Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar officiated at the Prestige Caregivers Graduation, which was held at the Metro Gym in Suva recently.
Altogether, 79 individuals were awarded Certificates as they graduated from the Prestige Caregivers Academy.
While delivering the keynote address at the ceremony, Minister Akbar, said that Prestige Caregivers Academy makes a valuable contribution by providing ordinary Fijians with an avenue to learn and understand the basics of caregiving.
“Knowledge is power and this training has provided you with the opportunity to learn the basics of caregiving. It is a tool that will assist you in pioneering home-based care in homes and communities. This is the alternative way of promoting quality care for our elderly and disabled with the loving home environment. This is part and parcel of the development agenda of a progressive Fiji”.
“It can enable safety, security, and increased independence; it can ease management of an ongoing medical condition; it can help avoid unnecessary hospitalisation; it can aid with recovery after an illness, injury, or hospital stay—all through the care given in the comfort and familiarity of home. Home care can include helping with daily activities such as dressing and bathing, assisting with safely managing tasks around the house, Companionship, Therapy and rehabilitative services, and Short or long-term nursing care for an illness, disease, or disability."
Minister Akbar stated that according to the Fiji Census in 2017, Fijians aged 60+ comprise 10.6% of the total population (93,745 Older Fijians), while people living with a disability made up 12.8% of the total population (113,595 Fijians).
"With statistics like these, we require various forms of caregiving for this segment of the Fijian population – including home-based care. The Fijian Government’s commitment to older persons is protected under Fiji’s 2013 Constitution and has provided for a wide range of socio-economic rights," she added.
“These rights include rights to education, access to health care, housing and sanitation, reasonable access to transportation, food security and safe water, and social security schemes. In 2012, the Government passed the National Council for Older Persons Act”.
“You are not only professionally trained to care for those in need of such care – but also trained to contribute to the Fijian Government’s vision to leave one behind. My Ministry’s support to inclusion, protection, healthy ageing and the provision of enabling environments for Older Persons, and thank you once again for having the commitment to be counted in this noble service towards Older Persons and Persons with Disability," concluded Minister Akbar.