1125+
web files in a constantly updated compendium on Bermuda's business, culture,
cuisine, customs, districts, economy, education, food, geography, government,
history, internet access, laws, parishes, politics, religions, traditions,
wildlife etc. For tourists, business visitors, employers, employees, newcomers,
researchers, retirees, scholars. Funded by and linked to The
Royal Gazette, Bermuda's only daily newspaper.
By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online
When referring to this particular web file, please use "bermuda-online.org/seniorcitizens.htm" as your Subject.
Bermuda
may be only 21 square miles in total land area, an extremely small part of the
world in geographic measurement but is so affluent that the World Bank has
reported Bermuda as the most affluent country in the world with Gross National
Product (GNP) and Gross National Income (GNI) of more than US$ 89,935 in 2006,
expected to be over $99,000 per capita in 2007. Thus the World Bank has rated
Bermuda #1 in the world in Gross National Product (GDP), GNI, far exceeding
other offshore centres like Luxembourg, Norway, Liechtenstein
and Switzerland, the USA, Canada, UK, etc.
In Luxembourg, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, their seniors live in comfort and dignity, with concern, compassion and funding. Sadly, Bermuda seniors get merely a small fraction of social security pensions and other benefits and services of Luxembourg, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, United Kingdom and rest of Europe.
Bermuda's Minister of Finance has maintained that the World Bank ranking does not take into account social factors in Bermuda that contribute to the widening gap between rich and poor. The fact of the matter is that what the countries mentioned above spend on their senior citizens to give them an adequate comfort zone in later life, Bermuda, in comparison, spends on its government. Bermuda's seniors who are not rich, not earning an average income of over $60,000 a year or a decent pension, and don't own their own homes (more than 43%) are appallingly badly off compared to seniors in less affluent countries who are looked after far better by their governments.
When is a senior
not a
senior? In Europe - including UK, Ireland and all
other EEC countries, it is 60. In America, it is 60 for (some) women and 65 for
men. But in Bermuda, it is 65 for both women and men and unless one is disabled,
one cannot get a Special Persons ID card (the local equivalent of a Senior
Citizens Card or Old Age Pensioners' Card) until you are 65.
Unlike in the UK, USA, Canada and Europe, where special low or "concessionary" fares or admission prices apply on application to senior citizens irrespective of where in the world visitors may be from, on all forms of public transport and both public sector and private sector attractions, there are no such concessions made in Bermuda to visiting senior citizens. For example, in Bermuda, seniors who are residents and have a Special Persons Card can travel free on buses (not equipped for wheelchair users) and ferries - but not visitors who seniors.
Seniors have paid taxes all their lives. Many depend solely on their local Social Security. In contrast, all Government employees, are covered under The Pensions (Public Service Superannuation) Act 1981, provisions of which include generous pensions for all current and retired Government employees who include police officers and public-school teachers.
There is no equivalent in Bermuda, in types of services offered to senior citizens and the disabled, of Age Concern in the United Kingdom and Spain, or AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) in the USA. (There is a local Age Concern entity, very concerned about the plight of seniors, but operating on a different basis, as shown below).
July 20, 2007. The Royal Gazette group reported. A comprehensive survey of the senior population will be undertaken by the Department of Statistics. The survey, which will assess the immediate and long term needs of the ageing population, will question more than 850 people over age 64 about their lifestyle and the services of which they avail. The initiative is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Department of Human Affairs, National Office for Seniors, Cabinet Office and the charity Age Concern. Known as the Seniors’ Test for Ageing Trends and Services (STATS), it will use the data collected to match seniors’ needs with specific services and identify trends that will assist with long term planning. Minister of Cultural Affairs Wayne Perinchief said: “By international standards, Bermuda is considered to be an aged population. A population is considered to be aged if the segment that is over the age of 64 comprises of more than seven percent. Bermuda’s elderly population in 2000 accounted for 11 percent of the population. This group of the population outpaced other cohorts with a surge of 25 percent over the last 10 years.” Chief Statistician Valerie Robinson-James said her department was already well underway in organizing the survey which will take place in October 2007. She said: “Seniors will be asked a broad range of questions such as their health conditions, the need for health and medical equipment, the extent of their health insurance coverage, use of home care services, living arrangements, computer access and use, transportation and mobility, and home safety and security.” She added that the survey would include seniors with a pension and those without one. The individual information gathered would be kept confidential but the data will be used to shape policy and better educate other non-profit organizations.
August 2004. An extensive survey was funded by Bermuda-based Atlantic Philanthropies Limited, and resulted in the report "Ageing in Bermuda: Meeting the Needs of Seniors" by Dr. Irene A. Gutheil and Dr. Roslyn H. Chernesky of Fordham University. It was in response to needs that have not been met by the Bermuda Government, or Bermuda private sector or any organization in Bermuda to date.
December 2006. The Bermuda Council on Ageing (BCA) was formed. See list of organizations below.
If over 65 and resident in Bermuda
See list below of organizations. Not affiliated with or a part of the Age Concern organizations in the UK and not offering the same services.
None in Bermuda.
There is no such organization in Bermuda, unlike in every state and city in the USA.
Age Concern and other senior citizens-related organizations, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Family Services, try to help seniors who are not fortunate enough to be living with children or relatives and need affordable accommodation in hugely expensive Bermuda. There are no local organizations specializing in this. The concept was borrowed by the USA from the United Kingdom and Europe where there are numerous Government-paid or supported Assisted Living organizations. Unlike in the USA and elsewhere, there are no laws in Bermuda requiring registered nurses at local assisted living places to care for residents with dementia - and no local laws requiring criminal background checks on anyone who has contact with residents, their money and belongings.
On application and with appropriate verification such as a Special Persons ID, Bermuda-resident seniors get special banking services and discounts - mentioned as such in the Seniors Handbook issued by the National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged (NOSPC). Contact Bank of Bermuda, Head Office, Front Street, Hamilton HM 11, phone 295-4000, fax 295-7093) for seniors over 65 and Bank of N. T. Butterfield, Head Office, 65 Front Street, Hamilton HM 12, phone 295-1111, fax 295-0656, for seniors over 60. Benefits, depending on bank, may include:
See list below of organizations.
See list below of organizations. Services to seniors and the disabled include hospital equipment rental, to help customers recuperate in their own homes.
None in Bermuda. In comparison, almost every place to visit in the UK, Canada and USA, etc. offers publicly posted "concessionary" admission - discounts - to senior citizens (over 60) from any country with acceptable photo ID. In concessionary travel for seniors and the disabled, there are valuable discounts on buses, trains and ferries with the same proviso. The UK Government's Department for Transport Concessionary Travel website is one of hundreds, if not thousands, throughout the UK offering concessionary travel at discounts up to 33% for seniors and up to 50% for the registered disabled to UK citizens and those from elsewhere, on production of photo ID. Also see Concessions for the Retired, plus the Disabled Persons Rail card (for registered disabled from UK who have registered disabled photo ID to prove they are over 60 and pay 14 pounds sterling a year) and Seniors Rail card (for UK or visiting seniors from abroad including Bermuda who pay 18 pounds sterling per year at any rail station and can show photo ID proving they are over 60).
Unlike the United Kingdom, caregivers currently have no protection under any legislation in Bermuda. Nor are they paid anything by the Bermuda Government, unlike in the UK. In 1999 the UK Government announced its National Strategy for Carers, which aimed to enhance the quality of life of caregivers. Since this strategy, England and Wales have passed the Carers and Disabled Children Act (2000). Similar legislation should be introduced in Bermuda. Without it, caregivers risk becoming the next generation of aged poor. No study has ever been done to date in Bermuda
on the hidden cost of caregiving (caring). Employers are probably losing millions of dollars as more than 60 percent of the local workforce is caring for elderly relatives at home. This means that companies are dealing with partial and full employee absenteeism; the cost of replacing employees who decide to give up their jobs (and health benefits) to care for their ageing relatives full-time; lost productivity through workday interruptions and greater use of health care services. Not surprisingly the responsibility of caring for ageing relatives also appears to fall on the island's female population, many of whom are already caring for young children and up to 46 percent of these caregivers are feeling the financial strain. Even if only 20 percent of Bermuda's estimated 10,000 seniors are in need of some form of caregiving, this translates into about 2,000 caregivers, many of whom are in paid employment. Addressing these outstanding issues surrounding the island's seniors will also result, over the long run, in reduced healthcare costs, the need for extended periods of institutional care, and the overall costs that a growing dependency ratio will impose on the workforce, reduced stress and improved health of family caregivers and their family members.It is estimated that perhaps 8% of locals, or 5,120, provide the care so vital to helping the approximately 15% of the people of Bermuda who are senior citizens or disabled remain in their homes and community settings. One reason may be that because of the huge prices of local housing and services, space for inactive seniors who cannot pay their way is at a premium in a particularly materialistic society of only 21 square miles where demand is vastly more than supply and rents to non-family members can bring in enough income to more than pay a monthly mortgage or provide much-needed income to a senior citizen. Another reason may be that unlike in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and much of Europe, where senior citizen mothers, mothers, brothers and sisters who live full-time with their children or siblings may be deemed to be dependants for personal income tax purposes of their children and can be claimed in certain circumstances as tax exemptions or tax allowances by their immediate children, no such benefits exist in Bermuda. Nor do any tax benefits exist in Bermuda for senior citizens who need to modify their homes to cater to the needs of ambulatory-disabled feeble or wheelchair-bound disabled.
Overall, as can be seen in the website and listing above and below, the cost of living in Bermuda for seniors is 380% higher than in the USA and 280% higher than in Canada and the UK. For many local seniors, fresh meats, fruits and vegetables are completely unaffordable.
Nominal in Bermuda, only $100 per resident. All local travelers returning from abroad - including senior citizens and the disabled - are at a huge disadvantage compared to their contemporaries in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, etc. For Bermuda Customs (Import Duty) purposes, residents - not visitors - can claim a $100 per person duty free allowance (it was a $200 per person allowance until April 1, 1996 and $400 per person a few years before that) each time they travel for over 3 days, or can lump all such allowances together if returning to Bermuda as a family. But residents should retain in their possession and produce if necessary the receipts for clothes, personal effects and goods they purchase abroad, in case their value declared by the resident is challenged by a Bermuda Customs officer. Duty is payable at about 27.5% of the value of purchase cost abroad of imported goods less the $100 per person duty free travel allowance. Some goods are duty free, such as books and computer business software (not games). The mere $100 per person duty free allowance for residents allowed by the Bermuda Government does not compare well with the present £145 (£290 from i January 2008) per person duty free allowance applicable in the United Kingdom for purchases outside the European Union (EU); the much more generous rate for travelers within the EU; $300 for Canadians returning to Canada from abroad; and $400 in the USA for US residents visiting Bermuda; or US$600 when US visitors return from most non-USA islands in the Caribbean more than 900 miles to the south; or US$ 800 for residents who have not used the exemption on the last 30 days; or US$1,200 for US visitors returning from American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico or US Virgin Islands. Also - unlike US citizens or registered aliens returning home to the USA after a vacation or business trip who qualify routinely for a further US Customs exemption of up to $100 per day of bone fide goods shipped from abroad, for their own personal use - Bermudians or residents do not get the same consideration from the Bermuda Government. Visitors are not entitled to the US$100 duty-free allowance of returning residents. Instead, they may bring in gifts up to the total value of $25 (compared to $100 or so in most other countries) after which they pay duty at prevailing rates.
Bermudian and Bermuda-resident retirees over the age of 65 and disabled/physically challenged persons who are younger, can sometimes obtain a discount on a purchase, on production of a Special Persons Permit. In contrast, visitors to Bermuda over 65 or disabled cannot qualify.
Unlike in UK, Canada and USA where this is not a requirement, seniors over 65 require a Certificate of Competency from their doctor to renew their licenses but do not pay for the medical form. Also, driver's license renewal costs are discounted for them.
No equivalent in Bermuda to the UK's regulations which from October 1, 2006 made it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees, trainees or job seekers because of their age. They ensure that all workers, regardless of age, have the same rights in terms of training and promotion.
No equivalent in Bermuda. In the USA, Canada, UK, etc. there are legislative or other measures at national, state, provincial or other levels to ensure high quality pain free care to seniors and others with terminal illnesses. In the USA, Last Acts - a national coalition of groups seeking end-of-life care - is grading states and international places. One feature of end-of-life care beyond Bermuda is the number of doctors certified in palliative care or pain management.
At this time, the Bermuda Financial Assistance Act is useless to the majority of seniors and the permanently disabled who own property or part of a property or have some form of income. If you own or co-own or are a part-owner of a car, any property, any insurance, any monetary asset, you are deemed ineligible. Other countries - like the USA, Canada and UK - are far more generous to their seniors.
None. Unlike in Canada, UK and Ireland where basic coverage comes with the taxes one pays, there is no National Heath Plan or equivalent in Bermuda. European visitors should not make the mistake of thinking that because Bermuda is British, reciprocal health services for travelers will apply, as they do between the United Kingdom and many other countries both within and outside the European Economic Community. Bermuda is not on the list of countries with reciprocal health care agreements either inside or outside the European Economic Area, as mentioned in the UK Department of Health's booklet "Health Advice for Travellers." It is recommended that before you get to Bermuda, you take out adequate health and major medical insurance coverage. Costs of medical services in Bermuda are very nearly as high now as they are in the USA. In a 2006 comparison of costs undertaken by the Bureau of International Economic Development, the costs of health insurance in Bermuda are now the most expensive in the world, slightly higher than in the USA and significantly higher than in Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.
There is a Hospital Insurance Plan (HIP). Social Insurance Department, Government Administration Building, 30 Parliament Street, Hamilton HM 12. Phone 295-5151 extension 1146, 1130 or 1137. A basic health insurance plan. If over the age of 65 and uninsured, individual seniors can enroll in this at premiums from $133.20 a month, from June 2003. It covers 80% of the cost of hospitalization in a public ward in Bermuda but the exclusions are scary - no coverage for doctors or operations. From June 2003, prescription medications were added up to $1,000 per senior per year - only if 65 years or older and enrolled in HIP. Not covered at all is having to go overseas to get treatment of a type not offered in Bermuda. Some Bermudians have spent over $100,000 for a 10-day stay at a hospital in Boston or Baltimore. The monthly premium is over 30% of the average local pensioners Social Security. Many in Bermuda who are not affluent depend solely on their social security and pay rent, have to decide whether to pay for HIP and prescriptions or do without food.
Seniors over 65 who are Bermudian and are owners/occupiers of property, get some or all Land Tax exempted, depending on their valuation.
Free to local seniors. A nice feature for local (resident and registered) seniors over 65 and disabled/physically challenged persons who are younger and physically able to board buses (not equipped for the disabled in a wheelchair). They can ride buses and ferries free of charge, on production of a Special Persons Permit. But visitors to Bermuda over 65 or disabled pay regular fares.
None. Some seniors have spent thousands of dollars out of their own funds for heart surgery in the USA because there is no coverage for this under HIP in Bermuda and if they had major medical benefits at all through their employers when they were employed, it stopped when they retired. In the meantime, local seniors are covered, without cost, for some non Major Medical needs, nowhere near equivalent to what non-affluent citizens in the USA receive as Medicare or Medicaid. Neither the limited free local medical benefits nor the HIP plan cover visits to the doctor or prescriptions. In comparison, in Canada, generous provisions apply to seniors for health services, with very little wait time. In the UK and Ireland, seniors who need hospital and medical services of a non-elective nature are also included in a National Health Service as part of the taxes they pay for emergency treatment but may have to endure a lengthy waiting list for elective treatment (unless they live in a rural area with an under-utilized hospital that can cater to their needs) and don't have supplementary private-sector hospital and medical insurance. In the USA, Congress enacted in 2002 legislation providing tax relief for buyers of long term care insurance and family caregivers. No such tax relief exists in Bermuda for insured or caregivers. No insurance company in Bermuda presently offers Long Term Health Care Insurance and despite the fact that it calls itself the leading insurance jurisdiction on the world, it will not allow exempted (international) but Bermuda-based international insurance to enter the local market. A double irony is that AIG - American International - is probably the leading Long Term Health Care Insurance provider world-wide and is believed to cover AIG/AI staff in Bermuda but is not allowed to cover anyone else.
No Bermuda equivalent to USA, UK, Canada and Europe services to help seniors combat the cost of humungous electricity bills including air conditioning in the humid months.
None.
No equivalent at all in Bermuda to the US program that is the second-largest item in most State budgets.
No equivalent at all in Bermuda to the US health insurance program for the aging and disabled, varying by age. Currently, it pays on average about 50% of all their health care expenses. In the USA, Medicaid pays for more than half of all nursing home care but not for vision, caring, dental, long term care or outpatient prescription drugs. But its Part B will cover up to 80% of the Medicare-approved amount, if family members bear the remaining 20%. In Bermuda, HIP covers even fewer costs, especially when seniors - whose major medical and possibly health insurance too in Bermuda stopped when they became 65 - have to go away for treatment or surgery of the type not available in Bermuda, such as for strokes and/or heat attacks. They can and do incur many thousands of dollars in expenses.
The Bermuda Government ministry with responsibility for health and welfare of seniors. Its mission is to promote and maintain the physical, mental and social well-being of the 64,300 permanent residents of Bermuda in its 21 square miles of land area.
Not Social Security (see separately), but private pension plans. The National Pension Scheme Act 1999 became effective on 1st January 2000. All employers, whether local or international or exempted must comply, for every employee whether Bermudian or a non-Bermudian spouse of a Bermudian of from 23 years of age who works a minimum of 720 hours per calendar year. Employers may, however, offer more generous eligibility provisions to employees by allowing them to become members of their pension plan at an earlier age and with fewer numbers of hours worked. While 65 for men and women is when those eligible in Bermuda will get Social Security, private pension plans can be more generous in lesser age and certainly more generous in pensions. Note that the Act specifies private pensions only for Bermudian and international or exempted company employers employing Bermudians or non-Bermudian spouses of Bermudians. There is no requirement to establish pension plans for guest workers, which may come as a shock to the latter. Non-Bermudian employees should ask local and international companies and or the Bermuda Government employing them what, if anything, they offer as private pension plans or equivalent, so they know where they stand and what they can expect to take with them when they leave Bermuda.
For those who qualify under the Act for pension eligibility, the pension scheme (plan) can be offered only by approved local insurance companies, not the "exempted" or "international" variety registered in Bermuda but not "corporate citizens" as they are often referred to, inaccurately.
The Act removed many of the anomalies and restrictions that since the 1970s for "approved private pension plans" had existed in some with 15 or more years service but had severely restricted or totally excluded others, for example all those with say 12 years service with the same employer by retirement age. The current Act creates some portability for plans of all employers and employees. But for some people close to retirement age when it came into effect, it was far too late to ensure that once they become senior citizens and retire from working, they will have an adequate income without hardship.
Minimum contribution rates are based on pensionable earnings per year. Approved insurers under the Act are:
No equivalent at all in Bermuda to the USA-based program the National Nursing Home Quality Initiative unveiled in November 2002 by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
On top of the sobering facts shown are these additional ones applicable to seniors. Some elderly Bermudians are selling their homes because they cannot afford to live in them and have no other options such as considering reverse mortgages in the USA. A reverse mortgage in the USA is a way to get money out of your home without having to leave it. It is a loan against the equity built up in the home that is repaid with interest when the owner dies or leaves or sells the property. In the USA, homeowners must be 62 or older and on the main residence only. There is no equivalent of a reverse mortgage in Bermuda.
There is a chronic shortage of affordable integrated-care premises for seniors who do not but can live independently without assistance and those who need assisted living arrangements. Costs start at $4,500 a month, up to about $8,500 a month. As they cannot afford these rates, many seniors live in very inadequate conditions. Most seniors prefer to be independent for as long as possible, but are often squeezed into bad conditions. The concept of an extended family having live-in matriarchs and patriarchs being honored in their declining years has virtually disappeared in this materialistic society. Seniors who lose spouses after decades of love and companionship are in great need of company. In Bermuda, a small 1-bedroom apartment in a private dwelling may easily cost $3,500 a month in rent, especially if not rent-controlled. In the USA, Canada and UK, bigger and better-equipped private apartments average $750 a month. In Bermuda, taxes on homes are normally 2-3 times the taxes on homes in the USA (but seniors in Bermuda who are Bermudian and own their own homes qualify for reduced taxes).
Social Insurance Department, Government Administration Building, 30 Parliament Street, Hamilton HM 12. Phone 295-5151 extension 1129 or 1131. In Bermuda, the maximum Social Security benefit obtainable is $980 a month for those who qualify, about 22% of all local pensioners.
The 2008 pension increase of 5% follows one of 4.5 percent from August 2007 saw the basic contributory pension rise from $826 to $863 per month, not for all but for those who maintained the maximum amount of employer/employee contributions since the plan began in 1972. It was the eighth rise in the PLP's 10 years in Government, compared with pension increases every two years during the 1990s. Those who retired before they achieved the maximum amount do not get this. Those who did not earn enough Social Insurance contributions to qualify for a minimum Social Insurance pension get no Social Insurance pension at all, merely a one-time refund of their contributions.
This compares badly to Social Security in the USA which averages $1,550 in USA for persons have not worked for 50 years and, for those with a more modern and sustained employment history can quite easily be US$1,844 a month, or $2,180 a month at age 67 or $2,697 a month if a pensioner is healthy enough to wait until age 70 before drawing benefits. See the USA's Social Security Administration. There is no standard rates file as pensions can vary appreciably. Over 60s men do not get a Social Security pension until they are 65, if they qualify. At Age Concern In the United Kingdom, some offices will supply immediately on request or within 24 hours by e-mail a 5-page "Benefit rates for the Over 60s" guide showing a variety of rates for which individuals will be eligible depending on if and how they qualify - including men over 60. But this is not available in Bermuda.
There is no standard "Benefit rates for the Over 60s" guide as there is in the United Kingdom, Canada and USA.
Refer to the Department of Social Insurance for current - and projected - weekly rates of required deductions from salary payable by both individuals and employers, under section 4 of the Contributory Pensions Act 1970, for:
Social Insurance Contributions will increase by 6.75 percent starting in August 2008.
When private corporate pensions are offered, they are in addition to the Government administered Contributory Pensions plan shown above.
In comparison to social security benefits for its citizens who have paid taxes all their working life and beyond, Bermuda Government pensions for its employees or Members of Parliament are for far shorter periods of time, offer much bigger pensions and get regular cost of living increases. Seniors over the age of 65 and employed no longer have to pay Social Insurance contributions but employers must do so. Many pensioners exist solely on their Social Security because they do not qualify at all for any corporate pension, or their corporate pension benefits ceased when a spouse died.
In Canada, each senior is paid an OAP/CCP by the Government. It offers overall what is probably the most humane and thoughtful system in the world. For those without any other source of income, Social Security monthly can be as high as Ca $2600. For those with a substantial income from a private or teacher's pension or other sources, the OAP/CCP can be as low as Ca $400. Canadians are so lucky with their Health plan; and in Ontario seniors get free prescription drugs for over 1500 prescribed things! Their GST tax and other taxes cover much of it. The plan gives peace of mind to Canadians.
In comparison to social security benefits for its citizens who have paid taxes all their working life and beyond, Bermuda Government pensions for its employees or Members of Parliament are for far shorter periods of time, offer much bigger pensions and get regular cost of living increases. Seniors over the age of 65 and employed no longer have to pay Social Insurance contributions but employers must do so. Many pensioners exist solely on their Social Security because they do not qualify at all for any corporate pension, or their corporate pension benefits ceased when a spouse died. The cost in Bermuda for a private Senior Citizens home for the elderly is more than 7 times the average social security pension and can easily be as high as $95,000 a year.
An ID card. Bermudian or Bermuda-resident women and men must be at least 65 years old to get one, except for registered disabled people under the age of 65. For local travel by bus and ferry, free for seniors and disabled on production. Not valid abroad.
Unlike in the UK, USA, Canada, etc. there are no retirement homes or hospitals specifically for World War veterans. Some Bermuda veterans have had to pay more than $100,000 out of their own money if they have it to overseas hospitals for operations, owing to a lack of affordable medical insurance and no social conscience in Bermuda from taxpayers' resources. If they don't have the funds, they don't get treated overseas.
| Activities Association of Bermuda (AAB) | Promoters of quality care for Bermuda's seniors. Has periodic workshops in Bermuda in partnership with the US National Association of Activity Professionals (NAAP). |
| Activities Center | KEMH Continuing Care Unit, 7 Point Finger Road, Paget DV 04. Phone 239-2020. Adult day care center for seniors. Transportation provided for participating residents living from Crawl Hill to Horseshoe Bay. |
| Admiralty House Community Center | 2 Admiralty Lane, Pembroke HM 01. Phone 295-9094. Fax 295-4695. For older adults. Registered charity 089. |
| Age Concern | Bermuda-registered charity # 137. Charities House, 25 Point Finger Road, Paget DV 04, Bermuda. P. O. Box HM 2397, Hamilton HM JX, Bermuda. Telephone (441) 238-7525. Fax (441) 238-7177. E-mail info@AgeConcern.bm. Website ageconcern.bm. Claudette Fleming, Executive Director. Open to the public 9 am-4 pm Monday-Friday. Not part of Age Concern in UK and not offering the services they do to UK-based seniors or the disabled. Most of the income from this entity is from the corporate private sector, Bermuda Government and some individuals. Income goes to operating expenses. It communicates its work and networking capabilities through conferences, forums, newsletters, supplements. It operates at the systems level, not necessarily the individual level. It is a 'connector' and 'watchdog' group not a direct service provider, an administrative body, considering long term needs for Bermuda. It is engaged in public speaking, advocacy and a lot of report writing to government and those who fund it. There is an annual membership fee to individuals. |
| Agape House (Bermuda Hospice) | 7 Point Finger Road, Paget DV 04. P. O. Box HM 1023. Telephone (441) 239-2025 |
| Amigos De Terciera Idade - Friends of Senior Citizens | Registered charity 577 |
| Bermuda Alzheimer's Family Support Association | P. O. Box DV 114, Devonshire DV BX. Meets second Tuesday of each month, Continuous Care Unit Activities room, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, 5:30 pm. Call Julie Kay Darrell at 238-2168. |
| Bermuda Amputee Support Group | 80-100 known amputees, from 17-90 years old. Most are from diabetes. A few have bone tumors. They are in the Limb and Brace Unit of KEMH Physiotherapy. Established in 2002 by KEMH physiotherapist Carol Sawyer and social worker Paul Chan. |
| Bermuda Bereavement Association of Care Givers | P. O. Box DD 174, St. David's DD BX. Phone 297-0030 |
| Bermuda Council on Aging (BCA) | Formed
in late 2006 in response to a growing awareness
that Bermuda's population is growing older, with
a mission to foster
dialogue and collaborative action regarding |
| Bermuda Gerontological Society | A senior citizens group. Meets second Tuesday of each month at Peace Lutheran Church Hall, 5:30 pm. |
| Bermuda Hearing Services | Mechanics Building, 12 Church Street, Hamilton HM 11. P.O. Box DV 300, Devonshire DV BX. Phone (441) 292-4331 Fax: (441) 292-4332. |
| Bermuda Red Cross | 8 Berry Hill Road, Paget. P. O. Box HM 772,
Hamilton HM CX, Bermuda. Administrative Office telephone 236-8253 or fax 236 8267.
Administrator is Ann Spencer-Arscott
at 236 6768. It has monthly meetings. Blood Donor Center, hospital (441) 236 5067 (fax 236
2272). A volunteer
organization, made up of public spirited individuals, many of them retired from regular
jobs. Community
minded members help thousands of patients visit the hospital for diabetes, stroke or heart
treatment by driving them free in their own private cars. Members pick up diabetes or kidney treatment or heart or stroke
survivors by pre-arrangement.
Services to seniors and the disabled include hospital equipment rental, to help customers recuperate in their own homes. Phone 236-2345 extension 1486; transport services; free via volunteers, phone 292-1276 to be placed on the list; and Golden Hour Club, for seniors' meetings twice a month with outings, guest speakers and more; phone 236-8253. |
| Bermuda War Veterans Association | Registered charity 140. All surviving members are senior citizens |
| Communication for the Hearing Impaired | Telephone 292-7703. |
| Community Nursing Service | Bermuda Health Department. P. O. Box HM 1195, Hamilton HM EX. |
| Cornerstone | Phone 234-4022. 4 Oriel Lane, Scott's Hill Road, Sandys MA 04. Adult day care center for seniors and independent residential care. |
| Department of Health & Social Services | A Bermuda Government agency, in the Ministry of Health and Family Services. 7 Point Finger Road, Paget DV 04. Telephone (441) 236-0224 or fax (441) 236-3971 |
| Devonshire Rest Home | 3 Long Range Hill, Devonshire DV 05. Phone 292-1378. Fax 296-1182. Independent residential care. |
| Elder Home Care Services | P. O. Box HM 3060, Hamilton HM NX. Phone 292-1100 or 292-1103. Fax 292-2684. Health and social homecare services for recovering, disabled, senior citizen and chronically ill. Fee for services. |
| Friends of Lefroy House Association | Lefroy House, P. O. Box MA 118, Mangrove Bay, MA BX. Phone 234-0525 or 234-2152. Lefroy House near Dockyard is a home for seniors. The association promotes the involvement of relatives and friends, to raise funds to improve the quality of life and rehabilitation process of residents. Registered charity 393. |
| Golden Hour Club | For seniors, at Bermuda Red Cross, meetings twice a month, phone 236-8253. |
| Happy Seniors Club | A senior citizens group. Meets Tuesday, 11:30 to 3 pm, Hamilton Adventist Center. Call 292-0654 or 292-2160. |
| Herb Garden Seniors Residence | 35 St. Anne's Road, Southampton SN 01. P. O. Box SN 192, SN BX. Phone 238-5430. Adult day care center for seniors. |
| Island-wide Social Committee | A seniors group |
| King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) | An associate member of the American Hospital
Association. It is accredited every three
years by the Canadian Council on Health Services
Accreditation at FLR 4-1730, St. Laurent
Boulevard, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1G 5LI, telephone (613) 738 3800.
For seniors, in the Continuing Care Unit, phone 236-2345 x 1377 or 1708, there is
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| Lady Cubitt Compassionate Association (LCCA) | International Center, Suite 211, Bermudiana Road, Hamilton. Mailing address is P. O. Box HM 64, Hamilton HM AX. Phone 292-1132 or fax 295- 7147. It relieves poverty, suffering and distress, gives help and advice and lends - on a repayment program - funds for senior citizens and others to go overseas for medical and surgical treatment when local employment via employers or family has ceased or is inadequate. Registered charity 087. |
| Lefroy House | See "Friends of Lefroy House." Ireland Island, Sandys. Phone 234-0525. Fax 234-2152. Adult day care center for seniors. Registered charity 393. Built by the Royal Navy in its Dockyard days as a shore-based hospital. |
| Lorraine Rest Home | 4 Lorraine Drive, Warwick WK 05. Phone 236-5152. Adult day care center and residential home for seniors. |
| Matilda Smith Williams Home | 3 Kent Avenue, Devonshire DV 07. Phone 236-8264 or 236-2958. Fax 236-3552. Adult day care center for seniors and retirement home. It assists individuals and families who are unable to cope with their older members. It provides accommodation and care for seniors without regard to race, creed or economic standing. Registered charity 145. |
| Meals on Wheels | 103 South Road, Paget, PG 03. P. O. Box PG 312, Paget PG BX. Phone 236-1815. Fax 232-2070. It supplies nourishing lunchtime cooked meals 4 days a week for persons who for reasons of health cannot prepare meals for themselves, whether on release from hospital or on a longer term. Also, transportation can be arranged to attend luncheon seniors or disabled luncheon clubs. Registered charity 109. |
| Medical House Ltd. | 22 Mill Reach Lane, Pembroke HM 05, Bermuda. Telephone 292-3622 or fax 292- 3624 or e-mail medhouse@ibl.bm. Rents wheelchairs and other medical equipment. |
| Mon Reve | 14 Sound View Road, Somerset MA 05. Phone 234-2242. Adult day care center for seniors. |
| Monte Cristo Gardens | Phone 234-4125. Day care and activities for seniors |
| National Office for Seniors and Physically Challenged. | 
Stonehall, 60 Victoria Street, Hamilton, next to St. Paul AME Church.
Or by Airmail at P. O. Box HM 1195, Hamilton HM EX, Bermuda. The office is
open 8:45 am to 5 pm Monday-Friday except public
holidays. The official opening by the then- Premier
and then-Minister of Health and Family Services was on June 6, 2002. Corita
Saunders, RN, BSN, MA, at e-mail chsaunders@gov.bm,
is the Coordinator of Seniors,
extension 224. The physically challenged office is at phone 292-7802. Fax
292-9135 (Seniors) or 292-7681 (Disabled). Ann Lindroth, BA, CTRS, is the Coordinator for Physically
Challenged Persons, extension 225. E-mail alindroth@gov.bm.
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| Packwood Home | 132 Somerset Road, Sandys MA 06. P. O. Box MA 75, Somerset MA BX. Phone 234-1459. Fax 234-2772. Adult day care center and home for seniors. Registered charity 010. |
| Pembroke Senior Day Center | P. O. Box HM 476, Hamilton HM CX. |
| Project Action | Registered Charity 561. In Bermuda, free bus service for seniors in private and government-run homes. The organization worked to get Special Persons Cards for qualified (disabled or senior citizens) Bermudians and residents, for free travel by bus and ferry in Bermuda. Also has a specially-equipped (for wheelchair and ambulatory disabled) bus, as a service to seniors and disabled - residents only, not visitors. P. O. Box FL 136, Flatts, FL BX, or e-mail projectaction@ibl.bm. |
| The Residents' Family Council | Support for seniors who are residents of the Continuing Care Unit (CCU) at the King Edward VII Hospital and their families. |
| Sandys Rest Home |
There was a 2008 $1.2 million renovation of this facility, with an official opening in fall 2008, to provide accommodation to ageing, mentally challenged adults. The home houses six to eight residents cared for by Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MAWI) staff. The facility will also provide 'respite' care, which is short-time, temporary care of individuals in order to give caregivers a 'holiday' from providing continuous care at home. The project is funded by Project 100, a charity which raises cash to help the mentally challenged. It will feature hydraulic lifts and special tubs while residents will enjoy sea views on two sides. Preference for the permanent spots is given to Sandys residents over 55. |
| St. George's Joy Club | For senior citizens. First and third Wednesdays of each month. Meets at St. George's Community Centre, Old Military Road, near bus terminal, 1-3:30 pm. Call 297-1765 or 297-0913. |
| Seniors Active Club | A senior citizens group. Homestead Lane, Southampton SB 04. |
| Senior Islanders Club | A senior citizens group. Meets Tuesdays. Craft classes and afternoon social at 1:30 pm. Bingo at 9 pm. Admiralty House, Spanish Point, Pembroke, call 295-9094 |
| Senior Learners Club | A senior citizens group. P. O. Box PG 297, Paget PG BX |
| Standing Medical Board | Pension and Gratuities (War Service) Act 1947. All surviving beneficiaries of such pensions are senior citizens. |
| Sylvia Richardson Care Facility | Built at a public cost of $20 million to replace the St. George's Parish Rest Home. It has a library, beauty salon and chapel and underlines the Government's commitment to take residential care to a better level. The government regards it as the future model for residential care, nursing homes and other care facilities. The facility was named after Sylvia Richardson, a nurse who made a significant contribution to the St. George community and to the people of Bermuda. Premier Ewart Brown and former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith, local MP, were among the guests as the new home was unveiled. It was built after the Ministry of Health commissioned a report over long-term care facility needs in Bermuda. This involved consultation with the community. |
| Westmeath Residential Nursing & Retirement Home for seniors | 28 Pitt's Bay
Road, Pembroke HM 06. Phone 295-2451, fax 295-9881. Westmeath@northrock.bm.
The nicest by far, largest and most expensive private facility in
Bermuda. The nursing
wing gives quality nursing care to dependant seniors. Registered charity
206.
2008 monthly rates are from:
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Last Updated: May
10, 2008
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