Government Introduces New Elderly Care Programme

The Antigua Sun

September 12, 2008

Antigua and Barbuda

The government has replaced its Home Help programme with a new initiative called the Government’s Residential Assistance and Care Programme for the Elderly (GRACE) and Minister of Social Transformation, Hilson Baptiste said the government is determined not to make it political.

He was at the time speaking, according to a press release, at the official opening for the GRACE office, which is located on St. John’s Street, upstairs the Substance Abuse Prevention Division.

Baptiste said when his government took office it realised that some elderly persons were not getting assistance, since care for the elderly was largely dependent on which government minister was in charge of the program.
“We want to take the political colors out of it and make it nation based…I need to make sure that persons who really get the service are those who really need the service,” Minister Baptiste said while delivering remarks during the ceremony, which was held on Wednesday morning.

The GRACE programme is a service designed for vulnerable elders of the country by providing general hygiene services, assistance with cooking, cleaning, washing and running errands. However, Minister Baptiste said that family members who can afford to pay an individual to care for their parents should do so, in an effort to allow persons who are really in need of the service to benefit. The minister said they will thoroughly investigate every case to determine the necessity of every individual.

“There are many persons who can afford to pay for the care of their mother/father but hold back the money…We will investigate every case, one by one, to ensure that the persons who are really in need of elder care are the ones who get it,” he noted.

Also speaking at the opening ceremony was Chief Welfare Officer Faustina Jarvis: “The Programme is very important since in every developing nation there is a need for social inclusion, including our aging population,”
Jarvis said with the expansion and revamping of the program a manager with the necessary skills had to be sought in order to give the program further direction; and she is confident that with Brenda Bennett at the helm the programme the initiative will grow from strength to strength.

Director of Social Policy Unit Almira Henry said that one of the challenging tasks is to change established mindset and behaviour.

“Today marks the beginning of much more effort and perhaps even the most daunting tasks to accomplish. This task will involve changing mindsets, attitude and a total new way of doing things. But the success of the revamped programme, with its new standards and policies will depend on each and every member of staff working together and working with the elderly individually and as a group,” Henry stated.

The GRACE programme will continue to fall under the purview of the Citizen Welfare Division and a series of training will be conducted for GRACE workers who are directly involved in providing assistance to the elderly. 

Copyright © Global Action on Aging
Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us