January 3rd, 2008: New Year's Speech H.E. the Governor of the Netherlands Antilles

Distinguished guests,

We have celebrated the addition of yet another year.  The fireworks have subsided, the delicious meals have been digested, and we have toasted each other with champagne. Family and friends have gone home again and maybe we also added a bit of weight… but surely we added another year to our life. We are older… we have aged.

Ageing is just a fact of life! Our children have aged; they are more independent now than they were last year. Our parents have aged, and maybe they need more support than last year.  They may need more of our time, our care and our love.  Most of us believe that it is good to honour our father and mother.   The quality of a culture can be measured by the degree the older members of that society are treated.  Some people even believe that a nation will prosper if the elders are well taken care of. Both the care for the elderly and the prosperity of our nation are close to my heart!

I am proud that we respect our parents.  I am thrilled when I see the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of our elderly provided for.  There may however come a time that we are no longer able to meet all of their needs personally.  We may need the help of others.  What kind of person would you want to care for yoúr mother? 

Or picture yourself thirty years from now, New Years Eve 2038. You have aged… you can’t look after yourself anymore.  Your children are no longer capable of caring for you full time.  You decide you need professional care, maybe in a residential care facility. What kind of person do you think can do the job?

The professionals that would qualify for this important position would have to be kind, loving, patient, efficient and competent.  We would want empathy, dignity and respect to guide their interactions.  Their focus has to be our emotional wellbeing and physical comfort.  Of course they should be trustworthy and discrete.  They need to be strong and fit, because they may have to carry and lift us.  But is that all? We want more…

They also need to be willing to help us in our daily activities. They need to be considerate of our sometimes quirky habits. One person wants his pillow a particular way and another person does not like blankets.  We want our caregivers to respect our clothing and personal belongings.  We desire them to be orderly but flexible, cautious yet quick. They have to be neat and decent both in hygiene as in language. They need to deal with food properly. Often they will work at night and in weekends.  And we want them to involve our family appropriately.  Besides that, we don’t want to be treated as children. They must safeguard our autonomy and independence. What a list! Are we too demanding?  Who could possibly do this? 

It is clear that these care-givers are really special people. It seems almost impossible to find people who have these qualities.  But they do exist… They are standing among us! Tonight I have invited these caring professionals, to honour them, and to thank them, for improving the quality of life in the Netherlands Antilles. Let us take tonight’s opportunity to meet them and to speak with them.

I would like to raise a glass in particular to all those who care for the elderly  in our community . Happy New Year!