By Sue-Ann Wayow
SOCIAL Development Minister Donna Cox is misleading the public by saying in Parliament that there were no reports of homes for the aged asking for additional governmental assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is according to President of the Trinidad and Tobago Residential Care Association (TTRCA) Caroline Ruiz who told AZPNews.com on Tuesday that a meeting was held on January 22 with Ministry of Social Development officials in which the association explained its financial situation.
The meeting was attended by members of the association at the ministry’s head office in Port-of-Spain and other officials from the Ministries of Health and Planning attended virtually she said.
In the Senate on Tuesday, Cox said to date she received no report of homes in need of additional assistance, subventions paid were up to date and payments were made for 90 persons under the Community Care programme.
However, Ruiz said all statements were untrue and the ministry needed updated information adding that some persons under the Community Care Programme have died.
She said, “We as homeowners need help. If we cannot get assistance in one way, please assist in another way. Our services are also very important. We do the job that people do not want to do. We literally clean pampers to make our daily bread.”
Ruiz said at the meeting of which Director of Social Investigations Division Dr Hyacinth Blake attended, the TTRCA was told that their concerns will be reviewed and the ministry will contact the association with further information.
Since then, there has been no communication with the ministry, Ruiz said.
She questioned why the homes could not be more assisted especially when there was so much emphasis placed on the elderly and care for the elderly during this pandemic.
“We have not been even considered by the Government. When the Government was giving assistance to churches and others, we should have been a recipient of those additional funding,” she said.
Abuse of finances
Ruiz also called on the minister to firmly establish a unit at the ministry to thoroughly investigate abuse of finances by persons known to the elderly.
She said, “A lot of elderly persons receiving money through direct deposit simply do not get it. It is being taken out by other persons who is using the money for other reasons and as a result, they cannot pay fees. Some-one right now is owing over $20,000. Another has been sending threats when we ask about payments.”
That issue was also raised by Cox in Parliament, the one thing that the association agrees with the minister on.
At the January meeting, health and safety protocols for homes were also discussed and the ministry was supposed to distribute manuals to homes. However, Ruiz said last year, an Infection, Prevention and Control guidelines formulated in March, 2020 was produced and there was no need for Government to spend money on another manual for homes.
“Put your finances where it is needed,” she said.
Ruiz also asked Cox to reveal the eight homes mentioned that were receiving governmental subventions out of some 300 registered such homes in the country that catered for some 4000 plus elderly persons.
“We have asked several times for the names of those homes to be revealed to us but up to now, we do not know which homes are the beneficiaries of those subventions,” she said.
Related stories below:
