For caregivers, the festive season is not a time for rest but an opportunity to offer vital support to families juggling the joys of celebration with the challenges of caring for loved ones.
While many people prepare for vacations, family gatherings, and festive indulgences, caregivers step in to ensure that elderly, bedridden, or chronically ill family members are well taken care of.
Their work often extends beyond the ordinary, providing not just medical attention but also companionship and emotional support during what can be an isolating time for those in need.
At just 24 years old, Jennifer Diana embodies the heart and resilience required for caregiving. A career she pursued after years of looking after her grandparents, caregiving has become both her passion and profession.
“It’s not easy, caregiving requires you to be passionate. You have to know what you’re doing,” Diana says.
Diana’s journey into caregiving started at home, growing up with her grandparents.
“I was raised by my grandparents. As they got older, I found myself having to take care of them more and checking whether they had eaten. Seeing how people sometimes distance themselves from ageing family members inspired me to step up. When people get old, they feel like no one needs them. I needed to be there for them when they feel there’s no one around,” Diana says.
Jenniffer Diana, a caregiver working with Hamat Healthcare during an interview in Ruiru, Kiambu County on December 4, 2024.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
In pursuit of better skills, Diana pursued a caregiving course and now works as a full-time caregiver at Hamat Healthcare, attending to patients with conditions such as dementia and depression.
“A normal day for me starts with getting my patients ready, bathing them, administering medication, and checking their vitals. After that, I ensure that they exercise, get sunshine, and enjoy some companionship. They need to feel like they have you close. You’re their friend,” she says.
Like many in the industry, Diana faces hurdles. Difficult families and aggressive patients are among the toughest parts of her job. “Sometimes, families don't want to heed to your advice about the patient. You can see that what they want to do is not right for the patient but the family insists on their way,” she notes.
Diana finds the festive season to be her busiest time of the year. “With families travelling, I often spend Christmas with my patients. I can’t just leave them and go celebrate my Christmas. What keeps me going is knowing that I am making an impact in someone’s life,” she says.
Martin Theuri, a caregiver and the founder of Mart Healthcare Solutions tells the Business Daily that he has made peace with spending the festive season away from his family noting that that's when his services are mostly required.
Martin’s caregiving journey started early in life when he was a scout in primary school. “I was part of the medical team in primary school. Then, I joined the St John Ambulance while in high school. My desire to help others led me to train as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in 2011 after high school,” the 40-year-old says.
For over a decade now, Martin has worked in hospital settings, from neonatal care to surgical wards, before establishing his own caregiving business. He says that being a caregiver is more of the passion for helping rather than the desire for money.
“Caregiving has to come from the soul. If it doesn’t, it’s easy to give up.”
This December is one of his peak times of the year. “Families often require support for elderly or bedridden relatives as they travel or host festivities. The holiday season can see me juggling multiple clients at a time. Families want to ensure their loved ones are cared for while they enjoy their holidays,” Martin says.
Caregiver and founder of Mart Healthcare Solutions, Martin Theuri, during an interview at the Nation Centre building in Nairobi on December 3, 2024.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
As a caregiver, his typical day begins with checking in on his patients, from administering medication to assisting with mobility and personal hygiene. “Each client’s needs vary, requiring flexibility and patience. During the holidays, this routine often extends into 12- or 24-hour shifts,” he explains.
Challenges in the industry
Despite the high demand, Martin laments the undervaluation of caregivers in Kenya.
“Pay for caregivers remains relatively low, with caregivers earning between Sh1,500 and Sh3,000 for a 12-hour shift. Unlike in Western countries where caregiving is recognised as a professional career, in Kenya, caregivers are often seen as unskilled labour. If you are lucky to work for foreigners in the country, you will earn more as they tend to pay you per hour. Caregivers in Kenya need more recognition and support. It’s not just a job, it’s a calling,” he emphasises.
Martin says that caregivers often sacrifice time with their own families during the festive season to provide care for others. “Knowing I’ve made someone’s life better, even in a small way, makes it worth it,” Martin says.
Home care programmes
With over 25 years of critical care nursing experience, Edith Murimi has seen firsthand the growing demand for home-based healthcare services.
Currently, a nurse manager overseeing outreach and home care services at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Edith says that during the festive season, she has many families reaching the facility to request private caregivers.
Edith’s passion for nursing was sparked by her own experiences with healthcare as a child.
“I struggled a lot with chronic tonsillitis and wasn’t happy with how I was handled in public hospitals. I missed that aspect of social interaction with my doctors or having nurses caring about me and taking care of my fears. So, I promised God that if I become a nurse, I would take care of my patients, giving them the very best,” she recalls.
Initially, the home care programme at the hospital focused on oncology patients. It has since expanded to include a wide range of services, including physiotherapy, medication management, and specimen collection.
“Many of the patients enrolled in our home-based care are the bedridden ones. Some need a tracheostomy to help them breathe better. Of course, it is something artificial, so it keeps accumulating a lot of secretions. We also have patients who need to be fed through the nasogastric tube or intravenous feeding. Then there is another group of patients who prefer to receive treatment from home,” she says.
Edith Murimi is a nurse manager who oversees outreach and home care services at the Aga Khan University Hospital.
Photo credit: Pool
What are the duties of a caregiver? Caregivers, as Edith explains, perform diverse tasks depending on a patient’s needs.
“They help with feeding, administering medication, rehabilitation, and even pain management, which often involves physiotherapy and massage. For bedridden patients, caregivers assist with daily activities such as turning, bathing, and ensuring proper nutrition,” she says, adding, “Caregiving extends beyond nurses. We have doctors, physiotherapists, and even speech therapists visiting patients. Each role is determined by a job description and the specific needs of the patient.”
The festive season often brings an increase in demand for home-based care as families travel for holidays.
“Patients are already requesting to take their caregivers with them to places like Nakuru and Mombasa. However, logistical challenges, including the safety of our caregivers often limit such arrangements. If they are to travel, we would have to insure them and we cannot be assured that our caregiver will be safe out there. We also need to ensure the availability of caregivers for other patients who may need the services,” Edith says.
Supporting caregivers
Being a caregiver, Edith says, can be emotionally taxing. Losing a patient is another challenge, requiring caregivers to process grief while supporting the patient’s family. Edith emphasises the importance of training and support in addressing the emotional toll caregivers face.
“We have weekly online meetings with our caregivers where they share their experiences and challenges. Additionally, our nurse navigator visits caregivers’ homes to ensure they are treated with respect. If we get to know that somebody is being mishandled, we talk to the family and if the matter is not resolved, we don’t hesitate to withdraw our team from such families.”
To keep the caregivers safe, Edith says that they are given panic buttons “which they keep in their bags or their pockets. If, for one reason they feel they are not safe, they will just press the button, and our security manager will respond immediately.”
Looking ahead, Edith sees great potential for growth in home-based care and even nursing homes.
“A lot of people are asking for nursing homes where their loved ones can be taken care of with all the necessary facilities. It’s something we are considering as a plan.”
