the International Year of the Older Persons (IYOP), began on a high note yesterday.

Seniors from all over the Island braved the rainy weather to attend the conference at the Harbour Room at Number 1 Shed on Front Street where they heard from a line-up of distinguished speakers.

The conference started with a fanfare and proceeded with an invocation by IYOP member, G. Leon Burt.

After a warm welcome from Sir John, Minister of Development Opportunities and Government Services Terry Lister and Minister of Health and Family Services Nelson Bascome gave opening remarks about the importance of acceptance of elderly people.

"I sincerely believe that this International Year of the Older Persons has succeeded in giving our seniors a new voice, a voice that can help this community learn from your lifetime of diverse experiences,'' Mr. Lister said.

Mr. Bascome said: "You know this conference is both timely and significant because the ageing of the world populations is perhaps the single biggest challenge that we will face in the 21st century. On a global basis, persons aged 60-plus are expected to rise to one billion by the year 2020.'' He emphasised the need to sweep away the myths surrounding old age and allowing them a forum to express their needs.

He listed several concerns that seniors have that will be addressed by the World Health Organisation, including health care, housing, income support, employment and leisure and recreation.

It was hoped that this conference would shape Government policy for seniors in the coming Millennium.

Premier Jennifer Smith, who officially opened the conference, attributed the success of the community to seniors' influence.

"The 1999 proclamation of the United Nations on the International Year of the Older Persons upholds these particular principles: independence, participation, care, self fulfilment, and dignity,'' Ms Smith said.

She quoted biblical scriptures to illustrate the importance of honouring and respecting the elderly who she said had "left clear cut trails'' for us to follow.

One of the speakers, Mrs. Nell Bassett-Carter, famous as "Auntie Nell'' of ZBM fame, gave a speech on independence and dignity.

Mrs. Bassett-Carter said in Western culture, and throughout the rest of the world, labels had been placed on human beings, labels that were sometimes never removed. In some more civilised cultures, she noted, the older person is revered, looked up to for guidance and decisions.

"But in the Western culture, it is not always the case,'' she said.

She also emphasised the importance of passing of family knowledge and life experiences to the younger generation.

Dr. Khin Myint followed, with a speech on medical care for the elderly.

As Director of Geriatrics at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, he emphasised the need for health care for elderly patients.

"Some diseases are more common in the elderly, such as Altzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, stroke,'' Dr. Myint said. "So also are heart disease and cancer.'' He explained that the main concern of an elderly patient suffering from one of these diseases was how will it effect their lives.

Another concern for the elderly is the access to health facilities, he said.

"Older persons should have access to health care to help them to maintain or regain their optimum level of physical, mental, and emotional well-being,'' Dr. Myint said.

The final speaker for the morning session, Mrs. Mary Baker, as the first president of the European Parkinson's Disease Association, spoke on participation.

"We are all living longer,'' she said. "And with old age, comes more neurological illness.'' She emphasised the community's role in participation in the care and comfort of the elderly, especially the "neurologically frail''.

"Of course money will be there,'' Mrs. Baker said. "Of course we have to spend a lot of money, but there are other things that people like you and I can do to make it better. One of the things is to focus on what the people really need.'' CedarBridge Academy's choir provided musical entertainment for seniors at the conference.

Honoured guests: Seniors yesterday attended the Bermuda National Seniors Conference in honour of the International Year of the Older Persons. The conference was held in the Harbour Room of Number 1 Shed on Front Street.

SENIORS SR