International Day for Older Persons (IDOP) is recognised each year on 1 October. The IDOP is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges of ageing in today’s world.

Silver Sunday was also celebrated on 2 October – a day used to celebrate the value and knowledge that older people contribute to our communities while helping to combat loneliness and isolation.

On St Helena, residents of the Princess Royal Community Care Centre (CCC) celebrated IDOP and Silver Sunday on Friday, 1 October, by having lunch together in the main hall, along with their family and friends who were invited to join them. The celebrations continued in the afternoon as residents from the Sheltered Accommodation, Cape Villa, and elderly members of the community joined residents of the CCC for afternoon tea and musical entertainment.

Manager of the CCC, Rosalie Brown, commented:

“We celebrate IDOP to create awareness and empathy regarding the wellbeing of the elderly. We are fortunate to have older people around us, whether they’re family, friends, or just general acquaintances. Older people are fonts of wisdom, experience, and storytelling. They can inspire us to continue striving. We should look to them for guidance whenever and wherever possible. Unfortunately, far too often we tend to forget the older people in our lives. That’s one of many reasons why the IDOP on 1 October has to be recognised not only on St Helena, but worldwide.”

If you are an elderly member of the community or know of an elderly person needing advice or assistance, please contact the duty team on tel: 25353. The team will make an assessment to ascertain what level of support may be required.

Source: St Helena Government