Vignettes - Mrs Gloria and her family, current experience

Mrs Gloria is a 65-year-old retired teacher living within the rural area of St Thomas, Jamaica and seen as a role model in her community. She is currently the primary caregiver of her 15-year-old granddaughter, whose mother has been working in the United States of America for the last 10 years. In the last two years, Mrs Gloria’s 15-year-old granddaughter realises that she has gotten increasingly forgetful and has neglected duties such as cooking, cleaning, collecting her pension cheque from the post office and remittances from the Western Union sent from her daughter. At 15, Mrs Gloria’s granddaughter has now taken over these duties due to her grandmother’s challenges. The community members, who all know Mrs Gloria, have noticed the change in her behaviour and have seen her wandering at nights. Mrs Gloria also notices her decline in memory, but insists it is just “old age.”