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Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment, Urban and Rural Development, Christopher Sinckler, while addressing the Metropolitan High School and Institute’s Graduation Ceremony for its Care of the Elderly programme.
In spite of the numerous private nursing facilities and senior citizens’ homes across the island, long-term institutional care for seniors should be minimised.
This call came from Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment, Urban and Rural Development, Christopher Sinckler, while addressing the Metropolitan High School and Institute’s Graduation Ceremony for its Care of the Elderly programme yesterday, at the Amaryllis Beach Resort.
The Minister said that Barbados has an increasingly ageing population, but noted that there were some challenges associated with that achievement, which would affect "not only the elderly, but our social and health care facilities.
"The Ministry of Health is doing its best to accommodate those elderly persons who need institutional care. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital can only cater to those who are ill…Our Geriatric Hospital and other district hospitals are full to capacity and the waiting list keeps getting longer and longer," the Social Care Minister pointed out.
Mr. Sinckler stressed that "if persons are able to remain in their own homes for a longer time, this would ease the pressure on health and nursing care facilities.
He highlighted the National Assistance Board’s Home Care Programme as an alternative means of providing care and indicated that the programme "goes a long way in making the elderly, and persons with disabilities, more comfortable at home." sharifa.medford@barbados.gov.bb