PUTTING a debilitated elderly individual in a retirement facility might seem preposterous given the Filipinos? high regard for traditional values and close family ties.
But times may be changing as lifestyle and financial situation are forcing both spouses including their children to be preoccupied with so many concerns.
And with most members of the household becoming swamped with work or school assignments they soon find it hard to even concentrate when their elderly sit with them for some evening chat.
?The elderly need special attention just as their children are once totally dependent on them for physical and mental support. While a home may be inadequate when it comes to providing them their medical support, whereas, a hospital may be too impersonal for them, our group decided to establish Home Health Care (www.homehealthcare.com.ph),? explained Dr. Mary Jean Villa-Real-Guno, the facility?s managing director.
Wellness programs
The team behind HHC specializes in delivering wellness programs and services to the elderly especially those with disability in the comfort of their homes.
The idea, according to Guno, is to help the rest of the family members cope with the situation.
?Elderly individuals recovering from a stroke or those with debilitating condition need special medical attention and a more personalized care. A long hospital stay may not be appropriate. In our case, the HHC could send a professional ? a nurse or a caregiver ? on a regular basis to provide specific medical attention or even propose what equipment is needed. We could even give the family members or their informal household caregivers training,? Guno explained.
Guno said HHC was composed of multidisciplinary team of physicians, registered nurses, physical therapists, nutritionists/dieticians, medical technologists and trained caregivers who could provide families and their elderly with a wide range of medical services at the comfort of their homes and at their own convenient time.
Because of the expertise of the people behind HHC, Guno added that they could also cater to other members of the household who may need medical assistance at home.
?We could even send someone who could provide immunization to any individual, group or company who may need vaccinations, among others,? Guno informed.
She added that medical professionals affiliated to HHC were located all over the Philippines so they could serve any family wherever they may be located.
Screen
?Aside from the fact that we make sure our experts knew what they are doing, we also screen them regarding how patient they are in relating with an elderly individual,? Guno said.
She explained that this was important because the elderly could sometimes be too sensitive and need special attention when being treated or rehabilitated.
Guno added that in cases when the family would need to go on vacation or do something that would require them to be away from the house and bringing their elderly or infirmed member of the family would be next to impossible, HHC has established two senior residential facility that could provide the elderly homely environment managed by highly trained professionals.
The HHC?s senior residential facilities are at 137 Anonas Extension in Sikatuna Village and at 13 Mt. Rindjani St., Filinvest 1, Batasan Hills both in Quezon City.
?HHC?s senior residential facilities were built to take the burden off a family?s shoulders. Bringing them on a trip would sometimes be risky so the best option would be to bring them in any of these two facilities,? Guno said.
She informed that the HHC was planning to build additional senior residential facilities in other location to better serve the growing number of elderly individuals, which at the moment is pegged at 5 million or almost 6 percent of the country?s population.
