(Barbados Nation) – Because of the indiscriminate practice by some Barbadians of abandoning their elderly relatives at government-owned health care institutions, the elderly care facilities at the four district hospitals are now under severe stress.
The facilities have a capacity to accommodate 625 individuals.
However, despite this and other challenges at these institutions, Minister of Health Donville Inniss has given the commitment that his ministry will, following assessment of some 34 seniors abandoned in the Accident & Emergency Department and other wards of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), “work closely with other social agencies to free up much needed bed space at the QEH”.
The minister stressed this during a meeting held recently with representatives from the QEH and the National Assistance Board (NAB) that examined the issue of abandonment of elderly people at the hospital.
While noting that these facilities had not been well maintained over the years, he outlined several problems facing the Geriatric Hospital on Beckles Road, Gordon Cummins District Hospital in Rock Hall, St Thomas; the St Lucy District Hospital, at River Bay, St Lucy, and the St Philip District Hospital, in Jezreel, St Philip.
He disclosed that two wards at the Geriatric Hospital were currently out of use because of renovations being undertaken. Inniss said the roof of the St Philip District Hospital, which was leaking, had made it necessary to move some patients; and renovations at the St Lucy District Hospital, which was damaged by Hurricane Lily two years ago, were nearing completion.
He also noted that the Elayne Scantlebury Home in Belleplaine, St Andrew, a facility which mainly houses physically and mentally challenged children (even though the average age is 45), was also in bad condition.
“These challenges, coupled with an infectious disease outbreak, would place everybody at risk and put a lot of pressure on these hospitals,” Inniss said.
As part of the long-term solution, he said, the ministry was examining the issue of more facilities and considering utilising additional lands at the St Lucy and St Philip District Hospitals for expansion.
“There were some architectural drawings done a few years ago to expand the St Lucy facility, as well as proposals to acquire some lands adjacent to the St Philip District Hospital.
Those two proposals are now under active consideration by the Ministry of Health,” he said.
Inniss added: “These developments are not going to happen overnight; I don’t see that happening for another two years or so. Meanwhile, some temporary solutions would have to be found.”
Currently, the Ministry of Health shells out just under $7 million to fund 200 Barbadians in private nursing homes. This amounts to a cost of $1,600 to $1,800 a month, per individual, plus the cost of medical care.
While also committing to ensuring that this would become a common feature of the elderly care programme, Inniss promised: “The Ministry of Health will step up its investigations and monitoring of privately run homes and insist that standards are no less than those we demand in the public institutions.
