The elderly in Barbados: problems and policies

Empirical data on conditions affecting elderly people in the Caribbean are very limited. To help deal with this lack of information in the specific case of Barbados, in 1982 a survey was conducted of 525 randomly selected people 65 years of age or older. This article summarizes data derived from that survey in order to provide an overview of the social and economic circumstances affecting Barbados' elderly population. While it is true that these circumstances do not necessarily mirror those found elsewhere, they clearly have elements in common; and it seems likely that the survey approach applied in this instance could prove useful elsewhere in obtaining worthwhile information.