Old People’s Home filled to capacity-Jacqueline Donovan
This information was revealed at the House of Assembly’s Standing Finance Committee meeting while they were deliberating the 2014 Budget Estimates.
At the time the Acting Manager of the Home Mrs. Jacqueline Donovan was before the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) making her presentation.
When asked by the Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton to inform the Committee on how many residents were housed at the Home and how many beds existed, Ms. Donovan told the House Select Committee that “there were twenty-five residents and twenty-five beds.” The Manager told the SFC that another five persons were awaiting admission to the Home.
She also informed the Committee that the Adina Donovan Home for the Elderly had “exceeded its capacity and was not in a position to accommodate any additional persons”.
Difficulties in pushing residents up the ramp
Beside the overcrowding challenges it appears that there are other issues at the only publicly owned and financed facility for the elderly.
When asked by Honourable Alvera Maduro-Caines (R6) as to how many levels of elevation were at the Home and why patients were unable to maneuver up the ramp, the Manager of the Home told the Committee that “there were two elevations and beds were located on both levels, but the staff had difficulties pushing residents up the ramp.”
The Minister Hon. Skelton whose portfolio includes the Home for the Elderly promised to address the matter by getting a mechanical lift. However no timeframe was given.
Funding issues for new Home
After the National Democratic Party Government promised the people of the Virgin Islands a new home for the Elderly for the past two years and even breaking ground on the site at Spooner’s Estate now word come that the Home will take longer than anticipated.
It was the Minister responsible Hon. Skelton who told the SFC that the facility at Spooner’s Estate would take longer than anticipated “due to funding.”
In the Budget address of 2013 the Smith Administration claimed that it was moving ahead with a new Home for the Elderly and even last year put out tender notice to make the public believe that the home was well on its way.
The Government of the Day also had various figures on the cost of the home with one time being 2 million and the other being 3 million.
Earlier this year before walking out of the House of Assembly during the Budget Debate Opposition Member Honourable Julian Fraser RA (R3) said he saw no money in the 2014 budget allocated to the construction of the new Home in the Hills of Spooner’s Estates on the North side of Tortola.
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