At 25 years old, Trudy Rowe can be the darling of a growing section of Barbados’ 280 000, those over the age of 65 years.
A product of St Philip, where if she had her wish, the community of Gemswick would still be called Penny Hole, the young woman has not only set her sights on working as a professional social worker and researcher studying the geriatric population, but wants Barbadians to consider the elderly as “gems” of their country.
That assessment collides with conventional wisdom which holds that our young children are “our most precious resource”, to be nurtured, polished and protected.
Armed with a master’s degree awarded late last month by New York University’s School of Social Work, Rowe, the daughter of Kenneth and Daphne Rowe, dreams of helping to boost services to the seniors “in our midst” and to encourage people to see them as vital members of society and certainly not people who must be pushed aside by Generation X.
“We have to look at them through an expanded lens,” she said, happy that her two years of hard work, hitting the books, doing internships and research, trudging through the snow on some of the coldest days she ever experienced and braving steaming hot summer days are over, at least for now. “We have to capitalize on the experience and wisdom of the elderly. We have to utilize what they offer, a chance to bridge the past, present and future. They are a reservoir of richness into which young people can tap.”
Demographic data suggest she is onto a good thing. According to the United Nations, Barbados’ ageing population, defined as those 60 years and over, should amount to 93 000 by the year 2050, up from 35 000 a decade ago. By then, they would account for 35 per cent of the population. The recent death of James Sisnett, at 113, and the regular additions to Barbados’ list of centenarians are an indication of the ever-increasing life spans of Bajans and what Rowe and others who work with geriatrics can look forward to.
“We must be prepared to deal with the myths and the realities of ageing and the first step is boosting awareness of the population and of people’s needs and their worth to society,” she said. “I want to be a part of that movement to assist in providing the care people need.”
Two years ago, Rowe, a graduate of The St Michael School and the Barbados Community College, was selected to be the valedictorian of the graduating class of York College of the City University of New York. She was chosen to deliver an address to the thousands of students, faculty and others who attended the crowded commencement exercises in Queens.
“Trudy was certainly one of our brightest students and one of our most eloquent,” said Professor Ivelaw Griffith, the college’s provost and senior vice-president for academic affairs. “She has simply continued from where she left off at York and has done exceedingly well at NYU, earning her master’s. She is a remarkable young lady. I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes on to do her doctorate. That’s a logical step.”
Griffith was right on the money, if you will.
“I want to pursue a PhD around gerontology, especially palliative care,” she explained. “Hopefully, at the end of it I would have a body of work that would be helpful.”
AT NYU Rowe studied the provision of palliative care which involved pain management, treatment and cure – from diagnosis to death. Because of her work, she was made a Zelda Foster Fellow in palliative, end-of-life care and that would allow her to keep track of the latest developments in that emerging field of study.
“I must admit to having a passion for working with the elderly. It allows you to come to grips with some key core values – inter-personal relationships, hospitality and to recognize the resilience of the human spirit,” she said.
Interestingly, her trek towards a bachelor’s degree and a Master’s in social work began with a suggestion from a cousin, who told her on her graduation from the Community College that gerontology – the study of old age, especially conditions affecting the health and well-being of the aged – should become her prime focus. The rest, as they say, is history.
Perhaps, too, it was the hand of her grandmother who died at 92 in Barbados and who played a key role in her upbringing that accelerated her journey to higher education and to the study of ageing.
