One of the exhibits -??"The Larder" as displayed at the "Back-In-Time" Open Day, hosted Wednesday, September 23,??at the Geriatric Hospital on Beckles Road in celebration of their 125th??Anniversary.

There are plans afoot to revive the Genlink Programme, which was started some four years ago between the Geriatric Hospital and the Garrison Secondary School, to educate the youth on the realities of ageing.

This was revealed recently by the Hospital’s acting Manager, Joanell Oxley-Worrell, following a tour of exhibits on display at the institution’s Open Day.

She said the Genlink Programme provided an opportunity for the young to learn from the experiences of the older generation, noting that "the elderly in turn would

get a view of how life has changed. It is about bridging the gap between the two so that they can appreciate each others’ experiences."

Explaining that there was a need to involve more schools in Genlink, especially those in the hospital’s immediate environs, the Acting Manager said: "We would like to extend it to the Seventh Day Adventist School, St. Paul’s Primary, Harrison College and The St. Michael School. We need to have the children coming to visit the elderly and having an appreciation for the work of the institution."

The Open Day was in celebration of the Geriatric Hospital’s 125th Anniversary and part of a week of activities. It showcased the talents and skills of patients and staff, while taking visitors "Back-In-Time" with artefacts reminiscent of Barbadian life throughout the years. These included the "coal pot"; "jucking board"; "larder"’ and the manual suction device, used by nurses in the past to assist individuals with breathing difficulties that might have arisen from pneumonia or other complications.

jgill@barbados.gov.bb

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