The Government of Bermuda offers health support programmes across the island.
Community health nursing
Bermuda’s community health nurses are here to help with your general health education. The nurses provide and coordinate the following community health services:
- Health visiting, including home visits to new mothers and the elderly. Providing health education and counselling to patients/clients, their caregivers, and the general public.
- Community health nursing, including primary care nursing in the home and arranging for other support services for patients, caregivers, and the general public.
- Personal care, including personal care to the elderly and people with physical challenges in their own homes.
Telephone: (441) 278-6455
Email: gdhayward@gov.bm
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Location: Hamilton Health Centre, 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM 12
Community rehabilitation: Occupational therapy (OT) and Physiotherapy (PT)
The Community Rehabilitation Program of the Department of Health offers vital health services to maximize a person’s functional ability and independence.
Services for seniors
Services are provided to adults 65+ years and persons with disabilities who are unable to access other community outpatient therapy facilities. Services provided may include:
- Home safety and falls management and prevention education
- Teaching and guiding family members/caregivers in skills to assist client independence
- Wheelchair consultation, prescription and facilitation of ordering manual/electric chairs
- Prescribing, or fabricating adaptive equipment or assistive devices to support the client’s functional independence
- Bed mobility and transfer training to enable clients to move about their environment as freely as possible
- Instruction & training on dressing, meal preparation and other activities of daily living
Children
Early Intervention services for babies and young children (0 – 4 years old) may include:
- Assessment of motor skills ( i.e. gross motor, fine motor, sensory motor)
- Direct/Indirect intervention to promote functional independence
- Parent support and family education
Services to children of school-age (5 – 18 years) may include:
- Assessment of motor skills ( i.e. gross motor, fine motor, sensory motor)
- Preschool observations
- Primary one screening/consultation
- Direct/Indirect intervention to promote functional independence
- Parent support and family education
You may be referred by family members, nurses, a school educational referral process, or other agencies.
Find out more about occupational therapy for children.
Telephone: (441) 278-6427
Email: tjwoolridge@gov.bm
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Location: Hamilton Health Centre, 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM 12
Environmental Health Unit
Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned about all natural and built environment that may affect human health.
Environmental Health is made-up of the following sections:
Section |
Responsibilities |
|
|
|
|
|
Telephone: (441) 278-5333
Email: envhealth@gov.bm
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Epidemiology and surveillance
The Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit helps to manage and monitor the status of health in Bermuda by:
- Regularly recording, interpreting, and reporting data that reflect the health of our community;
- Reviewing health problems and outbreaks; this includes chronic diseases, injuries, and social factors that influence health status
- Detecting and monitoring epidemics and public health emergencies
- Providing health information upon request in a variety of formats
Telephone: (441) 278-6503
Email: epidemiology@gov.bm
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Continental Building, 25 Church Street, Hamilton HM 12
Healthy schools
The Government of Bermuda’s health schools programmes aim to help Bermudian children be as healthy as can be. Health schools provides and coordinates health presentations at school assemblies, PTAs and staff meetings, and in community settings.
Telephone: (441) 278-6502 or (441) 300-0151
Email: mbeach@gov.bm
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Continental Building, 25 Church Street, Hamilton HM 12
HIV/AIDS support
People who are infected with HIV/AIDS in Bermuda, and their families, can find social support. In addition to public education and outreach, the HIV/AIDS support programme can:
- evaluate and assess home care needs of HIV and persons living with HIV/AIDS
- conduct home visits for nursing care
- provide pre- and post-test HIV counselling
- provide counselling on death and dying
Telephone: (441) 278-6442, (441) 278-6487, and (441) 332-8881
Email: kball@gov.bm or rmingo@gov.bm
Hours:
Monday and Tuesday, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:45 to 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday to Friday, 1:45 to 3:30 p.m.
Location: 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM 12
K. Margaret Carter Centre
The K. Margaret Carter Centre provides a variety of programmes for adults with learning and physical disabilities. These programmes focus on functional skills, employment training, production work and social skills.
Clients of the Centre have cognitive challenges that span from mild to moderate, resulting in learning disabilities secondary to Downs Syndrome, Autism or other congenital disorders.
The six programmes offered through the Centre are:
- Employment training
- Functional skills
- Production centre
- Wellness
- Treatment/Support Services
- Adult Day Centre
Telephone: (441) 292-2591
Email: ads@gov.bm
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. (extended to 4:30 upon request)
Location: 21 Roberts Avenue, Devonshire DV 01
Nutrition services
The Department of Health has two registered dietitians who provide nutrition services in the promotion of healthy eating. Services include nutrition counseling, talks, health screening, and nutrition handouts.
Nutrition counseling for health conditions
A referral from a health professional is necessary for the dietitians to provide nutrition counseling. Clients seen free of charge include pregnant women, babies, children, teens, seniors, and uninsured adults. Insured adults will be charged the fee of $51.00 for the first visit and $30.00 for follow up visits.
Nutrition talks & health screenings
Nutrition talks and health screenings are given on request by letter, fax or email. The request must include the company name or person, location, nutrition topic, number of persons expected, suggested dates and length of time chosen for the talk. A two week notice for the suggested dates is recommended.
Telephone: (441) 278-6467, (441) 278-6468, or (441) 278-6469
Email: nutrition@gov.bm
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (closed 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.)
Location: Continental Building, 25 Church Street, Hamilton HM12 (temporary location only)
Speech language programmes
All children with potential speech pathology difficulties and some adults and seniors who have been identified with communication and/or swallowing issues can be assessed and treated by the Department of Health.
Read about speech and reading tips for parents.
The speech language services group at Hamilton Health Centre offers:
- prevention, screening, assessment, and diagnosis services
- intervention, referral, training, workshops, and in-services
- collaboration and consultation with parents, caregivers, teachers and families
Telephone: (441) 278-6429
Email: sgbarrett@gov.bm
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Location: Hamilton Health Centre, 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM 12