Hospital to close

Christ Church District Hospital has to be closed and this is throwing the island's "care for the elderly" into deeper stress.

The hospital, one of the oldest in Barbados, now houses 70 people.  It will be closed in two months for "safety and security" reasons, and this has put Government in a quandary as to what to do with the residents.

"The structure of the Christ Church District Hospital does not lend itself to the care of the elderly. In the event that Kick 'em Jenny occurs, it'll be almost impossible to move people from the Christ Church hospital on time, so Government has decided to take the bull by the horn," said consultant geriatrician Dr Robert Gaskin.

"The immediate question is what are we going to do with the patients when the Christ Church hospital closes down? We have between 65 and 70 elderly people there," he said.

The doctor said the seniors would have to be admitted to the Geriatric Hospital, one of the other three district hospitals, or be put in alternative care but already the facilities at the Geriatric Hospital are inadequate with 450 beds and 750 people on the waiting list. Some hard choices would have to be made, he said, explaining that some of those now accommodated at the Geriatric would have to be moved.

"We have to transfer in order to make space for somebody else. What we are trying to do is to take care of the elderly who are really ill."

As such, he said only those who can't take care of their daily needs on their own, would be accommodated.

"If we find they can feed and bathe themselves, go to the toilet, get in and out of bed without assistance, these people can be and should be transferred from here, whether to alternative care or one of the other district hospitals," Gaskin said.

Alternative care is a programme started three years ago where Government foots the bill for the placement of the elderly in private nursing homes. Government has already spent close to $230 000 on 32 patients who were placed in four nursing homes since the programme began. It costs roughly $50 per day to keep one elderly person in private care.

"This Government is taking care of the elderly. In reference to what happens to other Caribbean islands, the Barbados Government has to be given credit for the care and attention it is paying to elderly people in this island. I also want to thank the Senior Medical Officer Dr Joy St John and all the nurses and social workers for the good work and dedication to the elderly people,"  he said.