CCRP Caring Committee members (from left) Irene Walter, Chair and Hannah Dixon Secretary, present gifts to Golden Age Home resident, Beverly Brown. Also sharing the moment is Supervisor of Cluster D at the Golden Age Home, Sheron Bowley.
Kingston, December 22, 2015: CCRP, the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons, has reconstituted and enlarged its Caring Committee in order to offer greater support to its members. CCRP, founded in 2010 by Communications Consultant and Seniors Advocate Jean Lowrie-Chin, is a not-for-profit membership organisation created to encourage and support the rights and welfare of retired persons. Recognising that, as we age, our needs become more varied and unique. The CCRP's mission is to both anticipate and respond to some of these 'special needs'.
Many of these needs result from the natural vulnerabilities caused by ageing – deteriorating health and mobility, economic challenges, (especially faced by persons on fixed incomes or no income) bereavement, and loneliness. Prof. Denise Eldemire-Shearer, Chair of the CCRP and Director of the Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre reports that the elderly (60 years and older) constitute 11.3% of the Jamaican population today, and are projected to rise to 25% by 2050. Over 50% of the elderly are alone, single or widowed.
The mandate of the CCRP's Caring Committee is to provide direct support, care and attention to CCRP members who are considered vulnerable for reasons of ill health, loss of family member(s), loneliness or other situations requiring palliative interventions. Membership of the Caring Committee has been expanded to 30 with 15 constituting a core group willing to play an active role in bringing care and comfort to the wider membership when called upon.
In the past, the Caring Committee had concentrated on marking Centenarian Day every year, undertaken in collaboration with the National Council for Senior Citizens. The committee also brings cheer to the Golden Age Home at Christmas by making a presentation of gift items contributed by members at their annual Christmas social for donation to the residents of the Home.
This year was no different as members brought boxes of items of toiletries to donate to the home. These were presented to the residents on Friday, December 18 by the Chair of the Committee, Irene Walter and the Secretary Hannah Dixon. They were accompanied by CCRP Administrative Assistant, Angela Foote.
The reinvigorated committee intends to be much more proactive and responsive to members' needs, helping without hindering, remaining sensitive to the committee's mission of empowering members "to live life to its fullest".
For further information please contact:
Dorett Linton
CCRP Jamaica
Tel. 469-1944
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