For the elderly who are sick and have little social support, bringing medical care and comfort to them at home is especially important during this Covid-19 pandemic.
86-year-old Mdm Ng Phak Ngoh is single and stays with her two siblings who are also in their 80s. Last year, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She suffers from back pain, chest pains and often feels breathless. She used to be able to manage household chores but finds it increasingly difficult to do so. She is also unable to go out to get groceries. Sometimes, she feels exhausted just from talking. Her younger sister, who used to cook for the family, is suffering from worsening osteroarthritis and osteoporosis and needs a walker to move around the house. She can no longer cook. They are now both dependent on their brother to buy food and run simple errands. Getting medical care is difficult and even more challenging for them now.
Assisi Home Care team started caring for Mdm Ng in November 2020. Our nurses and doctors visit her regularly, helping to manage her symptoms of breathlessness and pain. Our care team adjusts the dosage of her medication according to her condition to control her symptoms more effectively. Mdm Ng said, “I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid of pain. I feel more comfortable now after taking the medicine according to what the nurse tells me.”
Our medical social worker provides a listening ear to Mdm Ng and her family, and practical assistance like referral for services such as medical escort for her medical appointments, and befrienders who come by and check in on her at home. As Mdm Ng is currently dependent on her limited savings for daily living, our social worker also helped her to apply for subsidy to purchase an oxygen concentrator which provides greater relief for her breathlessness.
During these challenging times, support our work to ensure that patients like Mdm Ng and their families are not isolated, but are instead well-supported in receiving the type of help they need.
