Home care provider seeks gov't support

Marianas Health Services, a locally-owned home care-giving agency, organized yesterday a dialogue between Legislature, health, and government officials in efforts to draw community support and promote public awareness on the concept of “home care” as an equally vital aspect of health care.

Guam-based MHS vice president and clinical director Ruth Gurusamy appealed to local leaders not to rule out home care in the Legislature’s health care policy making discussions and decisions, citing CNMI’s increasing need for the services.

“What we would like is support from our policy makers in the CNMI, that anytime health care services are discussed, please consider home care as part of it. When you make decisions about health care access for Commonwealth residents, please consider home care as an option,” Ms. Gurusumay told officials over a Health Care Legislative breakfast at the Royal Restaurant in Garapan yesterday.

Legislators present during the affair kept an open mind about the practice of home care, as they also pledged to support MHS’ plight to make locally available home care services to CNMI’s aging and sickly population.

The CNMI, which is inhabited by a culture of individuals accustomed to caring for the elderly and the sick in the hospitals or by immediate family in the home, is only beginning to learn about the concept of home care, a combination of a wide-range of health as well as social services that, according to health experts, is fast becoming a necessity in the islands.

Home care is a type of health care service 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.

The service, experts said, 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 United States, more and more elder people, electing to live independent, non-institutionalized lives, are receiving home care services as their physical capabilities diminish.

“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 MHS administrator George Cruz during the November proclamation of home care month led by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and the MHS staff.

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

Meanwhile, MHS was able to draw participation yesterday from over 35 guests to the open forum which was also directed at holding discussions on several health issues affecting local residents, particularly diabetes.

A recent assessment made by the agency on a sample of Saipan, Rota, and Tinian residents revealed that high blood sugars were found on individuals between 21 and 35 years old, illustrating that diabetes is a widespread disorder also among the young population.

“So diabetes is not only affecting our elders but also the young people. After some years, this could turn into something more serious,” said Mr. Cruz.

While indicating that diabetes is a hereditary disease that parents usually pass on to their children, Ms. Gurusamy, a retired nurse, also made clear during yesterday’s forum that offspring do not have to acquire it provided they observe proper diet and adequate exercise.