A thousand seniors are to share details about their lives with researchers over the next three months in what was today 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.

* See full story and reaction in tomorrow's Royal Gazette.