Seniors urged to stay active and inspired

Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Audrey Deer-Williams, is urging Jamaica's seniors to stay active, engaged, and purposeful.

"Rise up seniors of Jamaica and claim your calling. You are valued, you are needed, and you are loved. Today, Jamaica honours you. Today, Jamaica celebrates you," she said.

Deer-Williams was speaking at the National Senior Citizens' Month Church Service, held on September 7 at the Calvary Baptist Church in St James. She paid tribute to the island's seniors and underscored their invaluable contributions.

Approximately 17 per cent of Jamaica's population is 60 years old and older, which translates to about 400,000 Jamaicans. This represents an increase from 12 per cent in previous years, and highlights the growing concern for the healthcare and social services needs of an ageing population.

Deer-Williams outlined that this year's theme, 'Respect, Protect, Empower, Connect', is a call to action.

"These are not just words. They are a call to action, a blueprint for how we as a nation and as people should regard those who have given so much to us," she said.

"Respect means that when we look at older persons, we don't just see age. We see the crown of lives well lived. This is the meaning of respect, recognising the glory behind the silver strands," Deer-Williams explained.

"Protecting seniors means ensuring that they live their lives with dignity, security and peace. Protection is not charity. It is justice. It is honouring the debt we owe to those who built this nation," she noted.

Deer-Williams said that empowerment means ensuring that seniors are not pushed to the margins but remain at the centre of families, communities and churches, recognising that even in older years, they can still dream, still create, and still inspire.

On the fourth pillar, connect, she said that when the young and the old come together, seniors share wisdom and strength, and the youth give energy and hope.

"This is the Jamaica we are building - a Jamaica where seniors are not isolated but integrated," she added.