FG, therapists board partner on geriatric population caregiving

Federal government through the National Senior Citizens Centre, (NSCC), has partnered with the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria, (MRTB), on the provision of premium care to senior citizens

Director General, NSCC, Dr Emem Omokaro, said the partnership seems to deepen governments’s effort in the transformation of accessible, appropriate and quality social care services to the geriatric population, wherever they may live in Nigeria.

She stated this while hosting the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of MRTB, Professor Rufai Yusuf-Ahmad, in her office, yesterday in Abuja.

In a statement by the center’s Head, Corporate Affairs, Media and Communications, Omini Oden, she said “Nigeria is now in that place where care-giving has been identified and recognized as a key factor and this is made possible through collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

“Apartnership with MTRB will add impetus to existing NSCC partners such as the Federal Ministry of Health, National Primary Health Development Agency, Geriatrics Association of Nigeria, Gerontology Association of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Social Work Locators, Association of Social Works of Nigeria among other expert groups to develop professional standards for long-term care system on geriatric social care in Nigeria.

Dr. Omokaro observed that as the sole regulator and supervisor of all Geriatric Social Care Services provision in Nigeria, the NSCDC will now accredit care agencies with a standard model to employ trained and certified caregivers under the purview of accredited care agencies who can work in any hospitals and homes as certified caregivers.

She highlighted flagship programs by the Centre including the ,’One Community, One Senior Centre’, a public-private-partnership initiative open to stakeholders at all levels, including politicians and philanthropies, ‘faith based and community based organizations interested in building, equipping and operating care centres.

She informed that the One Community, One Senior Centre building prototype, and other initiatives can be viewed at the NSCC website: www.nscc.gov.ng.

On his part, Professor Yusuf-Ahmad, said the medical rehabilitation therapists registration board of Nigeria regulates physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, chiropractic and osteopathic medicine in Nigeria.