Seychelles Home Care Agency's registration exercise to prevent abuse |29 November 2023

The registration exercise on Monday at the Les Mamelles district administration

In an effort to reduce abuse and ensure transparency within the system, the Seychelles Home Care Agency (SHCA) has embarked on a registration exercise of home carers across the country.

The move comes in response to incidents of financial abuse, with some people claiming to be providing service as a caregiver and receiving a monthly payment from the agency.

Speaking to Seychelles NATION during a registration exercise for carers from Cascade at the Les Mamelles district administration on Monday, the agency’s chief executive, Dr Daniel Kallée, said in one incident, a person had received payments exceeding R300,000.

It is estimated that there are approximately 3400 people working as carers in Seychelles, and the registration exercise aims to compile an accurate and up-to-date list of individuals in the profession. According to Dr Kallée, the agency already has a long list of people who have been getting paid despite not offering the service as caregivers.

“With all these meetings we are seeing the attendance and many carers are not present; some may have good reasons but some not. We suspect there are more people who are just registered on the list and do not work as carers anymore,” said Dr Kallée.

“Some of the information have been shared by the beneficiaries themselves. Some ‘supposed’ carers were even splitting the money in two with their recipients. We will break this practice and with this new agency, no one will receive easy money,” expressed Dr Kallée.

He added that unfortunately in the past, there was not enough monitoring, which allowed for fraudulent activities to take place.

“All those people who received money as carer but not physically working as one should return the money. Up to now some people owe more than R300,000, some R200,000. Some people have been paid over the years and they are being called and some are already returning the money by batch. For some cases, we will consult with the Office of the Attorney General,” explained Dr Kallée.

In addition to the registration drive, the SHCA is using these meetings as an opportunity to educate carers about their rights and responsibilities. The goal is to foster a clearer understanding of the caregiving profession, ensuring that both carers and recipients are aware of their roles within the system.

During the meeting, a document was shared among the carers, detailing their role and responsibilities, which include providing personal care, meal planning, medication management, and general companionship.

By clearly defining these responsibilities, the SHCA aims to establish a standard for caregiving practices and reinforce ethical conduct within the profession.

As the registration process continues, it is anticipated that these efforts will contribute to the overall improvement of home care services across the nation.

The exercise is expected to be completed by mid-December this year.

Vidya Gappy

Photo: Joena Meme