The Department of Emergency Management (DEM), in collaboration with the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP), will host a Seniors’ Roundtable Discussion and Expo under the theme Protecting Seniors During Disaster.
It comes off on Tuesday, October 1, at the Queen’s Park Steel Shed, Constitution Road, St. Michael, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The expo will start at 10:00 a.m., while the official opening ceremony for the event commences at 11:00 a.m.
Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, is expected to deliver the feature address during the opening, while Director of DEM, Kerry Hinds and President of BARP, Marilyn Rice-Bowen, will deliver remarks.
There will also be a presentation of an Elderly Study conducted in Barbados by the BBC Media Action Group under the RICA Project.
Panellists for the discussion will include representatives from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Barbados Fire Service (BFS), the National Assistance Board, BARP and DEM. Meanwhile, the expo will feature exhibits from a podiatrist, an optician, the BFS, NAB, the Welfare Department, DEM, and others.
The discussion and expo are designed to highlight the hazards likely to affect seniors during a disaster; identify challenges that may be experienced in ensuring the safety of seniors in the face of various hazards; find solutions to improving risk communication between emergency personnel and seniors and designing a roadmap going forward to guide protocols for the protection of seniors during a disaster.
The event is important as Barbados has an ageing population, and protecting seniors during disasters is critical and requires a multifaceted approach given their unique needs and vulnerabilities.