Abstract
Jamaica’s ageing population, high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and associated functional impairments suggest the need for a sustainable long-term care (LTC) system. This paper describes the current LTC system in Jamaica. A review of empirical and grey literature on LTC was supplemented with consultations and interviews and group discussions for knowledge exchange, impact and engagement events with stakeholders being conducted as part of a project on dementia care improvement. Four key findings emerged: (1) Jamaica’s LTC system depends substantially on informal care (both unpaid and paid); (2) there is a need for strategic coordination for LTC across the state, cross-ministerial, private, and volunteer sectors; (3) compulsory insurance and social protection schemes appear to exacerbate rather than narrow socioeconomic inequalities in LTC; and (4) there is a lack of systematic LTC data gathering and related information systems in both the private and public sector—for both institutional and community-based care. For LTC in Jamaica and the broader Caribbean region to be sustainable, more evidence-informed policies and practices that address inequalities in access to services, ability to pay for care, direct support from government, and the risk of needing LTC are needed.
Highlights
Jamaica is the largest English-speaking and third-largest island in the Caribbean, with an estimated total population of 2.96 million, and a rapidly ageing population, with the highest growth rate being among those 80 years and older [1,2,3]
In the context of Jamaica’s ageing population, high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related care dependence, and a significant segment of the population living with disabilities, this paper provides an overview of the long-term care (LTC) system in Jamaica
Articles were located based on hand searches of reference lists or from recommendations made by colleagues working within the area of caregiving, LTC, elder care, and/or older persons
Summary
Jamaica is the largest English-speaking and third-largest island in the Caribbean, with an estimated total population of 2.96 million, and a rapidly ageing population, with the highest growth rate being among those 80 years and older [1,2,3]. The shift in Jamaica’s demographics and the projected continued increase of the older population, consistent with the wider Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region [4], signals the importance of robust and sustainable long-term care (LTC) services and systems. These are services and systems that meet the medical and non-medical needs of ageing persons who are not able to care for themselves for short (as in the case of those approaching death) or longer periods of time (as in the case of chronic illnesses or disability). In Jamaica and the wider LAC region, while life expectancy has increased, improvements in living standards and nutrition have not, contributing to the burden of NCDs [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
