A number of healthcare persons, of various ages, are now in a better position to administer nursing services – at several senior citizens homes in the public and private sectors -relating to chronic non-communicable diseases.
This follows six weeks of training conducted mainly by the Director of the Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Unit in the Ministry of Health, Mrs. Twlya Bradshaw – Richardson, assisted by Ms. Sheerena Richardson.
The 24 care assistants and aides were presented with their certificates, and textbooks on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases, at a ceremony at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Tuesday afternoon this week.
Ms. Jeranique Harrigan, one of the trainees, spoke about the workshop and the benefits she and her colleagues received. “Over the past Fridays, we gathered a great wealth of knowledge,” she stated. “But what stood out to us, as a group, were the concerns about our community’s health and our own. We learnt how important it was to live a healthy lifestyle (exercising, eating right, dealing with stress and combating fatigue – all of which are essential in order to live effectively).”
She continued: “I can guarantee that all of us have been left with a mind-set of how we can improve our personal lives, the lives of our families and those of our patients… In order to improve patient care within our health system, the change must begin within us, and individuals should see such a change.”
Ms. Harrigan said that she and her colleagues were particularly grateful to Mrs. Bradshaw-Richardson and Ms. Shereena Richardson for their dedication to instructing them in such an informative and engaging workshop.
Mrs. Bradshaw-Richardson explained that during their training the caretakers and health aides “were engaged in skill-training involving decision-making, problem-solving and brainstorming on how to create an action plan to assist patients.” According to her, “each participant was given the task to impart the knowledge and skills learnt to their patients.” She had no doubt that that if they were to do so, there would be “dynamic changes in disease management.”
The senior health worker observed that prevention of non-communicable diseases was most important. “Investing in better management is the other key component of the NCD response,” she observed. “Management of NCDs includes the screening, detection, treatment as well as palliative care [of patients]. Such interventions are essential for achieving the global target of a 25% relative reduction in the risk of premature mobility from NCDs.”
Mrs. Bradshaw-Richardson thanked PAHO for funding the training programme and the Health Authority of Anguilla for allowing the workshop to be conducted.
