The National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment , Government of India, in collaboration with the District Administration of Diu, in the Union Territory of Dadra And Nagar Haveli & Daman  and Diu, successfully conducted a Five-Day Geriatric Caregivers Training Programme for Primary Caregivers, Family Members and Frontline Workers, that concluded at Diu today.

The Programme was organized at Government Education Hub at Kevdi, Diu.

Organised by the Senior Citizen Division, NISD, the programme aimed to strengthen community-based elderly care by equipping family caregivers, Anganwadi Workers and frontline functionaries with essential knowledge, practical caregiving skills and sensitivity towards the needs of senior citizens.

On October 9, the programme was inaugurated by Shri Sudhansh Pant, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice And Empowerment, who emphasised the importance of compassionate caregiving and community support for India's ageing population.

On the occasion, the Secretary administered Senior Citizen Pledge to sensitize the participants about upholding the dignity, safety, well-being and holistic care of senior citizens.

The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Joint Secretaries, MoSJ&E Shri Sajeesh Kumar N. and Dr Sandeep R. Rathod, Director, NISD Shri Gaurav Singh Rajawat, District Magistrate, Diu Shri Rahul Dev Boora and Ms. Ranjita Kotiyal, President, District Panchayat, Diu.

The training covered effective communication, age-related health conditions, monitoring of vital signs, infection prevention and control, fall prevention, basic first aid, balanced nutrition and use of comfort and assistive devices, complemented by practical demonstrations and hands-on sessions conducted by NISD's training team.

During the training programme, the key areas included the ageing process and changing needs of senior citizens; rights, dignity and well-being of older persons; roles of families, communities and frontline caregivers; principles of basic geriatric care; assistance with routine activities and ADLs; personal hygiene; nutrition and hydration; medication-related support; mobility assistance; safe transfer techniques; fall prevention and home safety.

The programme also covered basic first aid and response to common emergencies, communication skills, psychosocial support, loneliness and social isolation, emotional well-being, and dementia awareness and basic caregiving approaches.

During the programme special emphasis was placed on the prevention, identification and reporting of neglect, abuse and exploitation of senior citizens, while reinforcing the principles of privacy, dignity, respect and compassionate care.

The participants were also oriented to Government schemes, programmes, institutional mechanisms and support services available for senior citizens, enabling them to facilitate timely access to relevant benefits and services.

The programme combined technical sessions, interactive lectures, demonstrations, practical exercises, case studies and field-oriented examples. Group activities, experience-sharing and question-and-answer sessions will provide participants an opportunity to relate the training inputs to their field experience and develop practical responses to the diverse needs of older persons.

Practical exposure to basic caregiving techniques formed an important component of the programme, with emphasis on translating knowledge into effective community-level support.

The programme concluded with the distribution of Certificates to 56 trainees in the presence of Shri D. R. Damania, Chief Officer, Diu Municipal Council; Shri Rahul Dev Boora, District Magistrate, Diu and Smt. Hemlata G. Baria, Advocate, Diu.

The collaboration between the NISD, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, and the Union Territory Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, through the Office of the Collector, Diu, reflected a coordinated approach towards strengthening geriatric care and community-based support mechanisms at the grassroots level.

The initiative reaffirmed NISD's commitment to developing a skilled and sensitised caregiving workforce and promoting dignified, compassionate and community-based care for senior citizens.

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PR-168-TAR/KV/GA/RK

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