Council of Older Persons

What We Do

The Council of Older Persons (‘the Council’) is established under section 3 of the Older Persons Act, 2017 and is an advisory body comprising of older persons, professionals and experts from the public and private sectors. 

 The general purpose of the Council is to champion the welfare of older persons, defined as persons 65 years old and above, by advocating for:

  • the promotion and development of programmes, projects and legislative measures focused on older persons; and
  • the Government’s implementation of the Cayman Islands Older Persons Policy 2016-2035 (“the CIOPP”).

In carrying out this role, the Council plays a critical part in enhancing the quality of life for all older persons.

Organisation & Functions

In accordance with the Schedule in the Older Persons Act, 2017, sections 1 and 2, the following members comprise of the Council and are serving for a term of not less than four (4) years:

Council Members

  • Lucille Seymour BEM, MBE, JP - Chairperson and Representative for George Town
  • Sarah Alice Mae Coe - Deputy Chairperson and Representative for West Bay
  • Herbert Crawford - Member and Representative for Bodden Town
  • Alex Johnson - Member and Representative for North Side
  • Elsa Annie Rose Scott - Member and Representative for the Sister Islands
  • Aliceann Kirchman- Member and Representative for East End
  • Mark Beckford - Attorney-at-Law
  • Dr. Eryka Simmons - Medical Doctor

Ex-Officio Members

  • Cassandra Fearon - Ex-officio Member, Department of Children & Family Services
  • Trevor Gibbs - Ex-officio Member, Ministry responsible for Social Development
  • Danielle Hemming - Ex-officio Member, Ministry responsible for Health
  • Deirdre Carmola - Ex-officio Member, Ministry responsible for Education
  • Debbie-Ann Whittaker  - Ex-officio Member, Ministry responsible for Labour
  • Karlene Bramwell - Ex-officio Member, Ministry responsible for Gender Affairs

In accordance with the sections 6(1) and (2) of the Act, an Executive Secretary who is a public servant will be appointed by the Cabinet to provide administrative support to the Council. At present, Sophy Banner is the designate Executive Secretary from the Cabinet Office.

 

Functions

 
Pursuant to Part 2, section 4 of the Older Persons Act, 2017, the functions of the Council are as follows:
 

a.     Serving as a referral facility to provide information on services and resources for older persons;

b.     Advocating for, and monitoring the level of, public education on the changing needs of older persons within the community;

c.      Aiming to ensure the promotion, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the policy in relation to older persons;

d.     Promoting participation, involvement and social inclusion of older persons; and

e.     Promoting a skills bank of older persons.

 
Learn more:

Publications

Related Entities

Couple playing tennis
Happy older couple