Office on Aging Director Rose Mondala yesterday said majority of the caregivers don’t know about the benefits they can get from the National Family Care Giver Program.
The homebound are senior citizens who avail of the services of the Office on Aging while confined at home due to an illness or injury that restricts them from leaving their residence.
Mondala said aside from the respite care services, caregivers are supposed to benefit from other programs.
Through respite care services, homebound senior citizens are regularly visited by nurses who check their health and physical conditions.
Marianas Visiting Nurses and Marianas Health Agency provide respite care services to the homebound manamko’.
Yesterday, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Melvin O. Faisao and Mondala met with some caregivers providing services to the homebound.
There are 99 homebound senior citizens on Saipan who are also availing of the “Meals on Wheels” program of the Office on Aging, Mondala said.
Of this number, only six avail of the additional services which include a free supply of pampers, underpads, milk, haircut, manicure and pedicure.
Mondala urged caregivers to come and register at the Office on Aging so they can get vouchers for the health and hygiene supplies.
“This will help make a caregiver’s life a little easier,” she said.
Pampers and underpads are provided depending on a client’s needs, while one case of milk is given to each homebound senior citizen who are also visited once a month for haircut, pedicure and manicure services.
Mondala said her office will start soliciting price quotations from beauty parlors in Garapan, Dandan and As Lito regarding services for the homebound in those areas.
The Office on Aging, she added, is getting $100,000 annually from the National Family Care Giver Program.
