More opportunities for home care providers

Home care providers in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) will soon be able to branch out to offer their services within CARICOM.

This, as Government continues to seek lucrative opportunities for citizens.

A release from the Agency for Public Information (API) said minister of national mobilization, social development, family, gender affairs, persons with disabilities and youth Frederick Stephenson made the disclosure on May 28 while addressing the opening of a two-week workshop to train another cohort of home help providers.

Stephenson told the trainees that his ministry has entered into discussions with the Ministry of Education to have the training certified under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programme. With that certificate he said, “Recipients can leave St Vincent and the Grenadines with competent certificates and go anywhere in the region and get a job as a home care provider.”

Approximately 36 persons from across the country started the two-week ‘Home Help for the Elderly’ training course on Monday. Permanent Secretary Nerissa Gittens-McMillan charged the trainees to be mindful to treat the elderly with the dignity and respect they deserve for the contributions they have made to the society.
Retired permanent secretary Sandra Davis reiterated this call, pointing out to the trainees that they must first love themselves in order to administer loving care to the elderly.

The two-week training which is being administered by consultant Sylvia Gould will be done in both theory and practical with a five hour clinical attachment to private and public nursing homes. Topics to be covered include ‘Introduction to Care Giving’, ‘Aging Dynamics’, ‘Common Health Issues’ that affect the elderly, Safety, First Aid and CPR among others.(API)