Tufton Calls for Stronger Family and Community Support for Jamaica’s Elderly

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has called on families and communities to play a greater role in caring for Jamaica’s senior citizens.

He urged relatives not to leave elderly family members in hospitals or isolated at home. Tufton said people should remember those who raised and supported them, whether a parent, guardian or other relative, and ensure those individuals receive the assistance they require.

He also appealed to residents to check regularly on elderly neighbours who may be living alone. Communities can help older people remain engaged by offering companionship, sharing a meal, visiting them, giving advice or encouraging activities such as backyard gardening, he said.

Tufton made the appeal during the recent reopening of the renovated Craighead Health Centre in Manchester. His comments come amid changes in Jamaica’s population, with the number of young people declining while the elderly population increases.

According to the minister, approximately 375,000 Jamaicans are older than 60. That figure is projected to surpass 400,000 by 2030. He said fewer births, combined with children moving away, have left many older residents in communities such as Craighead living by themselves.

Tufton identified social isolation and the absence of reliable support networks as major challenges facing senior citizens. He said nurses and community health aides based at health centres provide essential assistance to this group. The Government, he added, is working to ensure the facilities have disability access, suitable bathrooms and air-conditioning, while accommodating visits by community health aides.

Returned resident Gloria Leslie Walters welcomed the improvements made at the Craighead facility. She said clinic staff provided good care for her parents and other relatives while she lived overseas.

Walters said her own experience as a senior citizen has strengthened her appreciation for accessible, high-quality healthcare. After returning to Jamaica in 2018, she established a small centre to train nurses. She said additional nurses are needed to care for the country’s ageing population, particularly senior citizens without relatives.

She expressed pride in being Jamaican and said she intends to spend her later years on the island while contributing to the country. Walters described Jamaica as the best country in the world and said many elderly Jamaicans living in England would like to return. However, she said more nurses are required to provide care for them in their homes.