NBC has held 121 elderly care courses for caregivers and companions in the past 8 years 

In 2003, a well-off woman came to an office for Human Resources in Damascus to hire a companion and she did not tell the office’s chairperson that she was suffering from cancer.  She selected a 30-year old companion to be with her during her treatment and told her not to tell anyone about her disease . This woman whose 2 sons had no idea about her disease had trained the companion in embroidery, drawing and sewing and she prompted her works at a church in Damascus. She wanted to do good deeds before she passed away  in 2007.

This short story was narrated to us by the office’s chairperson Dr. Fryal Rslan, who chairs now the National Business Center (NBC) in Mazzeh area in Damascus, after the closure of her office during the war on the country.

“Last month, the center held a 7- day training course for caregivers and companions for elderly people. This course was not the first of its kind in our center, which was established in 2015 under the slogan “ Sharing… Integration… Upgrade” with the aim of meeting the needs of the community. It was the course No.121 in which 16 women and ladies plus 2 young men took part ,” Dr. Rslan said.

She added: “During the war in Syria, the community was in urgent need for courses on first aid and civil defense as there were terrorist rockets attacks on residential areas. We held a lot of training courses according to the people’s needs, including courses on making creams medical treatment.”

The training courses that were held during the war are not less important than the courses held for caregivers and companions for elderly people as a lot of parents are living alone because of the death of their children during the war or if their children are living abroad.

Yet, only well-off parents could hire a live-in caregiver or companion at their homes as they have to pay 600,000- 1,000,000 Syrian Pounds as a monthly salary for them, according to Dr.  Raslan, who clarified that caregivers and companions must be aged between 35- 50 years-old be patient, kind and able to shoulder responsibility as well as interested in this work.

“Following the courses, which we held in the center, we ensure jobs for participants if they have the above mentioned characteristics; otherwise, we tell them to take care or accompany their elderly parents or neighbors,” she stated, indicating that some young men, who trained on giving care for elderly and companying them in NBC, were able to get a job in Germany four months after traveling  to that country and they  got high salaries.

Dr. Rslan made it clear that the interest of people in such courses is not only for getting a certificate to work in elderly care homes [ Retirement Homes] or to give care to elderly people, but also to be educated on how to deal with their elderly parents.

She in addition referred to the challenges and problems that face those who work in the field of taking care of elderly people.

“It is not  easy for elderly people to accept a strange caregiver or companion, and they treat her/ him with discourtesy because they want their children to take care of them. For example, I was informed that an elderly woman had hid her ring under her pillow and told her children that the caregiver stole it. The caregiver and the woman’ s children were aware of the fact that the woman will do something to dismiss the caregiver. So, they pulled the ring from under her pillow and told her that it was not stolen…..Actually, the acceptance of s stranger caregiver or companion by elderly people takes 1-6 months. Then they start to be friends. We inform the caregivers and companions about the problems they may face during their work,” Dr. Rslan said.

As for the number of the residential care homes for elderly in Syria, she pointed out that there are three homes in Damascus, one in Homs and one in Aleppo [It is closed now].

“Before the war, the number of elderly people, who were living in care homes in Syria hit 6000. But it increased now and there is no recent official statistics about their number.  Most of elderly people receive care at their homes, she added.

Dr. Rslan concluded by saying: “Since my childhood , I have loved elderly people and I have gone to western countries such as the U.S. and Europe and I visited residential care homes for elderly there. After I opened the center, I published a guidebook in June, 2015, for caregivers for elderly to offer wide range of health and personal care services to them. I am happy for being able to do something useful for the community in this regard.”

Just like in the Arab countries, in Syria, the family, as a social institution, is the main source of support and care for its older members, helping them with day-to-day activities and giving them financial assistance and emotional support. However, a lot of families do not have the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the needs of their elderly relatives, especially those with a sever disability.

According to several studies, people recover faster when surrounded by their loved ones or in the comfort of their homes. So, taking care of loved ones at home helps them to maintain their dignity and independence. A majority of elderly people prefer to spend their final years in their home where they can have as much freedom as they desire.

Interviewed by: Basma Qaddour