Growing old in Jamaica is fast becoming a hazardous pursuit. This has primarily come about because of ageism, a characteristic that has been described by the Concise Oxford English Dictionary as “prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of age”.

According to a Jamaica Observer article on May 30, 2021: “Every second person in the world is believed to hold ageist attitudes –leading to poorer physical and mental health and reduced quality of life for older people, costing societies billions of dollars each year, according to a United Nations report on ageism.

“The report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) calls for urgent action to combat ageism and better measurement and reporting to expose ageism for what it is – an insidious scourge on society.”

Many moons ago when Jamaica was a much nicer place to live, grandmothers were the backbone of most family structures. Granny or nana, as they were popularly called, were highly respected and adored. Many of the desirable values and attitudes that were the mainstay of the Jamaican society then were imparted by them to their young relatives who would sometimes literally sit at their feet to be told inspiring and amusing stories, which helped to inculcate in the youth those traits that would help make them into useful and happy citizens.

One sterling quality, too, of these matriarchs was their firm belief in God and the exemplary Christian lives they led, eschewing crime and violence while embracing a generosity of spirit, patriotism, and common decency. Jamaica, after all, has been a matriarchal society in which the mother always takes centre stage in the home. To this day, “Mama” is revered, especially by sons who always have a special love and attachment to their mothers.

Unfortunately, nowadays, many grandmothers are oftentimes neglected, despised, or even disrespected, raped, and killed by men who have become brutish beasts and have lost their reason. Much of this antisocial attitude and behaviour is as a result of this modern-day ageist approach that says, if you are old then you are no longer of any use to society and are therefore expendable.

In a real way, social media has replaced the granny influence, so we are now seeing a society that is heartless, uncaring, and ruthless. What is even more disturbing against this worrying backdrop of ageism is that more and more Jamaicans are getting older and living longer. Indeed, all statistical data so far points to the fact that Jamaica has an ageing population which would suggest that from a national and community level more attention will have to be paid to the aged among us and how we treat them.

While we await the results of the next national census, there is some revealing information to be gleaned from a 2011 study entitled Ageing of Jamaica’s Population – What Are the Implications for Healthcare? by a team led by well-known and respected health and ageing professor, Dr Denise Eldemire Shearer, which confirmed the ageing of the Jamaican population. It states that, “The over 60-year[-old] population has increased while the under 15-year-old population has decreased. Other demographic changes of note include the largest increase being in the old-old, who are predominantly female. [This may well be because women are living longer than their male counterparts]. The demographic changes when considered with the increase in chronic disease indicate the need for consideration of health care specifically targeting the needs for older persons, including increased prevention, continuous medical management, long-term care, and caregiver support.”

Interestingly, on one hand we are seeing more aged people being abandoned by their relatives in medical facilities or infirmaries while on the other hand there has been an upsurge in private health-care facilities for the elderly. By the way, are these facilities being monitored?

In the meantime, the number of homeless people on the nation’s streets continues to increase. Regrettably, the younger generations, in many instances, have become very disrespectful to the elderly, including their own close relatives. Indeed, once one reaches the mid-40s, one is regarded and treated as being old. In this regard, many golden agers are fighting back, declaring: “Mi old, but mi no cold.”

In a recent interview in which Dr Eldemire Shearer was asked for her opinion on ageing in Jamaica, she noted that, “There are no services, including clubs or activities, to deal with population ageing.” She also noted that the major challenge Jamaica is facing is the need for specialised medical care. In that article in which she was quoted, it was noted, too, that, “Despite free health care and subsidised medication, there are still long waits at clinics, and drugs aren’t always available. Medication for illnesses like dementia is not even available on these programmes.” The article goes on to quote an older activist, Kenneth Hemley, who lamented the way older people are treated at medical facilities, positing the need for a special clinic day for older people.

Of course, the meagre pension benefits by way of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and other one-off care packages (handouts) and sometimes paltry financial assistance from the State speak to a society that is yet to come to terms with the ageing process and how best to treat senior citizens from a policy perspective.

As the Eldemire-Shearer-led study concludes, “Jamaica, like all developing countries, needs to shift the current approach of ‘providing care’ for older persons to empowering older persons to provide for themselves and to adopt lifestyle practices to reduce and minimise chronic diseases and accompanying loss of function and independence.”

While visiting 105-year-old Winifred Stern on July 1, 2022 in Kingston, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said it was important that the country recognises and appreciates its senior citizens, particularly those who have lived beyond 100 years. He used the opportunity to state that the Government continues to put programmes in place to support and protect them, including the Social Pension Programme for people 75 years and older. As my granny would say: “True wud, Missa Bro Gad, but Oh God man, more needs to be done to help the aged!”

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 45 years. He has also served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.