BENGALURU: To meet the growing demand for geriatric care in the city, St John’s Medical College Hospital is setting up a 67-bed geriatric centre, which is likely to be functional by the end of 2022. The foundation stone for the facility was laid at a ceremony recently. The three-storeyed facility will come up on 72,000 sqft on the campus of St John’s Hospital in Koramangala.
Speaking to The New Sunday Express, College Dean Dr George D’Souza said that unlike the home for the aged, the new facility will be a one-stop place to treat the elderly. The centre will run on four pillars — training, research, service and community engagement.
Dr D’Souza said there is a shortage of informal caretakers (like nurses) and a three-month training will be provided at the proposed centre to impart skills to individuals who will deployed through St John’s Hospital to houses where care for the elderly is needed. The centre will also train formal caretakers (family members), he said, adding that research towards healthy ageing will also be conducted at the facility.
The hospital is looking to provide daycare, respite care and transitional care to the elderly through the centre. Caretakers’ fatigue is a common occurrence, Dr D’Souza said, adding that the centre will come as a respite to caretakers who can enrol their elders at the facility for 1-2 weeks or even on a daily basis.
At present, members of the community health department already visit old-age homes and provide them with care. The centre also looks at engaging elders in apartments through resident welfare associations to give them resources to stay socially active and also to remain aware of personal healthcare.
Dr Pretesh R Kiran, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, at the hospital felt there is an increasing need for professionals who can give care for the elderly a population that is ever growing in the city. The department is also reaching out to NGOs and elder care homes.