families caring for elderly relatives.

That is the pledge of Shadow Community Affairs Minister Mr. Reginald Burrows.

He said the PLP wanted to see senior citizens protected as a "valuable resource'' and paid back for years of service to the community, not treated as a liability.

"Approximately six percent of our population is over the age of 70. We feel that a properly supervised Government plan to assist those families who would like to keep their seniors at home should be implemented.

"As the son of senior citizens, one realises how important it is to keep those seniors at home as much as possible.

"Most of them, we find, would love to stay in the home setting to live out their remaining years.'' Government might have to provide cash help to families keeping seniors at home, he said, because costs were high.

The expense of caring for elderly relatives was a reason so many were institutionalised.

And with home care the burden on the taxpayer would be decreased. Mr. Burrows was speaking at the PLP's press conference on Friday with party leader Mr.

Frederick Wade.

Mr. Wade said: "Right now you have seniors living in hospital, in extended care, and they even use St. Brendan's to house some seniors.'' Some elderly people did not need to be in hospital and could live at home if provided with nursing and attendance care.

"The level of attendance care has been cut in the last five years,'' he said.

It was also necessary to look at better ways of funding the care of elderly relatives in nursing homes, private or public, Mr. Wade said.

Caring for seniors would be given top priority.

Mr. Burrows added: "We also feel that seniors should be allowed to ride the buses free of charge''.

OCTOBER 1993 ELECTION