ILOILO City – Seeing the need to improve the services for senior citizens as mandated by the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, congressional candidate Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda will prioritize the putting up of a geriatric center and nursing home for the elderly should she be elected into office.
“I know many senior citizens are lucky to have the capacity and the family to take care of them. But there are those who are not that fortunate. What we plan to have is a center patterned after Japan and Singapore where there are geriatric doctors and nurses who will provide the needed specialized services to our lolos and lolas. And then the same facility will offer a day care center for them and nursing home for those who do not have or are neglected by their families or those whose families cannot afford to provide care for them,” Baronda said.
The center will have day care center service for those senior citizens who are still ambulatory and active. It will provide socialization opportunities, exercise activities and others with the goal of giving the seniors somewhere to go during the day so they remain in touch with other adults their age.
It will provide cognitive stimulation like card games, board games, and creative projects. It will offer memory training through mental stimulation games or social engagement that encourages a recall of previous events as well as educational programs like hosting book groups, having current events discussions, or doing crossword puzzles.
“Since Asilo de Molo is hard up with its resources, the government must put up its own nursing home. The nursing home I am envisioning will also offer palliative and hospice care to seniors from indigent households whose families can’t provide the needed care and support to the seniors. Meaning there will be qualifications for the seniors to be admitted as this might be abused,” Baronda explained.
The center will also offer nursing home services for those who have the capacity and are willing to pay but can’t give care to their own folks due to valid circumstances. This will operate under the business enterprise model being currently practiced by some local government units with their district hospitals.
“The income generated will be used to subsidize the indigent ones,” she explained.
Baronda used to chair the Iloilo City Council’s Committee on Senior Citizens when she was a city councilor.
“I was going around the barangays recently and I saw the need for expert medical care for senior citizens. There are families who can’t buy medicines for their old folks nor can attend to them because they need to workt. That’s how I thought of this,” she explained.
Baronda said this will be a government and private sector-funded initiative. The budget for the construction of the facility and the equipment can be sourced from the national government. The salaries of the medical staff and social workers can be sourced from the city hall. The operating expenses can be sourced from the local government with augmentation from the national government and the private sector.
“This is a pilot project which can be replicated in other local government units. I can also push for the amendment of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act to include this as a mandatory project once we have shown it can be done here in Iloilo City,” said Baronda.
She added that she will look into the Tuberculosis Center if it can be used as the Senior Citizen’s Geriatric Center and Nursing Home or a new structure will have to be put up.
“I will sit down with the seniors, with Cong. Jerry Treñas, Department of Health, City Health Office, City Council and the other sectors to polish this idea because I will work on this on Day 1 of my assumption into office if our Good Lord blesses us with the mandate to serve the senior citizens and the general public,” said Baronda./PN
