BHUBANESWAR: Aiming at extending holistic care to elderly citizens with disabilities, the Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department has planned to open geriatric disability centres in various districts in the state.
The department on Saturday asked all the district collectors to submit proposals to the district-level project approval committees in this connection.
It has also framed a state action plan to run such centres for senior citizens. According to this plan, each centre will provide drug-free treatment to elderly persons with musculoskeletal diseases such as back pain, arthritis and even paralysis and other age-related mobility challenges, to restore their functional skills.
Officials said a centre will admit patients of 60 years and above, and the treatment will be free of cost for all BPL patients while a nominal fee may be collected from other senior citizens depending upon the service provided.
Each centre will have a trained physiotherapist, counsellor and other support staff. “The aim is to enable the elderly to support and maintain their fitness and mobility level and make daily living easier, restoring their self-confidence and self-esteem. These centres will accommodate senior citizens for care and treatment of different impairments and disabilities,” officials added. The district administrations can rope in NGOs, recognised charitable hospitals and nursing homes to run the centres.
The department also has plans to create a pool of 400 professionally-trained geriatric caregivers every year to cater to the needs of approximately 80 lakh senior citizens by 2036.
It has proposed to offer a certificate course on geriatric caregiving through institutes or colleges of either state or Central government to youths, single women and widows. The course would focus on physical and mental care and a series of activities that include first-aid, handling of bed sores, counselling and dementia care management. Basic training of physiotherapy, massaging and yoga will also be provided to the candidates through hospital exposure.
Each batch will comprise 100 trainees divided into four groups of 25 each in either one zone or in different zones of the state (east, west, south and north) at Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Berhampur and Baripada, respectively. Thus, 400 caregivers will be provided training in one year.