Bermuda?s ageing population has just acquired a well-funded and well-staffed lobbying group.

Sixteen newly appointed members of the Bermuda Council on Ageing aren?t lobbyists in the traditional sense, but are charged with coercing Government to implement strategies they believe are necessary to protect one the island?s fastest growing demographics.

The Department of Statistics estimates the over-65 population will reach 22 percent by 2030 ? double the amount of the 2000 Census.

So one of the most crucial roles for the Council is preparing the country for an onslaught of elderly care giving ? at home and in assisted living facilities.

It?s the kind of plan Minister of Health Nelson Bascome says is desperately needed to handle an increasingly needy population.

He said: ?Looking at when someone retires, are they going to live at home or are they going to be seeking care in a facility. That for us would be a great statistic to have.?

With that kind of information, it will be up to the Health Ministry to ensure the country has the beds, facilities, and familial support it needs in the years to come.

Marian Sherratt will lead the Council. She agreed that tackling elderly care giving is among her most critical missions, not only for those over-65, but for their children as well ? people now in their 30?s and 40?s.

?They?re the next generation of caregiver,? said Mrs. Sherratt. ?They?re the generation that will be carrying the dependency ratio. And as I speak to 30 and 40 year olds, they understand that.?

Most of the field research the Council needs was already completed by a Fordham University group and published last year.

Now with a two-year six-figure grant from Atlantic Philanthropies Limited, the council believes it has the resources it needs to make some actionable recommendations to the Ministry of Health.

Professionals from the health care, insurance, and non-profit industries are represented on the Council.

Mr. Bascome and the Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson are also members of the panel.

Ms. Jackson reminded the Council of her dedication to the effort by telling reporters she?s ?the only true senior here?.