Kumar highlights old-aged care challenges
Some of our patients are psychiatric patients ... – Neelum Kumar
STAFF members at the Golden Age Home, Samabula are not trained to care for residents with mental health issues.
This was highlighted by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation senior welfare officer Neelum Kumar during the social day celebrations yesterday.
She said they had to rope in psychiatrists from St Giles Psychiatric Hospital to assist them with mentally-challenged residents.
“Our staff are not trained to look after people having psychiatric and dementia issues. They are only trained to care for old-aged people,” Mrs Kumar said.
“Some of our residents are psychiatric patients and sometimes when they get out of hand, they are referred to the St Giles Psychiatric Hospital. We have activities every week for our residents, where we take them out for movies, bus ride around the city and bring in a physio therapist to have sessions for them.”
She said they had as many as 32 staff members with 55 residents, comprising 25 males and 30 females.
“Our oldest resident is around the age of 90 and we have amazing staff members who are passionate about what they do in caring for old-aged people.”
The Samabula senior citizen aged-care facility is one of three government homes located within the Central and Eastern divisions.
It was built in the early 1940s for the purpose of accommodating the New Zealand Army during World War II.