The Yes We Care Programme, an initiative of the Hon Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, has been touching the lives of hundreds of Dominicans for seven years.
With the growing need for care islandwide, supervisors assigned to the seven districts have seen caregivers go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that those in their care receive the best that the programme has to offer.
GIS News spoke with a few supervisors who appealed for the continuation and growth of the programme.
Supervisor of the Grand Bay District, Sylvianne Bellot, believes that the Yes We Care Programme is prolonging the life of the elderly.
“If it wasn’t for the Yes We Care Programme, a lot of our elderly would have already died because [from what I have seen], I don’t know what some of them would have done. [We deal with] daily care, washing, cooking, running errands and they get food items every month which is important. So this programme is a very good and important programme for Dominica otherwise I don’t know what they would do.”
Bellot commended the caregivers for going the extra mile.
“My caregivers are very good and hardworking. They communicate with their supervisor because communication is key. For example, I was on leave in May although I was still working and a caregiver would call to let me know that one of the client’s blood pressure was high so I would visit him or that a client has no more adult diapers and I would bring some over. So we have to communicate. They work well and on time. I appreciate their work.”
Supervisor for the Roseau North District, Allda Madir, shared similar sentiments.
“Sometimes we work on weekends. We get vacation leave but we come to work every day because we know that if we do not go to change those bed sheets, they will remain until after leave or on weekends or after hours because persons will not get meals. This is just to make sure they are well taken care of,” she said.
Meanwhile supervisor of the La Plaine District, Royan Stephenson hopes that more clients will be added to the programme.
Currently there are 151 clients being cared for by the Yes We Care Programme.
Good job yes we care workers God will reward u all 100 fold keep up d good work some of the persons who criticise the programme shame on u all cause some of yr family members are enrolled in the programme
Thumbs up to the Prime Minister and Government of Dominica….you deserve an A-plus for this program… You are definitely blessed and the elderly will continue to bless you!! They deserve the care, love and attention …..God bless you always P.M. for looking after our most vulnerable!!!
In this day and age of selfish intentions, it takes a special person to step up and care for others, especially strangers. God bless the caregivers of the Yes We Care programme!
My experience with the ‘yes we care programme’ is it lacks supervision and guidelines of the workers. The lady i worked with had an excuse why she could not make her weekly visit every week, if anything, her presence frustrated me, she was not consistent and i was always concern on how she treated my uncle. she did not like her job and it showed. so while the initiative is a GREAT ONE, its time to review it. and remove the workers who dont have the empathy and love for working with the elderly.
This yes we care program is a symptom of how degenerate we have become as a society. Chasing after careers and pleasures at the expense of our humanity.
This is a very good program ..there are too many rivers and waterfalls in Dominica for someone to live without running water…water about if there is a fire,vomit or poo to clean? Give them water free of charge ..Very importantly ;their are old people who are capable of going to the village offices to cash money which is given to them by the gov’t,the people that are in the offices should know that these old people can forget that they came,or forget the date they should come ,due to old age ,the clerks should never talk to the public about what is happening in the offices with these people,they must respect their work and respect the elderly.This is happening in the largest village in the south part of the island.When documentaries are done with these old people , their privacy should be respected,their is no need to should someones naked body on youtube taking a bath for the world to see ,,don’t do that to people.
what you would not like for yourself..They also have some…
This YES, WE CARE program is an awesome thing.
First allow me to say am not a stranger to this work. We have many different “agencies” in Canada who hire, train, and supervise “Personal Support Workers” (PSWs) who perform basically the same duties as your dedicated YES, WE CARE workers are doing. My wife Sarah has worked full time as a PSW for several decades with agencies in two different cities including The Red Cross.
When I read the reports from your YES, WE CARE workers it so rang a bell
I can tell you this is the real deal. That is exactly the way it is. I hear these stories every afternoon when Sarah comes home from her shift.
God bless your P.M. for initiating such a helpful program. And congratulations to your YES, WE CARE workers. Sarah would like to meet some of you. We know how appreciated you are in Dominica because we experience it in Canada. I say without any hesitation you are SPECIAL PEOPLE
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
Can I have a number for the yes we care programme please.
Thanking you in advance
I Think the Yes we care programme should go visit all the people they take care of, Cause some of them are living in a bad state.
Take care for allyou own old people the world dont owe you guys. Jn the old days people were not selfizh they cared, now each for their own.
Those of you who left send a dollar for allyou parents margwe sar The gov is not responsible for your families.
we cared for our mum until she died at 94
I am not sure which is the chicken and which is the egg. I f the government steps in, some of the families will step back. If the families step back the government must step in.
I am like you. My grandmother died at 95 and she was very sick for a long time. We never had to request any help from any government. We all played our part to make sure she had the best care possible.
When my uncle almost died because there was a power failure while he was dialyzing we step in and got him a generator with an automatic start. We have always looked after our own amd we will continue to do that.
But I guess it is easier to allow the government to look after your loved ones.
Zandoli:
This is a sensible comment. It gives us something to think about.
Here are the facts:
Sometimes a family is not able to care for a sick or elderly member.
Often the people who would care are in school, or working at a job, raising children, or not well themselves.
Sometimes the sick need special attention that a family member cannot provide. There are situations where the person requires around the clock care and the care providers work shifts.
Often the care that is needed is of a personal nature and a close relative is not comfortable attending to this.
We see situations where there is a combination of these circumstances that make it
impossible for a family to care for one of their own.
The family never loses contact. They talk to the outside worker, and interact. They compare notes (so to speak) and share information. The family has a right to know that the loved one is being properly cared for.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
i agree it will grow from strength to strength because with the way social security going and the lack of jobs among young people i can see more retired civil servants and old folks catching thier assests. Some will be lucky they have familly abroad, skeritt will be long gone with millions in his account probably in South east asia still selling passports and the sorry old supporters complaining how they use to get more aid under The punjabee doc.
I agree with Da in Texas 100% we only like to comment on the negative. The “Yes we care” is a God sent programme. Most of these senior citizens are forgotten by family members. We have to hope and pray that the programme continues for these seniors dignity. Way to go PM.
Thank God for some positive comments
Why is it in Dominica when the PM initiates something worthwhile there are those who imply he had an ulterior motive? And when a group come together to do something good the nay-sayers come out of the wood work and say negative things? What you think of the PM’s politics or the party is a different matter. It need not enter into something like this.
Those who care about the elderly, and especially those who are sick and ailing, would only be happy to see a project like this in place to assist those who need more care than the family can give.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
And when those caring for the elderly become elderly themselves what will happen to them,
After working at PUBLIC WORKS for 20 yrs. no SOCIAL security was paid on my behalf for 10yrs. and many of us are like that, so I hope that u can see where I am coming from?
So supervisor for Laplaine is Royan Stephenson daughter of the late former supervisor? Is this a family business?
I bet if it was your family you will be singing a different song…Why cant you be happy for the young lady?
Solidarity forever.
The family makes us strong!
A family business is a good thing.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.
I don’t see the problem in the daughter carrying on the job that her mother left… From what I’ve heard she is doing a pretty good job in the district! Smh
I wonder how this program is funded.Yes it is a good program but it looks like Skerritt only see things through giving handouts.He needs to also looks at lifting people up by their own bootstraps by providing opportunities for citizens to feel empowered and to take care of their own business.Dominica is in a permanent state of dependency under this administration.It sounds like Dominicans don’t like or care for their elderly folks.That’s not the Dominica I know
there are people in this country who do not care for their elderly relatives. Should the government just abandon these elderly folk and say too bad let your family come around????
Why that hatred, one day you will be an elderly that needs help.
Like I always mention before making any comment on this blog, I’m neither RED/BLUE/or GREEN, the reason why I have to make this statement is because there are some individuals who only read DNO to make negative comments. That being said I would like to commend the PM for the “Yes We Care” program and the people who are actually going to the homes of the Seniors to assist them. Too many times they are forgotten in the communities where they reside until someone “smells an awful odor” emanating from the residence only to find out that the individual is DOA. Good job mr PM and excellent job caregivers. Our Lord will richly reward you in due time.
I do not commend ANY DOGGONE PM for yes we care programme..Are you insane?Is the money to run the programme coming from SKERRITS POCKET?This is a good programme by this lazy,inept incompetent DLP government…This is what they are paid to do and not to PARADE THE ELDEIES IN RED on my TV screen. I DETEST IT!!!.IT IS DESPICABLE!!!!You DLP stoodge SKERRIT is not the government,and if he is,,,,as so many believe,then our constitution which states that Dominica SHALL,be a sovereign Democratic Republic is violated!!!!
%, You are such a disgruntled wicked jealous being. It would be unfair to call you human. All you are there to do is criticize with no solution. Do you really sleep well at nights? Is it the fumes of your Master that have you so baffled and doomed? Boss stop being Lennox’s TOILET TISSUE AND SANITIZE your mind to give comfort to your brain.
As the saying, “If you cannot say something good, say nothing.” Some as you never learn.
With all your negative comments, you deprive yourself of the blessing and grace of God. I guess you do not care for you are consistently such a person. It makes for an unhappy, miserable person who obviously lacks peace,
If you do not die suddenly, as you age, you will get sick. Even iron corrodes with time. Who will take care of you? What will happen to you? Do not be presumptuous and think you will be well taken care of. Who knows? Time has a way of paying people back according to their ungodly attitude, what they dish out. Keep that in mind.
Have A Happy Day
Begin the day with friendliness; keep friendly all day long,
Keep in your soul a friendly thought; in your heart a friendly song.
Have in your mind a word of cheer for all who come your way
And they will greet you, too, in turn and “wish you a happy day.”
The programme is very good but the carers and the coirdinator need training. I am just concerned about the sustainability and stop playing politics with it.
The church has been doing a long time, there is a welfare department, government money is tax payers money. 90% of Dominicans care about the poor. Social league and other community members. As a little kid i remember bring food to an ole community member which my grand aunt prepared for her everyday. She was taken care off. No one was doing it for attention. I bet skeritt never payed attention to these kinds of folks in villecase. Deception he has perfected and will use anyone including the poor and desperate to elevate himself. Good deeds with selfserving intentions will never get my praise. Check the good book. When there are policies of self sufficiency, independence, growth, personal investment and a decrease of social programs then i will say well done my good servant. At this point its time for new direction. How you make your bed so you sleep. Find out what some of these folks did when they were young.
Furthermore, there is nothing called going beyond call of duty when caring for elderly and less fortunate. Thats what good Christians are supposed to do. Not for worldly gifts or attention, or political favour.
No matter what the past and what was done in the past, the present is important.
God looks at the present, what is occurring today
You should know that today is different from yesterday or bygone years. Why bring up the past? It does not help matters. It is gone.
Today, those folks are in need of help. The fact they are getting help and not neglected, they must have done something good in their past.
Those who are ill must be taken care of, no matter what occurred in their past. Furthermore, some of those people have relatives whom they probably took care of when they were younger and able to do so. Now, it is their turn to take care of them with no questions asked and no criticisms.
God will not say to the caretakers, do not take care of them because they were this and that. Oh no! He expects that those who are unable to take care of themselves must be taken care of, be it by the government.
The eyes of God are on each one of us. He is the Judge of all..
The problem with some of you is, you always bring politics into it. It is something I am unable to comprehend.
The government is doing something good for the elderly who are sick and you debase this work. So what type of Christian are you? Be careful of your words. They will return to haunt you. Sometime your day will come. It may be sooner than you expect. You do not know how. Therefore, be kind..
Love! Compassion and Mercy!
They are paid to perform a job from a certain time to a certain time. This is their paid duty.
They are on vacation and forfeit it to help out in whatever manner and in a caring and cheerful spirit. They are not paid for it. This is going beyond the call of duty.
It is extremely kind of them. These are really caring caretakers who take an interest in their work and the sick elderly, ensuring they are also comfortable.
Do you know how much this pleases God? Do you know that He blesses them and for also going out of their way, beyond the call of duty, to help the sick? If only you knew, you would not have made such ungodly comments which displease God.
It is evident that you do not think, “What Will Jesus Say.” You, too, deprive yourself of God’s blessing and graces.
Christian you say? Our Lord said, “Those who know and did not do it, it is a sin. They will be beaten the worst.” Surely you should know that. It is in the Holy Bible!
DA Native in Texas,
thank you who ever U are, If you can commend him for that which the state should be doing, then U must commend him too for not paying my salary and social security after working at the PUBLIC WORKS for over 20yrs. then I will certainly become a liability on the STATE, then if our salary wasn’t paid for several months, and our social security wasn’t paid for more than 5yrs. what do we do then, please give us an idea!
YES SENJO VOTER