By: SKNIS
Eighteen persons have joined the ranks of certified elderly care providers in St. Kitts and Nevis, having completed a three-month course at the C. F. Bryant College in Elderly Care.
The successful trainees were presented with certificates during a ceremony at the Solid Waste Management Corporation on Thursday, March 23, 2023. Lecturer Marshalette Smith-Anthony at the Division of Health Sciences noted that the course participants completed six weeks of theoretical and skills practice in the first instance, followed by clinical placement for the remaining six weeks.
“The Elderly Care Provider Course was designed to develop the knowledge and skills of individuals by providing an educational experience that prepares elderly care providers to confidently and competently care for their older clients,” she stated.
The CFBC started the course in May 2019. It was conducted once per year. However, Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley requested CFBC to stage the course twice per year given the growing number of seniors who are living longer and the increasing demand for caregivers.
“Our graduands were taught to communicate effectively and to collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare team members in the care of the elderly adult,” added Mrs. Smith-Anthony.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Ageing and Disabilities, Janelle Lewis-Tafari, congratulated the eighteen graduates. She encouraged them to be true to their career choice.
“Not many persons can appreciate what caring for an older person really entails, and I am sure that many of you who are graduating today, when you got out there to do your practical assignments, you may have noticed [and said] I was not expecting this,” the Permanent Secretary stated. “But you stuck with it, which means that you’re really committed and passionate about it because it is not just about making money but making a difference.”
Mrs. Lewis-Tafari thanked the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP) for partnering with the elderly care provider programme.
Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Hanley noted that the graduation is timely as it comes on the heels of the launch of the Seniors’ Day Programme earlier this week in East Basseterre, St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s.
He told the newly certified home care providers that the investment by the STEP and training by the CFBC represent a very firm launching pad.
“With your certificate from the CFBC, that is a recognized certificate that is indicating to the world that you are super qualified to take care of seniors,” he expressed, noting that arrangements were being made to have the course material reviewed and accredited by an additional organization opening the doors for further recognition in industrialized countries.
He encouraged the graduates to perform their assignments with excellence.
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