After giving a presentation recently on the growing burden our society is placing on family caregivers, I was asked a very pointed question. Essentially, the individual wanted to know if there were cultural differences in caregiving between Bermudians and "others".

Given our racialised society, the questioner wanted to know if the information that I was giving to the audience – that the number of seniors will double by 2030 while there are fewer family members who are both willing and able to care for them – was applicable to Bermuda's black population.

The answer is that statistically our ageing population will have a greater impact on Bermuda's black population for several reasons.

One is that black Bermudians tended to have larger families "back in the day" with the result that there are disproportionately more seniors in the black population while, like the general population, smaller families are more common today.

But race is not the only factor that affects ageing and caregiving. Race, gender and class make up the three pillars of many sociological studies and they are key elements in any census of the population. There are always differences that can be measured according to these three factors, but there are also many similarities that have an impact on the way we look at caregiving.

It is fair to say that most black Bermudians historically cared for their own within families, through churches and clubs, and through the Friendly Societies, while wealthier (not all) whites were able to employ others to do their caregiving for them.

It is also fair to say that women, regardless of race, have historically been the kin-keepers and have taken on caregiving for family, friends, and neighbours in a culturally determined role that has been largely unchallenged even to this day.

And clearly class has a large part to play, as those who can afford to purchase the services of professional care-providers, or pay for residential care, experience caregiving very differently from those who cannot afford supporting services or care facilities.

But times have changed, and they are continuing to change at a rapid pace. In fact, the last thirty years have seen Bermuda move from a slower-paced tourist economy to the global economy of international business. We are now experiencing a global recession that is having a severe and rapid effect on our economy.

Our world is changing. And, while it has been said that the only thing constant is change, it is the speed of change that makes life in 2009 so very stressful. To add to this period of rapid change, never in the history of mankind have so many lived to such a ripe old age. Yet we still expect women to do the caregiving, regardless of race or class.

Women themselves also expect to do the caregiving. But, women also have to work outside the home. As a result the supportive network of daughters, sisters, cousins and aunties – the "sisterhood" of caregivers in families and neighbourhoods-is under stress or has broken down completely.

Research shows that approximately 80 percent of caregivers are female. As long as women continue to marry older men who then get free care from their younger spouses, and girls are raised to take on the roles of mother/kin-keeper/caregiver, this percentage figure is unlikely to change any time soon.

Yes, some men take on the role of caregiver and they do a fine job, but they are the exception to the rule. Caregiving is seen as women's work, but women can no longer do it all.

Our culturally embedded sense of responsibility to our elders has not changed as much as our world has changed. More frail seniors and fewer caregivers mean we have a huge gap between demand and supply.

To meet the challenges this presents, as a society we must develop legislation, policies, services and support for the caregivers whose burden is growing. Our caregivers, our frail seniors, and other dependent family members deserve no less, regardless of race, gender or class.

Marian Sherratt is President of SORCOS, a social research and consulting firm. She writes on issues concerning our ageing population each month in The Royal Gazette. Send e-mail responses to m.sherratt@sorcos.com">m.sherratt@sorcos.com