Column: OBA’s Neblett On Seniors, Govt & More

[Opinion column written by the OBA's Carl Neblett]

Life in Bermuda has become increasingly expensive for everyone, but for our elderly population, it is almost agonizing. For many seniors, the combination of inadequate pensions, insufficient healthcare, high costs of living, and widespread neglect forms a perfect storm of suffering that should deeply trouble us all.

The island’s aging population, especially those without substantial savings or property, face financial challenges that few can manage. Those who rely solely on pensions are left grasping for what little they can afford, often forced to make impossible choices between paying rent, purchasing medication, and keeping the lights on. The average pension is far from enough to cover the essentials—particularly given the astronomical costs in Bermuda, where basic goods and services are priced significantly higher than in many other parts of the world.

Imagine having worked your entire life, only to be unable to afford the prescription medications you need to stay healthy, or worse, to stay alive. The high cost of healthcare—exacerbated by poor services for the elderly—means that many seniors are left without access to necessary treatment.

Furthermore, the lack of social programmes for the elderly only adds to their isolation and despair. Government assistance, where available, is sparse and poorly structured. Bermuda’s seniors deserve better. Without support, the elderly living in their own homes—homes they spent decades paying for—often live in abject loneliness. Rest homes in Bermuda are too few. The limited facilities available are often understaffed and underfunded, making it impossible to provide the level of care our seniors deserve. We often hear tragic stories of families who, unable or unwilling to care for their aging parents, leave them in these facilities.

The lack of government support is glaring. There is no system in place to ensure that seniors are regularly checked on, and there are too few programmes that provide meaningful, consistent care. The burden of navigating the bureaucracy falls entirely on the elderly themselves, many of whom are in poor health or without transportation. Simple tasks like renewing a driver’s license or obtaining essential documents require trips into the city, which are a logistical nightmare for those who still drive but lack access to convenient public services. Establishing satellite offices in each parish could help alleviate some of these struggles.

Our seniors are slipping through the cracks of a system that seems to care little for those who no longer contribute to the workforce. Without serious reforms to pensions, healthcare, housing, and social services, we are condemning our elderly to live out their final years in poverty, neglect, and isolation. A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members, and Bermuda is falling short.

It is time for Bermuda to take meaningful action to address the growing crisis among its elderly population. This means increasing pension support so that no senior must choose between food and medication. It means funding more and better rest homes, with higher standards of care. It means launching robust social programs that ensure no elderly individual is left isolated or neglected. And it means making government services more accessible to those who need them most.

Our seniors have given so much to this island—it’s time we gave something back.

Carl Neblett is the One Bermuda Alliance candidate for constituency 36, Sandys North.

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