Ninety new caregivers are now equipped to attend to the elderly and the differently-abled.

They received their certificates at a ceremony held in their honour on Tuesday (October 30, 2018) at the Victor E. Bruce Penthouse, Scarborough, following training provided by the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development in collaboration with the Tobago Coordinating Committee for Persons with Disabilities.

Health Secretary Dr. Agatha Carrington said the island has a significant elderly population.

“With over 8,000 persons who are over 60 years in Tobago, we have been providing services at the Senior Citizen Centres in which we would have spent in excess of $4 million annually; however, there is much more to be done,” Dr. Carrington said.

Also speaking at the event, Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles said the experience of caring for his own father, a responsibility he shared with his siblings, made him an advocate for home care for those in need.

“One must have a genuine passion and desire for clients to enjoy their best life despite of the limitations they face,” Charles said.

Of the 90 caregivers, 71 graduated from the elderly programme and nineteen 19 from the differently-abled programme.

The training will help improve the level of care to patients. It focused on a number of key areas, including ethics and confidentiality, the roles and responsibilities of caregivers, anatomy and physiology, patient care, housekeeping, communication, death and dying and report writing.