CNMI hails caregivers

The concept of “home care” is relatively new to the Northern Marianas where tradition has it that caring for the elderly and the sick should be administered by experts at the hospital or immediate family at home.

But home care, a fusion of a wide range of health as well as social services, is fast becoming a necessity in the islands, according to Marianas Health Services Administrator George J. Cruz.

“CNMI is in dire need of this service and yet there is still lack of public awareness about home care. . .it’s very new to the CNMI,” said Mr. Cruz.

Marianas Health Services, the sole locally-owned home care provider in the CNMI, is spearheading a month-long education campaign of home care as an available service and an option for the Commonwealth’s aging population.

Established in February 2000, MHS is a sister company of the Guam Nursing Services, Guam’s pioneer Medicare-certified home care service provider for the last seven years.

To mark the beginning of the public awareness drive, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio with the MHS staff gathered yesterday to proclaim November as Home Care month.

For the first time this year, CNMI joins other mainland states and Guam in the nationwide celebration underscoring health care services delivered at home to recovering, chronically or terminally ill persons, as well as individuals with disabilities in need of medical, nursing, social, or therapeutic treatment and/or assistance with the essential activities of daily living.

According to Mr. Cruz, it is the time of the year when the community should extend due credit to all health care providers such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, home health aids, caregivers in the home (relatives and family members) for their hard work and dedication.

“This is a celebration for everyone. One of the most important services we provide is helping patients and families cope better with death. Instead of dying at the hospital, we support them in their desire to die at home where they’re surrounded with family, people they love, and environment that they’re comfortable with,” said Mr. Cruz.

Home care, according to experts, is appropriate whenever a person prefers to stay home but needs ongoing care that cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family members and friends.

In the national scene, more and more elder people, electing to live independent, non-institutionalized lives, are receiving home care services as their physical capabilities diminish.

“It’s certainly one of the options out here, especially among Pacific Islanders who have elderly mothers and fathers at home while their children go to school or work all day and there’s no one home to take care of the manamkos. Over time, when they develop illnesses, that’s where home care comes in,” he said.

Public Health, which offers the same type of services on a limited basis, has developed a partnership with MHS in providing physical, occupational, respiratory, speech, nutritional care, laboratory, dental, optical, pharmacy, podiatry, x-ray, and social work services.

Meanwhile, activities in line for Home Care Month include free health assessments to the public where MHS staff will station themselves at bank outlets within the next few weeks.