The Geriatric Hospital has received a major uplift compliments of the Barbados Defence Force.
The hospital’s exterior was painted green and yellow, with the bathrooms retiled and retrofitted. One of the hospital rooms was also retiled.
President of the Association of Friends of the Geriatric Hospital Cecilia Mayers said the Beckles Road, St Michael institution would be rolling out a volunteer programme soon in an effort to assist the members of the nursing staff.
“We want to take this venture to all the district hospitals of Barbados. [With] the volunteer programme which we are launching next month we can depend on persons to come in and assist which would free our nursing staff. At the moment, because the [patients] are older and because they may not be able to get around as they like, the programme is for them to feel loved and a part of our community,” Mayers said.
Mayers added that one weakness of Barbadian society is its failure to document stories from the elderly.
“We do not pass on our heritage, our knowledge to [younger persons]. Our younger people are growing up in a vacuum and they do not know why and this is an opportunity to make linkages,” she stressed.
The Geriatric Hospital was presented with 300 bed sheets by Community Service Chair Ann Smith and received by Hospital Manager Heather Payne-Drakes who said they would be useful for the patients as some nights there is a chill in the atmosphere.
“Of course, we would have experienced those chilly nights and we want to ensure that our clients are comfortable, They are aging gracefully but you know circumstances are different for different persons and our clients are ill and require care – some of them complete bed care, and we provide that for them. We want them to be as comfortable as if they were home,” she said.
Community Service Chair of the Canadian Women’s Club of Barbados Ann Smith said the sheets were purchased from the funds raised from their annual golf tournament.
The Geriatric Hospital also received an airflow mattress from Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science Technology, Innovation, and Vocational Training June Chandler. As she was unable to attend the event Cecelia Mayers presented the device on her behalf. (LG)
