SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Honorable Member of Parliament (MP) Veronica Webster is raising serious concern about the growing financial and emotional burden being placed on families who are caring for their elderly parents and loved ones.
According to the MP, her office has been receiving an increasing number of phone calls from distressed residents who are struggling to cope with the high cost of basic elderly care on the island.
“Children are calling me in tears,” MP Webster said. “Some are paying over $2,000 per month just to ensure their parents receive basic care, while others are being forced to leave their jobs or reduce their working hours because they cannot afford consistent, reliable assistance.”
The issue, she explained, is not only the high cost but also the lack of proper regulation and standards within the private caregiving sector. Families report paying caregivers as much as $20 per hour, sometimes for services that amount to little more than supervision.
“In some cases, caregivers are simply sitting with the elderly person, yet the financial strain on families is enormous,” Webster noted.
This growing crisis comes at a time when many households are already struggling with the high cost of living. For working adults who are also parents themselves, the responsibility of caring for aging parents has become overwhelming.
“People are being stretched beyond their limits,” MP Webster said. “They are trying to be good children, good parents, and responsible employees—all at once.”
MP Webster also referenced a recently published opinion piece in The Daily Herald that resonated deeply with many readers across Sint Maarten. The article highlighted the emotional toll of watching a parent decline while facing resistance to outside help, limited space at home, and siblings who may be supportive in words but absent in action.
The story reflects a reality that many families recognize all too well: adult children quietly becoming caregivers, decision-makers, and protectors of parents who once cared for them.
“What struck me most about that article,” Webster said, “is how it captures the loneliness and fear many caregivers feel. They are often the only ones seeing the daily decline, the unpaid bills, the forgotten stove, the growing risks—and yet they are left to carry the responsibility alone.”
According to the MP, this is not just a family issue—it is a national social issue that requires attention, policy discussion, and action. Sint Maarten’s population is aging, and without affordable, accessible, and dignified elder care options, more families will continue to face financial hardship and emotional burnout.
“Our elders built this country,” Webster emphasized. “They worked, they sacrificed, and they contributed to the foundation of Sint Maarten as we know it today. We cannot allow them—or their children—to suffer in silence.”
MP Webster is calling for a broader national conversation on:
Regulating caregiving services, including training standards and fair pricing
Exploring subsidies or support programs for families caring for elderly relatives
Strengthening public and community-based elder care options
Supporting working caregivers so they do not have to choose between their job and their parents’ safety
She also urged families not to feel ashamed or guilty for seeking help. “Needing support does not mean you love your parent any less,” she said. “It means you care enough to want them safe, dignified, and well.”
As more families face these difficult realities, MP Veronica Webster reaffirmed her commitment to bringing this issue to Parliament and advocating for solutions that reflect compassion, fairness, and respect for both the elderly and those who care for them.
“This is about dignity,” she concluded. “For our parents, and for the children who are doing their very best to honor them.
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