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| Minister of Social Care, Steve Blacket, preparing the address the training seminar on Alzheimers. At left is Chairperson of the National Committee on Ageing, Maizie Barker-Welch, while at right is President of the Barbados Alzheimer’s Association, Pamela Brereton. (A. Miller/BGIS)?? |
The "Make Sense of Cents" drive, which is being undertaken by the Central Bank of Barbados and the Rotary Club of Barbados, has been lauded by Minister of Social Care, Steve Blackett. The Minister praised the initiative which aims to raise five million cents for the establishment of a day care centre for persons living with Alzheimer’s Disease.
He was at the time delivering the feature address at an Alzheimer’s Training Seminar , which was hosted by the National Committee on Ageing, in collaboration with the Barbados Alzheimer’s Association, at the Savannah Hotel, yesterday.
Encouraging the public to make a contribution to the drive this Friday, September 21, in the National Heroes Square in the City, Minister Blackett reasoned that the project would "go a long way towards ensuring quality care and maintaining the dignity of Alzheimer’s sufferers". ????????????????
He also pointed out that the establishment of the centre would allow caregivers the opportunity for much needed respite.
"As much as they love their family members who are suffering from this disease, family caregivers need support and relief. And so…the needs of the family caregivers must also urgently be addressed," the Social Care Minister asserted.
Mr. Blackett issued a call for the spirit of volunteerism to be revived, and urged members of the community and relatives of persons living with Alzheimer’s to "reach out to those who are afflicted… [and] spend time with Alzheimer sufferers within their communities so as to relieve the immense stress placed on family caregivers."