Family Caregivers Programme Implemented at Spanish Town Hospital

The Family Caregivers Programme, implemented at the Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine on July 15, aims to integrate designated family caregivers as essential partners in the care process.

This is a standardised national framework that seeks to improve patient outcomes, enhance the care experience, and optimise healthcare resources.

Addressing the event, Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said the intention is to implement the programme in all healthcare facilities.

The objective of the programme is to create a structured, safe, and supportive framework that allows designated family caregivers to participate in patient care, enhancing patient comfort, safety, and satisfaction.

Under the initiative, a designated caregiver is a family member or close friend chosen by the patient (or their legal guardian) to provide support during hospitalisation.

Dr. Tufton said the programme is a game changer in the administration of health.

“Health is everybody’s business and the administration of health is everybody’s business, not just the victim of illness – the patient, not just the doctors and nurses of the hospital but family members must be part of the therapy,” he said.

This is the second site that the programme is being implemented and the first to include adult patients. The first programme was launched at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston in January.

Dr. Tufton said, to date, 1,053 caregivers have been enrolled in the programme at the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

“Over 1,000 relatives and guardians signed up, and in that process they have provided some level of care, psychosocial support or otherwise to over 737 young patients. I am of the view that it has been an extremely rewarding experience, both from the experience of the clinicians, the management of the hospital and the patients, because it has done several things. It has brought together all concerned in providing curative methods, therapy for a patient who is suffering,” he noted.

Under the initiative, the role of family members is to provide non-clinical care such as comfort, feeding, and emotional support, while the licensed healthcare team provides all medical treatment.

This is intended to apply to all public hospitals operating under Jamaica’s Regional Health Authorities (RHAs).