A thousand seniors are to share details about their lives with researchers over the next three months in what was yesterday dubbed the first such study of its kind in the world.

Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Wayne Perinchief told a press conference that the Seniors' Test for Ageing Trends and Services (STATS) survey was "an opportunity to achieve a first on this planet".

The ambitious project — a collaboration between Age Concern and Government — eventually aims to ask questions of every one of the almost 7,000 senior citizens on the Island.

The results will be used to determine what services are lacking for elderly people and their carers and could influence future policy decisions. A random sample of households have already been told to expect a visit from an official STATS interviewer during November, December or January.

The comprehensive questionnaire on all aspect of seniors' lives will take about an hour and a half to complete. Claudette Fleming, Age Concern's executive director, urged seniors chosen for the first sample to take part.

"We are looking to improve their quality of life so, this is a chance to have a say that's meaningful and that will get to policy-makers to make the difference," she said.

"For those individuals that agree, we are going to send the information back to seniors themselves so that they can look at how they measure up to the overall target group that we are surveying. So, they'll get a chance as individuals to see where they stand."

Mr. Perinchief said 11 percent of Bermuda's population was comprised of seniors and that in ten years time those aged 60 and over would account for one in every four people.

He said he understood that the scale of the $150,000 survey — to which Government has contributed $100,000 — made it "the first of its kind".

Mrs. Fleming said: "We are going to start 1,000 at a time. When we finish this 1,000, we'll have an idea of how realistic it is to do all 7,000. I can see benefits if we did all 7,000. That's something that has to be explored."

Volunteers from a variety of organisations have been trained by the Department of Statistics to carry out the study.

Many of them gathered yesterday to show off their official STATS ID badges, which seniors are warned to check before letting anyone into their home.

The badges have the Age Concern and Department of Statistics logo, the interviewer's name, an expiry date and the official signature of the Chief Statistician. Any senior wanting to verify an interviewer's identity or with questions about the survey should call 238-7525.

Anyone wanting to help with the survey should call the same number or email ageconcernmem[AT]northrock.bm.

Volunteer Catherine-Joy Smith, from Smith's, said she decided to help out as she is an able and active senior but knows not everyone is so lucky.

The 78-year-old said: "I'm a member of Age Concern and anything they are doing, I try to assist."