Healthcare and Nutrition

Older persons suffer poor health and malnutrition. They have poor access to ageappropriate health and nutrition information and services. They also lack long-term care especially those with terminal illnesses of disabilities. To adequately respond to the unique needs of our people, Ethel Foundation collaborates with community members to develop and implement different models.

A. Older Care Model

The eldercare model engages caregivers that are not relatives of the older persons, to provide organized, home based care for those with mobility challenges. This home care services are packaged in a manner that the aged get both psychosocial counselling, spiritual support, hygiene and self-care including home fumigation and clean up where necessary. Under care component, the professionals ensure that the elderly are asseesed and put on programs including medical counselling, jiggers treatment plans, physiotherapy among other related problems.

B. Formation of caregivers
To maintain confidentiality and trust; Ethel Foundation for the Aged has established a training program that equips caregivers with the skills necessary to provide effective and sensitive eldercare. Recruitment of non-relative caregivers was informed by the foundation’s experience whereby humanitarian assistance to the elderly by the government was abused by relatives registered as the next of kin.

C. Strategic partnerships
To ensure universal access to age appropriate, available and accessible health services, the foundation collaborates with health facilities both faithbased, private and public to mount health outreaches within the reach of the older persons. Screening, consultation, medical diagnosis, dispensing and referral services are all provided at no cost to the older persons during the medical camps. Older persons are also given nutritional counselling and provided with essential food production skills eg. kitchen gardens as well as food preservation methods. Water and sanitation becomes a very crucial component for the elderly too. Through partnerships with Churches and communities, we endevour to construct age friendly latrines (with toilet seats) as well as procure