World's oldest person has Filipino caregivers

LOS ANGELES—Gertrude Baines, the world’s oldest known living person celebrated her 115th birthday last April 6, at a nursing home here amid an equal amount of media attention and party offerings of music, balloons, cakes and a presidential greeting from Barack Obama. At the background of the celebration—and a Guinness World Records acknowledgment as the world’s oldest human being—is a group of Filipino health caregivers, nurses and doctors who help Baines and other elderly residents at Western Convalescent Hospital live a longer, happy life. “We’ve seen her health decline a little, but she’s a very strong woman," hospital administrator Emma Camanay, one of top-level Filipino management administrators at the nursing home, told reporters. According to nurse Dina Servando, 70 percent of Western Convalescent’s employees are Filipinos. “We take pride in being part of this memorable moment," Servando told Philippine News. “Gertrude is very cooperative, very religious at masayahin—virtues that we Filipinos are very familiar with. We have all these here at Convalescent." Adds another Filipino nurse, Rosemarie Jeanpierre, “She is very inspired. She likes to be always with other residents. She’s very well-motivated." Jeanpierre, an accomplished marathon runner, added that she finds inspiration in Baines’ spirit. “She inspires me to take care of my body and maintain high spirit and closeness to God," Jeanpierre, who lost 60 pounds in six months with the right diet, physical exercise and faith in God, has recently been featured in LA Times and Runners World. Born in 1894 in Shellman, Georgia, Baines, an African-American, became the world’s oldest living person when a 115-year-old woman, Maria de Jesus, died in Portugal last January 2. Aside from her arthritis and inability to walk, Baines is very healthy and has never had a seriously sick day in her life. She is the third daughter of Jordan (1863–October 23, 1921) and Amelia “Amy" (Daniel) Baines, who were married in Terrell County Georgia, on January 1, 1887. Baines, a daughter of a man born into slavery and granddaughter of Peter and Avey (or Avie) Ann Bains, former slaves, cast a vote for Obama in the 2008 US presidential election. The only other time she voted was for John F. Kennedy in 1960. - Philippine News