Giving Ja focusing on elderly outreach
Published:Saturday | April 22, 2023 | 12:23 AM
The elderly are considered among the most vulnerable in society, and in need of effective healthcare and assistance. With that in mind, Leesa Schaaffe, a fourth-year medical student at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, ventured out on a mission to impact the healthcare system of Jamaica, with her primary focus being the elderly.
Schaaffe, who has always been passionate about medicine and volunteering, founded Giving Ja as an avenue to give back. “I am very passionate about medicine, I am very passionate about volunteering,” she told The Gleaner, adding that her Christian beliefs have also had an incredible impact on her mindset. “I am Catholic, so it was always instilled in me to give back, and going to a Catholic prep school and going to a Catholic high school, it was always a part of my life to volunteer at church.”
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Schaaffe desired to find an economical-but-effective way to help people. “And so, when I came to the university, I was looking for a way to give back in a way that I could afford to do. Because, as a student, I don’t really have the cash to buy clothes or food or a gift voucher.” This led her to create this non-profit organisation that would aim to provide free primary healthcare to the elderly poor of Jamaica.
Giving Ja operates in collaboration with Regina Thompson, who serves as a director, as well as Tashe Powell, who serves as the organisation’s secretary. Currently, the team provides services for the elderly poor in the Kingston 6 and Kingston 8 region. “We have done outreaches at the Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church, which is my church, as well as we have worked with Mary Andrew at the Stella Maris Convent.”
The Immaculate Conception High alumnus stated that she desired to help the elderly, as she believes that they are often overlooked by society. “We are targeting the elderly poor because I don’t think they are looked after enough or put at an importance. In society, they are marginalised,” she stated.
MEDICAL SCREENINGS
During their many outreaches, the non-profit organisation engages in medical screenings that involve checking the blood pressures as well as the blood sugar levels of individuals. In addition to this, they also provide the opportunity for the writing up of prescriptions. “We have doctors that come along with us. So, if they need to see a doctor, they can see one. If they need a prescription written, they can get it written. We just want to really and truly target that specific group and that’s what we do alongside these Catholic ministries that currently feed them with rice and beans, normally from Food For The Poor.”
Giving Ja enters into communities and also engages in home visits, to provide the opportunity for the vulnerable to see general medical practitioners such as Dr Rebecca Daley and Dr Abigail Quallo. “I just reach out and ask them if they are available, is this working with your schedule. So they come on board when they are available. They are not the same people all the time but they are general practitioners.”
The initiative which was founded in October 2021 has had great feedback. “They are really grateful for it,” Schaaffe shared. “Sometimes they don’t even know that their blood pressure or blood sugar is high, because they say that they are taking their medication. But the thing is that you have to make sure that you screen yourself, especially as elderly, so that you can know if the medication you’re taking is working for you.”
Twenty-one-year-old Schaaffe shared that she is aware that many of the elderly do not attend their medical check-ups because of financial insecurity or the inability to travel to their various healthcare centres. She also shared her thoughts on food security in Jamaica and how an effort needs to be made to help persons who have limited access to buy their medication or foods. “We realised that food insecurity is really big amongst elderly persons, and we need to look into that as a society, because, if they don’t eat, they don’t take their medication, and it compounds the problem. And, with them, they have a lower resistance to having high blood pressure and high blood sugar. So, when it elevates, it affects them worse than a younger person,” Schaaffe said.
As for their next initiative, the non-profit is set to complete another community outreach on May 30.