Puerto Rico’s Department of Health trained more than 300 informal caregivers at an event called "Puerto Rico Cuida" held on Thursday at the Pabellón de las Artes y la Juventud in Barranquitas, offering guidance, tools and access to support resources. The initiative was carried out with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Barranquitas municipal government and targeted people caring for patients with chronic conditions, dementia, intellectual disability or functional limitations.
Participants could access services from more than 35 outside agencies and organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association of Puerto Rico, the American Red Cross, CareGivers de Puerto Rico, Hospital Menonita and the Puerto Rico and Caribbean Cardiovascular Center, as well as the Office of the Elderly Persons Advocate (OPPEA), the Department of the Family and the Department of Housing. The Health Department presented more than 15 of its own resources, including the Alzheimer’s Center, the Vaccination Division, the Healthy Aging Section, the Ryan White Program and the Center for Help to Rape Victims (CAVV).
Health Secretary Víctor M. Ramos Otero said the effort addresses caregivers’ needs through the Healthy Aging Section. "Caring for others is an act of love that carries great responsibilities and challenges," he said. Barranquitas Mayor Elliot Colón Blanco and area legislators took part.
According to the most recent Profile of Informal Caregivers in Puerto Rico, one in seven people identified as an informal caregiver in the 30 days before the study, four in ten devote 40 hours a week or more to the work, and more than a third rate their own health as fair or poor. The department said it will continue holding such events in regions across the island.