Jean Lowrie-Chin
On my way downtown last Tuesday morning, I opened my WhatsApp messages to see photographs of an elderly woman tied to a wheelchair with a wound on her forehead. She appeared to need a bath. They were sent with an urgent appeal for help by her daughter living overseas, who had been sending funds for her care. I later found out that a social worker from the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) had visited the lady and was working with the family to ensure her safety.
Our team was heading to Gordon House to make CCRP’s presentation to the special select committee of the Senate mandated to develop legislation for the care and protection of the elderly. As the image of this poor lady flashed through my mind, my voice cracked at times. It has been a long road for CCRP, as we had activated our advocacy in 2017, writing releases and corresponding with representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Ministry of Health.Let us applaud Senator Professor Floyd Morris who moved the motion to push this legislation forward. It was seconded by Senator Sherene Golding Campbell, who immediately agreed to chair the Senate committee which began hearing submissions within a few months. We are grateful for the comments and suggestions made by the members at the meeting last week — senators Golding Campbell and Morris, Senator Dr Sapphire Longmore, Senator Sophia Fraser Binns, and Senator Kavan Gayle.
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