GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams says the position of unpaid and informal caregivers in St. Maarten is an issue Parliament is aware of and intends to examine, including how the status of people who provide unpaid care to relatives and loved ones could be more formally recognized.
Wescot-Williams raised the matter in Parliament on Wednesday while referring specifically to the public discussion initiated by community advocate Nzinga Lake on the experiences of caregivers in St. Maarten.
She said Lake and others who have joined the discussion should know that unpaid care work has already been identified as an issue requiring greater attention, not only by the Parliament of St. Maarten but by other parliaments in the region.
Wescot-Williams distinguished between professional caregivers who are employed and compensated for their work and the many people who provide care informally without being paid.
She pointed to situations in which children care for aging parents and other family members assume responsibility for relatives who require ongoing assistance.
According to the MP, research and discussions on the issue have demonstrated that a significant amount of caregiving takes place within the informal sector, often through relatives taking responsibility for one another without having a formally recognized caregiving status.
Wescot-Williams said Parliament is cognizant of the issue and that looking at the status of informal caregivers forms part of its agenda going forward.
She indicated that St. Maarten should examine developments elsewhere and determine how the country could move toward formalizing the position of unpaid caregivers.
Her comments followed Lake's recent launch of“Who Checks on Us?”, a community initiative encouraging greater attention to the people who provide daily care for aging, ill or dependent loved ones.
Lake's initiative grew out of her own experience caring for her aging parents alongside her siblings. She has called attention to caregivers who frequently balance caregiving with employment, family responsibilities, financial obligations and challenges of their own.
Lake has emphasized that caregiving extends far beyond adult children caring for parents. Informal caregivers can include grandchildren caring for grandparents, spouses caring for one another, siblings, nieces, nephews, friends and even neighbors who step in when someone needs assistance.
She has also urged families to avoid allowing the responsibility to fall consistently on one person, encouraging relatives to share appointments, errands, meals and other responsibilities where possible.
Wescot-Williams' remarks bring a parliamentary dimension to the discussion, moving beyond the need for greater community awareness to the question of how St. Maarten recognizes people who perform substantial caregiving responsibilities without formal employment or compensation.
The MP did not announce a specific legislative proposal, financial benefit or timetable for changes. She indicated, however, that the status of unpaid and informal caregivers is an issue Parliament intends to examine as it considers how such caregiving can be better formalized in St. Maarten.
Read Nzing Lake's piece here:https://www.thepeoplestribunesxm.com/articles/who-checks-on-us-nzinga-lake-calls-for-community-culture-of-checking-in-on-caregivers
