Cooperation between ministries crucial to delivery of healthcare to elderly

A formal relationship between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs should be established to ensure the effective delivery of health services to Barbados’ elderly population.

That recommendation has been made by the lead consultant on the National Policy on Ageing for Barbados 2023-2028, Professor Dwayne Devonish who has recommended the establishment of “an inter-ministerial governance framework in the form of Integrated Elderly Care Committee or Task Force with a shared mandate for the enhanced delivery of both health care and community care services to older people in need”.

Delivering the policy during a national consultation at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre recently, he said that body would work on capacity building and institutional strengthening initiatives at key institutions providing health care and medical services, with the goal of maintaining best practice standards for the healthcare system for older people.

He also said there was a need to maintain local, regional, and international partnerships to provide training and development experiences for healthcare staff working with older people.

Additionally, Professor Devonish said, health and wellness promotion strategies should be developed and executed to enhance awareness among older people.

He said these health promotion efforts should focus on food, diet, and nutrition within communities and institutions where older people reside, through physical activity and exercise programmes, mental health support, and related services.

“Introduce health and medical services to the communities, and close to the elderly, through heavier reliance on mobile health clinics to ensure easier contact and access for those who are otherwise unable to reach these services outside of their living environments and communities,” Professor Devonish said.

“Offer salon-type community healthcare and wellness interventions which have proved effective in reducing long-term care needs and may help reduce health inequalities.

“Develop and expand comprehensive rehabilitation facilities catering to mind, body, and spirit, with structured guidelines that promote a culture of returning admitted clients to the community after staying at a geriatric institution or related institutions. And work closely with relevant community-based stakeholders, healthcare providers, and private sector entities to expand community-centred healthcare and wellness services to older people in targeted at-risk communities,” the university academic added.

Professor Devonish also indicated that another way to improve healthcare for the elderly is for stakeholders to work with the Ministry of Health to identify those in most need of preventative care and target them with the relevant care services and interventions.

The Ministry of Health has also been advised to undertake critical resource needs assessments to inform adequate planning, designing and execution of preventative, integrated healthcare delivery of services for the elderly, and to ensure the sustainability of operation and longevity of desired outcomes.

“These assessments should examine key issues related to non-communicable diseases and related chronic illnesses of the elderly, and impacts and management of infectious diseases; mental health challenges and illnesses of the elderly; primary, secondary and tertiary health care and standards; nursing care; institutional care; home and community health care; and personal health care education and management including diet, nutrition, and exercise,” Professor Devonish said. (AH)