Nurse finds niche in setting up elderly homecare services

When Hellen Migwi, a practising nurse for 23 years thought of taking up home-based care services for seniors, it was due to the number of patients she encountered with terminal illnesses and no financial capability to pay in hospitals.

“Seeing the growing number of patients who stayed in hospital for a long time not because they need medical attention but for personal care propelled me to introduce a home care service,” she states.

She says the home environment is safer and more conducive for patients’ recovery process where they are comfortable and it’s cost effective.

Her home-based care services started in 2010 under the Kenya Online Pharmacy and has received tremendous growth over the years with many Kenyans upholding their tradition of caring for their aged parents as it is expected of them. It is viewed as taboo to take them to nursing homes.

Although she works as the only qualified nurse in her company, Hellen works with patient attendants who are trained to do basic care of patients.

As a nurse she caters to those who need medical attention while the patient attendants do the personal care which includes bathing and feeding the patient, cleaning wounds, taking blood pressure, blood sugar, temperature and physiotherapy.

Her services which include but not limited to nursing the elderly, helping with the house chores, and other personal care are to help the elderly live independently in their own homes if they have no one to care for them.

Although many registered nurses offer these services in other countries, the homecare industry is gradually taking shape in Kenya.

“The perception of jobs at old people’s homes and caring for the elderly is slowly fading in the face of high unemployment,” she says.

Kathrine Mwelu whose 85-year-old mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2009, known to cause dementia, had to take up responsibility of caring for her.

Given that she had to work, she had to employ a care giver to cater for her mother’s needs but has encountered problems with keeping a help for more than two months.

“I have always briefed them on caring for my mother but most of them after working for a few months beg to leave due to the intricacy of her care,” she says.

Although there are times she contemplated taking her to an institution that cares for the elderly, her beliefs do not allow her to and more so she could not afford the current rates.

With 1.2 million people living above the age of 60 years, the growing population of seniors in the country is expected to rise to 2.2 million in the next 10 years.

This is driven by improvement in the quality of life as more seniors have access to healthcare and better lifestyles afforded by their children.

However, modernisation coupled with diseases like HIV, more elderly are ending up in retirement homes for lack of people to care for them.

Nyumba ya Wazee, which is run by the Little Sisters of the Poor Missionaries, located in Ruaraka and has a capacity of 60 caters for the elderly who have no next of kin.

Sister Bridgette the head sister at the home says that they often get requests’ from members of the public to take in more seniors. “We have never had cases where a relative has come searching for their parents,” she says.

Most challenges faced by these homes are financial however, a greater challenge is when it comes to burying the dead, as they are forced to take them to the Lang'ata cemetery.
These homes are mostly run by churches who rely on benefactors and volunteers who help in the running of the home.

Then again, there are retirement homes in the country where the aged are taken for specialised care by their children. Such are the Harrison house on Ngong road and the Edgemays home in Westlands.

However, the cost of care has hindered the growth in this sector pushing many to opt for the elderly homes.

Ms Migwi’s services costs Sh1,400 per day for a patient attendant and Sh2,500 per day for a nurse. However, if there is need for a leave-in patient attendant the cost is Sh2,500.

This is cheaper compared to taking their aged to homes which costs between Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 per month depending on the quantity of care to be given as some may also need medical attention and oxygen for special cases.

Currently, many US households are grappling with the high cost of sending their aged relatives to homes for the elderly. Many are now deliberating on withdrawing them from these homes and getting them a senior caregiver.

Many Kenyans are working in care homes in developed countries as there is more compensation than back home.

Dick Hedge in his blog “Old Africa” states that Kenya has the potential to benefit from opening up elderly homes for those in developed countries due to its warm weather climate and it could create job opportunities for many.

The national policy introduced in 2009 that aimed to ensure the aged have subsidised housing, food, access to healthcare, social security and create job opportunities has been a slow process.