- CLAUDINE HOUSEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Craft instructor at the St. James National Council for Senior Citizens Day Activity Centre, in Montego Bay, Essie Roberts (right), assists 67-year-old Elizabeth Eubanks to start her patch rug while fellow particpant 72-year-old Lorine Plummer looks on.

Tashieka Mair, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

SINCE ITS inception in 1976, the St. James arm of the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) has been providing a worthwhile support system for the aged.

Living longer thanks to improvement in the health care system, senior citizens have been able to break the monotony of retirement through participation in the myriad of creative activities provided by NCSC through its 10 activity centres across the parish.

According to parish organiser for the NCSC, Merah Salmon, a part of the objective of the project is to keep the senior citizens active after retirement.

"We do fun activities such as art and craft, we have a dance (revival) group, we play dominoes and they are currently preparing for a regional tournament on July 13," Salmon said.

She noted that while they encourage the elderly to participate in recreational activities they also promote the development of practical skills through educational seminars and trips.

PRESENTERS

"We try to get presenters to speak on specific topics that affect the elderly," she says, noting that many of the participants tend to embrace this aspect of the programme, having missed out on the opportunity to learn some of the things in their youth. "Education is very vital," Salmon continues. "They are taught computer classes daily at the Senior Learning Institute at the Montego Bay Community College and the Holy Family Health Centre."

The seniors are also actively involved in outreach programmes. They participate in institutional visits to nursing homes and infirmaries where they offer prayer for the elderly person there. They also help to groom the senior citizens housed at these institutions and try to entertain those who are not afforded the opportunity to leave the facilities.

While committed to helping seniors, Salmon explains it has been a challenging process for the NCSC as it has been facing increasing difficulty in getting sponsorship for these projects and activities.

"It is really very challenging where funding is concerned because a lot of the things we would like to we can't do," she says. "For example there is a person in need of a home and we have to be going to the Food for the Poor because there are no funds available to assist that person."

Ms. Geneve Lawrence, who has served in the programme as a community service worker in Granville for the past 25 years at the day activity centre, notes the programme exposes persons to things they do not normally do, while providing an opportunity to help others.

"I call this the 'long life' programme because it keeps (us) mentally and physically active and that I think results in long life. A lot of older people are just sitting at home waiting for death but this gives us an opportunity to be active and enjoy ourselves," says Ms. Lawrence.