing Master Plan, modern system and procedure manuals and an executive agency to foster accountability; more especially if we continue to conflate issues of ageing with those of poverty. We then need a CEO, an “Ageing Czar” over 60, from business, who needs a mission more than a job!

*Parish councils must appoint an “ageing activist” to oversee their tactics (within the master plan) and results, and assess them against international best practice.

*Private sector work with the aged (churches, freemason lodges, business are the best), must be streamlined and extended. Firms must create goods and services for this market set and offer concessions on food, clothing, travel, cinemas, etc, to the aged. This grey market is large, so the state must boldly lead and the private sector will follow.

*A cumpulsory, mid-life check-up paid for by the state at age 45 – to include prostate and breast screening. It’s the age for things to show up, yet early enough to address them.

*Rebrand all “poor relief” departments. Names as “infirmary”, “board of supervision”, “poor roll”, “almshouse” – all Victoriana – reposition them as uplifting, caring bodies and careers. We must respect poor and ageing citizens and the professionals who serve them!

*Schools must teach modules on ageing as old folk suffer at the hands of cruel kids. To ease cruel pain, Dementia may be God’s gift to the aged! Live and die with dignity!

*Trade unions must demand courses to prepare all workers over 40 for ageing. What we build today, will be there for us to enjoy tomorrow. Last year, they said old politicians were suffering; Why? When in office they did not do the right thing! Cabinet, over to you! Look at your mom or dad, fast-forward and that is you! Stay conscious, my friend!

Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants, currently on assignment in the UK.

franklinjohnston@hotmail.com