The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

A CHIEF official at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) is appealing to members of the public to volunteer at the facility where there is a focus on improving the quality of life for elderly patients.

Sharon Williams, administrator of the SRC which is home to 78 senior citizens, 69 of whom are wheelchair bound, said there is a need now more than ever for help from the wider community.

She spoke to reporters just after a new wheelchair bus was commissioned at the facility.
“We certainly need the assistance of the public,” Ms Williams said, “We now have a wheelchair bus and we definitely have to take care of our clients by making sure that they are integrated into our society and the community by taking them on the outings and the trips. So definitely we would need the assistance of the public, volunteers who are able to assist us in taking care of them (and) taking them on the outings.

“Also volunteers who are able to provide us with outings and various opportunities to entertain our clients. So we are looking to significantly improve our volunteer service to assist us while we are in the community and additionally at the centre.”

SRC, Ms Williams added has over the last few months focused mainly on improving the lifestyles of the elderly which has become a forgotten demographic of society. She urged persons who are interested in admitting loved ones to the SRC to partner with officials in learning how they can offer good home-based treatment.

“We find that there is a long list of persons waiting to have access to beds in the hospital and there will never be sufficient beds to house all of the persons that think they need to be admitted.
“The key is that we as caregivers of our relatives realise that we have the capacity to care for our relatives (and) recognise that we have the capacity to care for our relatives in a better way at home if we would only partner with the institution on how to do that. And that’s what we aim to do. We aim to teach you how to better care for our relatives in our homes (and) how to better adapt the homes,” Ms Williams said.