— when cared for at home, says Abbigale Loncke

COMMUNITY Health Care (CHC) founded by Abbigale Loncke is advocating for more senior citizens to receive healthcare at home as against being placed in a home, contending that they tend to live longer.

And according to the CHC Manager, Jeanna Pearson, they are ready to help. CHC offers in-home services for elderly people, especially for those living with non-communicable diseases and terminal illnesses.

In an interview with Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, Pearson said older people, especially those who are affected by different types of deceases, tend to live longer once they are in their comfort zone.

“Usually what happens in our country when our parents get old we place them in the Palms or in a Home. There they are all alone in their sickness, barely grabbing onto their memories. They are surrounded by strangers. So what happens is that these homes become a waiting area between life and death,” Pearson explained.
She added: “But there is no place like home.”

According to a study published in the 2013 Age and Ageing journal, seniors living in care homes died quicker than those living at home. The study was conducted on 10,000 care homes and 350,000 people living in the community between the ages of 65 and 104, in England and Wales. The discovery was startling—in one year 26 per cent of the care home residents died compared to just three per cent of those who remained in their homes and live independently.

EXPANDING
Pearson said CHC is expanding its services to the far reaches of Guyana, even as it pushes for the men and women who would have contributed to the development of Guyana in one way or the other, to receive the care they need, in the comfort of their homes.

“So what we at CHC do is bring the care home to your love ones. We offer personal care, medication reminders, meals preparation and live-in care at afforded prices. In fact, we carry out assessments with the patient or client and create a package that will meet their budget,” she explained.

It was noted that the agency has a team of medical professionals working along with the caregivers.

In addition to caring for the elderly, Pearson said the agency offers childcare services, while empowering women.

“We also offer home-child-care services for parents who do not feel comfortable placing their children in a day-care or who simply wants their child to have one and one care. This is in addition to our nanny service and maid service,” she posited.

LITTLE OR NO EXPERIENCE
Alluding to the mentorship programme for women, Pearson noted that it caters for women with little or no experience in the world of work.

“This is a programme for women who haven’t had any opportunity to study or work. They are usually women with no qualifications. We have a special team that mentors these women and teens and try to integrate them into the workforce by either employing them ourselves after training or by finding employment,” she explained.

In November 2016, Loncke was acknowledged by the then President of the United States, Barack Obama. “We Need leaders like Abbigale!” he had declared.

At the time, she was participating in the US President’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI), during which the then President was giving the feature address.

During his final international speech and town hall meeting in Lima, Peru, President Obama told the Young Leaders of the Americas: “After struggling to find her own grandfather a home care, she realised that this is a problem for other families, so she started Community Healthcare, a home care agency. She started out as a service to help families take care of their loved ones.”

President Obama noted that Loncke created a social movement that provides training and job opportunities for young women in the healthcare industry.
“Thank you, Abigail, for the great work you are doing!” he said, as Abigail stood in awe.

Loncke was one of four Guyanese chosen by the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown to participate in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative in the United States, which began in October, 2016.

Approximately 250 young leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the five-week programme, but Loncke was one of the YLAI finalists from 21 city hub competitions around the U.S. who competed in the final pitch competition in Washington DC.

Following that final pitch competition, Loncke travelled to Peru for the US President’s town hall meeting.

The former President launched YLAI to build linkages between young leaders across the hemisphere, and to expand opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and civil society leaders.

During the programme, the fellows learned and shared their experiences in start-ups, small businesses, non-governmental organisations, and similar entities in cities throughout the United States, and in partnership with community groups and American universities.