The Belize Home Caregivers Association is attempting to raise awareness on elder abuse that has been occurring between unqualified caregivers and their patients - defenceless seniors, many of whom may have dementia and cannot report them or defend themselves. In a post the association claims that "Over 99% of the abuse cases reported to our association involve patients living with Alzheimer's or dementia. That's why we're calling for urgent regulation and higher standards in Belize's Homecare industry. Caregivers must be properly trained to understand and manage Alzheimer's and dementia with patience, compassion, and skill." The association founder told us that this type of abuse has been happening for years.
Sasha Eiley, Founder, Belize Home Caregivers' Association
"Whenever there is a case about an elder abuse 99% it is Alzheimer and dementia patients and a lot of the time the family members are in the US and it is someone completely dependent on a live in or a 24 hour shift care giver so I find that dementia and Alzheimer patients are more vulnerable and they are high on the list of being abused and in a recent post that I did, that case was actually 5 years ago. And the person worked with them for probably 6 or 7 years and they needed a holiday or vacation and they had someone rotate and they reported that okay I came on the shift and this is what I saw. And it was just the person and as you can see those were old bruises it was not anything that just occurred."
"We took up the case with NCA and the labor department and the whole process is just so complicated and it would require so much up and down that the family and myself decided okay now we truly need to push for regulations and this was about 5 to 6 years ago."
Eiley says that in order to prevent unqualified persons from caring for the elderly and sick there needs to be some type of regulation. She says that you don't have to obtain a license to be a caregiver but you do require training.
Sasha Eiley, Founder, Belize Home Caregivers' Association
"Up to now there is no regulation and actually it Is worse where we are seeing a lot of trainings that are trainings or persons with certificates of appreciation labeling themselves are care givers, we are seeing caregiving be used as a job filler and persons with serious criminal backgrounds are being referred to go into people's homes and we are seeing a lot of theft."
"So anyone can just go anywhere and say I am a care giver, I'm a caregiver hire me. And I've noticed that on a list or a database that a site has, it is troubling to me because I recognize some of the names and it is people who are black listed or are not care givers at all and they are listed and it is frightening because it is the same people I have been trying to get rid of."
"All this would have just been avoided if the system was regulated so with proper regulation you won't have care givers as job fillers and you won't have people forced to perform jobs just to make numbers and you won't have unqualified people in homes, you will have properly trained people and there would be less abuse."
"Whenever there is a case about an elder abuse 99% it is Alzheimer and dementia patients and a lot of the time the family members are in the US and it is someone completely dependent on a live in or a 24 hour shift care giver so I find that dementia and Alzheimer patients are more vulnerable and they are high on the list of being abused and in a recent post that I did, that case was actually 5 years ago. And the person worked with them for probably 6 or 7 years and they needed a holiday or vacation and they had someone rotate and they reported that okay I came on the shift and this is what I saw. And it was just the person and as you can see those were old bruises it was not anything that just occurred."
"We took up the case with NCA and the labor department and the whole process is just so complicated and it would require so much up and down that the family and myself decided okay now we truly need to push for regulations and this was about 5 to 6 years ago."
We will be following up these claims with the Ministry of Human Development.
