Elderly Care Course planned

The Vocational Training Institute (TAFF-VTI) of the TAF Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation working for women’s empowerment, is all set to launch the first-of-its-kind elderly care assistant programme, and the institute has partnered with the Aga Khan University (AKU) for the development of the curriculum and training material. 

The programme will ensure that all trainees acquire the knowledge, skills and attitude required to provide basic care for an elderly individual. It will also cover instruction in basic principles of work and medical ethics along with the identification of common illnesses in the elderly and how these impact their daily functioning.

“The availability of qualified personnel for elderly care is the need of the hour in our society today,” stated Aatiqa Lateef, the CEO of the TAF Foundation, adding, “This groundbreaking initiative of ours is about respect for our elders, about caring for them as our moral duty, and about providing compassionate women with the opportunity to acquire specialised training and a sustainable livelihood.”

The Elderly Care Course offers hands-on practice and exposure to its students through an on-the-job training (OJT) component that is built into the programme through collaboration with the Holy Family Hospital, which is one of the most trusted and prestigious hospitals in Karachi. 

The hospital will also provide support for the medical assessment of the candidates prior to the commencement of the programme. Twenty students between the ages of 20 and 45, and with minimum education of matriculation, have been recruited for the pilot batch.

Their training will include understanding of the basics of common geriatric syndromes by an experienced and qualified faculty. The curriculum also includes modules related to soft skills such as legal empowerment, financial empowerment and professionalism and ethics.