Minister calls for regulated fees at private elderly care homes

Residential care for the elderly has drifted beyond the reach of ordinary Barbadians, and the government should consider setting fees for private facilities in the same way it regulates rates in other professions, Minister of Agriculture Dr Shantal Munro-Knight has said.

Munro-Knight, commending the Older Persons (Care and Protection) Bill for its provision of greater oversight of these care facilities, suggested that this be extended to encompass rates, noting that in many cases these were “extremely high”.

She told the House of Assembly: “I welcome within this bill the fact that there will be greater oversight of those residential facilities, because oversight is needed, and perhaps there should be even further oversight, because just like sometimes with the other professions where rates are set, perhaps we need to be able to look at rate settings for these residential care facilities given where we know we are going in the future. So that even while government is moving to expand its offerings, but also as well, when those are full and the options are slim, and that there are private actors, that they can also then be regulated in a way where ordinary people can be able to access those services.”

Further assistance must also be considered for those who have elderly relatives living with them who need around-the-clock assistance but could not afford it, Munro-Knight said. 

Lamenting the “depressing” conditions of some residential care facilities, she was adamant that there must be greater oversight and regulation to ensure these meet the necessary standards.

In debate on the Older Persons Bill, the minister spoke of her own personal experience in touring some of these facilities and noted that several were not properly outfitted for the specialised care of this vulnerable group.

She said: “It was absolutely depressing. We have care facilities for elderly and people who need care that have stairs and narrow corridors, so if you have to use a wheelchair to get up and down – difficulty. With rooms with six beds in them, so there’s no space to manoeuvre, because as soon as you put your foot down and stand up, you’re facing somebody else that is there with you in the room. Where there’s no privacy for families when they come to visit. [Facilities] that are dark and dreary. 

“So if we want to talk about engaging the elderly and keeping them and their minds fit, some of the conditions within these residential facilities are not amenable. I believe that more than that, they would make them more depressed.

The MP for Christ Church South said that care facilities must be able to offer activities that keep those in their care engaged, as some elderly persons end up in beds where they receive food and medication and no stimulation. 

(JB)