Denham Town Golden Age Home residents screened for health conditions
Published:Friday | November 22, 2019 | 12:18 AMKeisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer
The major pillar of creating a sustainable healthy life is ensuring that people with health conditions receive high-quality levels of assistive long-term care.
Health screening is important to everyone, in particular the elderly. To this end, the Rotary Club of Downtown Kingston recently conducted a screening session with residents of the Denham Town Golden Age Home in West Kingston.
The more than 55 residents with ailments, including hypertension, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, are routinely tested to ensure their health is being maintained and to detect developing conditions.
According to Shawna Brown, public image chair at the Rotary Club of Downtown Kingston, the screening is an aspect of their community outreach programme. “We have partnered with the World Walk Foundation, Jamaica Chapter to screen the residents, particularly those with diabetes. This is also an initiative of Rotary International,” Brown said.
“With all the wonderful things Rotary does for humanity, like eradicating polio, providing clean water and developing economies, the world needs Rotarians. Rotarians are leading examples in preventing and managing diabetes,” she added.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 422 million adults have diabetes. Over 3.8 million deaths are attributed to diabetes and high blood glucose.
“Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, increased risk of heart disease, blindness among adults, and non-trauma leg amputations. About 95 per cent of people living with diabetes have Type 2, where the body does not efficiently use its naturally produced insulin. Type 2 diabetes can be preventable and reversed in many cases,” Brown added.
Mark Barnett, president of the Rotary Club of Downtown Kingston, and other members of the organisation, also handed over medical supplies in celebration of World Diabetes Week, which was observed between November 12-16.
Jacinth Bonner, administrator at the facility, said they appreciated the efforts of the Rotary team. “We gladly accept them, at any time. This is something else that they do for us. They donate things from time to time, depending on our needs,” she said.
The Denham Town Golden Age Home operates from a subvention by the Government, along with other donations. The residents are cared for on a daily basis, which includes meals and medical care.