NAB elderly companions ‘abused and treated likes maids’

By Fernella Wedderburn

Amid recent public criticism and accusations against some workers of the National Assistance Board’s (NAB) Elder Care Companions Programme, coordinator George Griffith has called for restraint and understanding from the public.

Although the allegations, including theft and other incidents, have been circulating on call-in programmes and social media platforms, the veteran social worker revealed the apparent abuse of the service in which the companions for the elderly are treated as household maids, cooks, cleaners, nurses and gardeners for families utilising the service.

“You cannot ask the companion to wash down the yard,” he said in an interview with Barbados TODAY.

“We have a case where someone wanted the companion to go in the ground and assist. . . in the garden. So I have to ensure that their [the companions’] rights are protected and that they do what they are employed to do.”

Pleading for more cooperation from family members and mutual respect on both sides, the programme coordinator stressed the importance of recognising the unique challenges associated with elderly care.

He said: “The programme is providing care for persons to whom family members cannot provide that service, or they just would not do it, and some family members want to treat the companions as if they were maids. They are not maids; they have a special job description – they are to cater to the needs of the elderly or vulnerable person but not to other members of the family.

“But the challenges we encounter is that some family members want to demand that provide services for them like cooking for them or washing their clothes and so on, and that is not what the purpose of the service is for.

“Some relatives want them to dispense medication; they are not nurses they cannot dispense medication. In some cases, clients are bedridden and the family members want them to perform nursing duties. Sometimes family members want them to do more than their job description,” Griffith added.

The veteran social worker said the other challenge was that some of the programme’s 951 clients suffered from dementia and, as a consequence, they had short-term memory.

“From time to time, accusations are made that the companion has taken property belonging to senior, whether it is money, whether it is household items, and subsequently those items are found because seniors sometimes can misplace items and sometimes the first thing that people think about is that somebody has carried it away . . . and people will want to accuse [the companion],” he said.

Stressing that all accusations made against companions are investigated, Griffith added: “In a number of cases, we find that the accusation is false or there is no evidence to suggest that what is alleged really happened. It is not that the seniors are difficult or wicked, that’s just how dementia is – affecting their cognitive ability and so on.

“So I want to say to the public at large that rather than rush to judgement, it is important to appreciate the service that is being provided . . . . If they have difficulty with the person providing care to their relative, it is always best to make a report to the supervisor or the National Assistance Board and we will investigate every allegation made, and every area of dissatisfaction and we have a record of bringing all these things to a proper conclusion.”

Currently, the $10 million governmentfunded programme, which falls under the ambit of the Ministry of People Empowerment and

Elder Affairs, caters to 951 clients and 420 companions spread across 30 constituencies.

Griffith disclosed that the original plan was to have 15 companions per constituency, but this target has not been reached due to factors such as sickness and vacation.

“In areas like St Philip and Christ Church, you have up to 50 and 60 clients; in some areas, the number is 20, 30 and 35. We find that working-class areas are the areas where the demand is greatest,” he said. “We believe that the programme is here to stay. It has become a very essential part of the social development fabric of Barbados. . . . We have seen tremendous improvement in the seniors . .
. and it augurs well in improving the quality of life of these seniors.”

fernellawedderburn@barbadostoday.bb