Social workers affiliated with the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) make a transformational impact on the lives of Jamaica’s elderly. Their role is to provide care and protection for seniors and bring some sunshine to their golden years. This includes home visits, personal assistance, supporting them with digital tasks and documenting the oral history of centenarians.

To deliver greater productivity and efficiency, the NCSC is turning to technology to support the social workers who travel across the island to meet with seniors, collect data and file reports. The Flow Foundation recently donated 10 tablets to the NCSC which will enable the social workers to capture information accurately and efficiently while in the field.

Cassandra Morrison, NCSC executive director, said the council is embracing the benefits technology offers to better serve the needs of its clients.

“Our social workers’ main role is to link senior citizens in the parishes to the services that are available to them via the Government and NGOs,” Morrison pointed out. “This process includes interacting with a lot of data, and we are excited at the possibilities these instruments will present for expanding our services and for improving productivity. Our social workers gather the information in the field and provide data back to the Council so we can be informed about the gaps and the efficacy of the services that are out there, so we are able to advocate on behalf of the seniors.”

Morrison further added that another function of the devices will be to preserve the stories and personal accounts of Jamaica’s centenarians. The NCSC works closely with the Jamaica Memory Bank at the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica to preserve the oral history of Jamaica’s aged and experienced citizens.

“Sometimes the seniors have artifacts and documents that are very important pieces of our history, along with their very own unique personal stories of Jamaican life of yesteryear, so it is important we preserve these historical gems for posterity,” Morrison noted.

Enhancing the quality of life for the elderly is another focal point for the NCSC and it accomplishes this through caseload and database management of vulnerable and at-risk seniors. The Council partners with other Government agencies such as the National Health Fund, Board of Supervision, Parish Councils and the Registrar General’s Department to preserve the dignity of the elderly.

The Flow Foundation has been a champion for digital literacy and inclusivity and over the years has partnered with the NCSC to ensure seniors are included in the booming digital economy through the provision of devices, free Wi-Fi and digital literacy training.