Prime
Govt to support curriculum devt for elderly care courses
A section of elderly persons get free saloon services by Age Family Uganda at the International Elderly Day celebrated in Bamunanika Sub county Luweero. PHOTO/ DAN WANDERA
What you need to know:
- Frederick Nyanzi, a Gerontologist and project manager at The Aged Family Uganda says many Ugandans seeking greener pasture at the Elderly Care Homes from developed Countries are forced to seek professional training before getting employed
While the government has a commitment to have all elderly persons above the age of 80 get a decent living under the elderly persons grant, a section of the stakeholders want fast-tracking of the curriculum for elderly care courses.
The players that include a section of the Health Training Institutions argue that while palliative care is taught at the different training institutions, the increasing demand for professionals in the elderly care services calls for a curriculum to guide the training institutions.
Mr Frederick Nyanzi, a gerontologist and project manager at The Aged Family Uganda told Daily Monitor that while the elderly care services in Uganda are yet to attract much attention, many Ugandans seeking greener pasture at the Elderly Care Homes from developed Countries are forced to seek professional training before getting employed.
“In Uganda, particular Health Science Training Institutions offer palliative care courses but we need a curriculum with a bias on the elderly persons care. Even health Science students that undertake elderly care training never get the certificates because of the absence of the curriculum,” he said.
But State Minister for Higher Education Dr JC Muyingo says the fast trucking and development of the curriculum for elderly care services is paramount now that Ugandans leave longer with the need to get professionals that handle the elderly person care services.
“It is good news that we already have particular Health Science training institutions that are already fast trucking the development of this particular curriculum for the elderly care services. Government is ready to support the development of this curriculum,” he said.
The elderly people need special care and love. This partly explains why the government through the Senior Citizens Grant has registered elderly persons above the age of 80 years for a monthly financial support but it should be a duty of all able citizens to take care and love the elderly persons. It is unfortunate that we have a breed of youth that now wish that their own parents die early to take over the land among other property. The youth should not have such a biased mind but work to support and care for the elderly persons, Muyingo told guests and the elderly at the International Elderly Day commemorated for the Elderly persons in Bamunanika Subcounty.
The local leaders are also uncomfortable with the age bracket for the elderly persons that currently benefit from the government SAGE program. Mr Stephen Ssebidde, the Bamunanika LC3 Chairperson believes that the 80- year age cap only benefits a few while many elderly persons are left out.
