Earlier this month, Saban residents witnessed the demolition of the 46-year-old building that housed the Honorable Henry Carlyle Every Home for the Aged since the 1980’s. Since 2024 the island has been abuzz with activity as an influx of manpower, heavy equipment, and construction materials arrived for the construction of a new facility designed to better meet the needs of Saba’s elderly population.
As Saba’s community continues to age, it has become increasingly evident that the living quarters at the old facility had become too small to adequately accommodate its residents. With the former building now a memory, there is growing anticipation for the completion of a modern facility designed to better meet the needs of Saba’s elderly population.
Assisted Living
Caribisch Netwerk had the opportunity to tour the new Assisted Living Apartments, where current residents of the aged home are being accommodated while construction of the new Honorable Henry Carlyle Every Home for the Aged is underway. The Assisted Living Apartments impressively offer fully furnished living quarters, with access to a communal balcony overlooking Saba’s capital village, The Bottom. Sophie Coffie, Care Coordinator at Saba Cares shared that the wellbeing of the residents remains priority, which means every aspect of their needs has been carefully considered, including their safety and independence. For example, each apartment entrance door has its own distinct color to help the residents easier recognize their apartment.
Saba can now boast its first ever elevator, adding greater accessibility and convenience to the new facility. The elevator provides residents with easier access between floors, particularly benefiting those with limited mobility. One resident, Janice Johnson, happily shared her impressions of the new living quarters with Caribisch Netwerk. “Oh yes, I am more than happy! We feel like we are in a different world. It’s so luxurious,” Johnson said.
The Home for the Aged opened in The Bottom in 1979 as the Peter Eleanor Hassell Home before later being renamed in honor of Henry Carlyle Every, who was a Saban lawyer who served as Administrator of Saba and had a career in the government and legal service of the Netherlands Antilles. Since its establishment, the home has undergone several organizational changes, including being managed by the Benevolent Foundation Saba and subsequently merging with Saba Health Care Foundation into the island’s integrated healthcare foundation, Saba Cares, in 2021. The home was built during the time period in the 1970’s when Saba was securing funding for projects directly from the Netherlands. The home was therefore part of a broader expansion of public infrastructure on the island.
Coffie explained that construction of the new facility comes at a time when there is growing demand for assisted living services. She noted that there are already people on a waiting list, highlighting the need for housing and support for individuals who do not require the continuous care provided in the nursing home, but who may still need occasional assistance with their daily needs.
Saba Cares Board of Directors member Ernst van Drumpt, who recently arrived on the island, told Caribisch Netwerk that the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport, VWS) promotes independent living and encourages elderly people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, rather than being institutionalized. Coffie also pointed to the high cost of in home care as another factor contributing to the growing demand for places in the assisted living apartments.
Sophie Coffie and Ernst van Drumpt. Photos: Hazel Durand
The new Honorable Henry Carlyle Every Home for the Aged
A new feature of the home will be the separation of residents based on their individual care needs and disabilities. Coffie said there is particular concern about the growing number of residents living with dementia. “Our main focus is to give our dementia clients the freedom to be themselves in a safe environment, because right now, we don’t have that.”
Coffie said that, through a recently launched awareness campaign and support groups, Saba Cares hopes to encourage families with experience caring for loved ones with dementia to share their stories and experiences, helping to make the topic less taboo. She emphasized the importance of raising awareness within the community about the signs and symptoms of dementia so that family members can receive appropriate care and treatment as early as possible.
Van Drumpt noted that advances in research and technology are improving the understanding of Alzheimer disease and other causes of dementia, which is creating opportunities for earlier detection. He emphasized that prevention and healthy lifestyle choices play an important role. “So, we have to do a lot within the community, through the Department of Health, to educate people about healthy lifestyle choices.”
