Taguig offers free home nursing service

MANILA, Philippines - The Taguig City government yesterday launched free home nursing service for residents who have suffered a stroke or have cancer.

Dubbed the TLC Home Care Service, the program works like the home care service in the United States, where the patient’s condition is still monitored even after discharge from a hospital.

Mayor Lani Cayetano said the city’s TLC Home Care Service would involve the services of nurses trained in home nursing. These nurses would visit patients in their homes.

Cayetano said under the program, the city government will provide free home nursing services to those who just suffered a debilitating stroke, those with serious illnesses like cancer and senior citizens who need medical attention.

“We understand the distress of those who have loved ones suffering from a grave illness. With this program, we hope to be of help and at least lessen their woes at a time of crisis,” Cayetano said.

“We will actively seek them out by going from one barangay to another, much like what we do when we conduct our medical missions since 2010 to provide our citizens with free consultations and medicine, and even lay the groundwork for free surgical operations,” she added.

In addition, the program’s staff would also train family members on what to do under the patient care disease education module, such as the proper way to clean and dress wounds, replacing medical equipment such as catheters, dispensing the proper medicine dosage and pain management.

According to Dr. Carlo Santos of the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital nursing service department, it will be the mission of the TLC Home Care Service to help patients and nurse them back to good health until they could live and function normally.

He added it would also ease the burden of the family in caring for their loved ones.