She may not be able to assist every individual who is isolated and alone because of an illness, old age or disability but manager of Radical Faith (RF) Home Care, Antonia Yankey, is beginning with seven.
Located in Grand Savanne, Salisbury, Radical Faith Home Care occupies the lower section of Yankey’s home and it fulfills a dream of providing care to those who are alone and in need.
That care had its genesis some 20 years ago when Yankey’s own grandmother was locked in a house for the entire day, all alone, because her caretaker had to go to work.
This had a profound impact on Yankey.
“From since then I decided that when I was able that I could start a place that persons could take their relatives to that place so they would not be isolated,” She told Dominica News Online. “And sometimes even with full time work, persons are not able to care for their relatives and they need that additional assistance… that is where the idea came from. About 20 years ago the dream started and finally last year the dream came into fruition.”
Looking after those in her care does not pose a challenge for her since she said it comes naturally.
Presently, the home can accommodate up to 10 residents but there now seven from all parts of Dominica including Vieille Case, Wesley and Delices.
The home also employs four full-time staff.
Yankey said one of her future goals is branching out to another location which will be able to accommodate more residents including those who are not be able to afford Radical Faith’s basic rate of $1,500 a month.
The home provides long-term and full-time care for persons in need of assistance in living such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, those who are physically challenged and recuperating from non-communicable diseases or surgery.
January 6, 2015, marked RF Home’s first anniversary and on that day relatives and visitors joined together for a day of thanksgiving.
Congratulations my sister and very close friend. I am so thankful to God for granting you this opportunity to serve others. God is well pleased with your service. Continue to seek God in your future endeavours and see his hand at work in the life of your family. I can also see Adri and Aso encouraging you as an entrepreneur.
God Bless You My Dear
Always a warm and kind spirit. Do your best my dear the elderly and abandoned really needs our help.
Great job Antonio. You have always been a beautiful individual. You have beat me to it. I have plans also to open a care center based on my experience. I do appreciate the constructive criticism, example from thor. I have seen elderly people being abused in the yes we care programs from the ignorance of the insufficiently trained caregivers . So it is important to train individuals and monitor individuals to ensure quality. Which body is going to do this needs to be determined.
This is a wonderful gesture by Ms. Yankey. Many elderly need the care and comfort of such programs. Family members should feel relieved that there is such a program. I do hope that there are regulations to ensure that the elderly are safe and that abuse is not an issue. There must also be adequate training for the employees to deal with issues presented by the elderly.
Great work Antonia. You’ve already got the Lord’s blessings. Do what you love doing
Antonia Yankey:
Allow me to congratulate you for your labor of love. I do not live in Dominica but my wife is a Personal Support Worker (PSW) and provides health care services to residents in facilities such as yours in Canada (Ontario), and as a pastor I have ministered to many of these dear people. We are familiar with the field having seen many homes, and talked with both owners and the residents.
It takes faith both in God and also in the abilities He has given you to launch out in any worthy enterprise. There will be nay-sayers who cannot bear to see you doing what they know needs to be done but what they could not do. Do not let their chirpings distract you.
The encouraging words from people who have used your facilities are beautiful. This speaks for itself. A tree is known by the fruit it bears! I will pray that your home will be a witness of God’s love to the nation.
Blessings!
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. International Evangelist…
I would like to ask jon carson and Thor what have they done to help humanity. Mrs Yankey is doing a superb job helping the helpless and their families. The two of you sound very worthless and jealous. How do you know that the relevant checks were not made and Mrs Yankey is not qualified? Shame on the both of you.
Impress! You knows the haters really good,that’s those who uses there tongue to bring there country down. Am sure miss Yankee took all the right steps that was needed. They always takes a back sit when is to do the right things for there country and community but always takes front sit on critizing.peoples dream. Some people do not know when to talk. Haters they are.
Great,great idea, I always thought that these type of services are much needed home. God bless you!
i always love hearing people do good things, bless up!!!!
This is probably the greatest news story I have read on DNO for the longest time. Antonia, I believe this is a ministry for you to the folks who need this service and I will certainly pray that God protects and bless your ministry. While finance is needed to provide such services, it is the Spirit of God that makes it possible to love those who are less fortunate and to provide a place of comfort for them. I will see to it that I visit you the next time I am in Dominica to show support for this ministry. God bless you and I pray for protection, for the staff to work with utmost integrety and a caring spirit that loves each guest with the Love of Christ. Thanks for following through on your vision.
Dominica to slow. This type of health care job is a really Big Deal. Great initiative and vision to you! This can create many jobs in the country when it grows. There will never be a shortage of the aging population. I remember growing up it was common to see the elderly people in whatever bedroom they livin in neglected for the most part and I wouldn’t think much has changed. Government think, create jobs for your people.
Good job Antonia, I do remember how you blessed me a few years ago.God bless, continue the good work. From, someone who knows you very well. your family must be soo proud of you especially Adrielle and Asaiah. Love always hun
no good deed comes without reproach. negative statements or foolish comments so always remember when a child of God strives the enemy will always try to attack. But God always wins. I am happy to see that someone I known who comes from a very strong God fearing family has taken up that sort of mantle. Hearts off to you Antonia. will keep you in my prayers. All praise goes straight up to heaven for this blessings. may you always put God first in your business and may it grow and become a place of Refudge for the unsaved.
Quite a wonderful dream form this lady, God honors your effort and will multiple and enlarge your borders as he did Jaabez in the bible.
good initiative
Thank You Antonia. You are providing a good and needed service for the disabled.
I had a relative who spent time at your place and it was a godsend. You have no idea how much impact this is having on the lives of the care-givers. Sometimes they need a break and you are just the one they need.
To be honest, when I heard your rate was $1500 per month, I though this is really cheap. But I am comparing it to what we pay over here. I know this elderly couple who have an apartment in a home care facility. They look after themselves but meals and recreational services are provided. Between them, they pay $5000/month for accommodation + meals. And that is not EC dollars.
To God be the glory for this establishment and its management and staff. Congratulations and wish every success for the future.
Coodos to you miss Yankey…. A job well done
Excellent initiative but my only apprehension is do we have legislation in place to both police and protect the resident of this establishment? Also, what are the employment best practices – are they being subjected to criminal background checks, medical to begin with? Are these caregivers and providers themselves professionally trained?
There are a lot of unanswered questions as this is an area prone to abuse by the very people that we will entrust our love ones to. The reality is, its scary just penning this commentary.
These are all “nice-to-haves”, but that is a start. But you are correct, there should be background checks made on the staff. That is the job of the government to ensure people are housed in a safe environment.
But I would not count in that. The government is not so inclined. All the same, Ms. Yankey is providing a much needed service. We have used her facility.
I expect most of the problems can be avoided by proper hiring practices. What I have read leads me to expect Ms. Yankey would follow the right protocol.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. International Evangelist.
You are a disgrace!
A lot of unanswered question??? They did a story on the woman. If you need to know more why don’t you visit or call her? I get where you’re coming from though but I think DNO featured the story so we can be aware of the good that she is doing.
Your comment is appreciated. The initiative is a great and much needed one, but I do agree that often these old people are abused by their care givers or mishandled because of lack of proper training. Bear in mind however that the training and vetting process which is necessary to bring staff up to globally accepted standards will simultaneously make them more marketable and hence worthy of larger salaries. This in turn will drive overheads skywards and will impact the cost to customers in a manner which will render many financially incapable and therefore excluded from this service.
Instead of publicly expressing your know it all ideas or opinion why don’t you reach out to her in private and share your ideas, you guys always seems to know it all when someone decides to do something good,why didn’t you do it if you knows it all. Stop discouraging peoples dream.
Congratulations to RF home care!!! Keep up the good work. @ Jon Carson….Yes the workers are trained. A lot of unanswered questions?? In a short piece by DNO there will always be further questions. The ones you have raised should probably be first extended to the teachers, nurses, doctors at PMH who are negligent and the list goes on and on.
During the years I pastored churches I made visits to nursing homes to provide pastoral care to the residents. Now my wife Sarah works as a Personal Support Worker (PSW) and provides health care services to people living in these places. We have seen the good and the bad. It is a field we are familiar with.
There is a danger that in its effort to regulate such care facilities the government may over extend itself and regulate them out of business. This can happen when such a business is new and has a limited cash flow. A heavy handed government may impose requirements a young facility cannot cope with. When this happens a home can be shut down and there will be needy people not receiving the care they require. It would be better if the government would supplement such a business for a while rather than make life difficult or impossible for the owners because the facility is needed.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. International Evangelist.
These things will come in time if you have a government that truly care about the well being of its people.
However this kind of legislation should be born out of a desire to provide quality care. If it is just another way of the government flexing its muscles it will do more harm than good.
It is a time to thank God that somebody recognized the need to provide such a service and decided to do something about it. A good government will be asking “What can we do to help?” I know only too well that bad people are sometimes attracted to this kind of work. But I also know from reading this article and the comments of people who know Ms. Yankey and have used her facilities that she would not want the “criminal type” on her staff.
This lady deserves to be encouraged and helped in every practical way. Let nothing negative be said that would raise undue fears. Let the country move forward.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. International Evangelist
Praises to you my sister……. Fulfill your calling…..
Well done. I remember you from CDCC days….Keep it up