Appreciating this kind of service

by | Oct 8, 2015 | articles, blog | 0 comments

A lot of times, it is difficult for people to appreciate the kind of service and care that Centerlife gives, especially when it comes to first time callers. We get calls any time of the day, and we go to the caller’s home carrying all kinds of medicines and supplies, because we never really know what to expect and we’d better be prepared for any kind of ailment that we might encounter.

So we come in, Doc exchanges a few pleasantries with the family, ask a few questions about the patient and immediately goes to the patient and does his assessment.  And the next thing you know, he’ll be asking for this needle or this syringe and this medicine and he’ll be asking the IV stand to be set up so that he can prepare any of the necessary drips he needs for the patient. He goes about all of these purposefully and quietly and only after he’s done does he go the patient’s family to explain all the things that he’s done.

Perhaps some families are taken aback by this, like they called Doc probably for just some minor ailment they’ve observed in their loved one and suddenly, there’s their loved one surrounded by all these tubes and hoses. But with many families that have called us, they usually give their silent assent.

Not that they unconcerned about the cost. It is surprising that even those who do not that much in life also call on us to look in on their loved ones. And these families are the most heartbreaking to watch, they know that the medicines, supplies and services will cost them but they resigned themselves to the fact that it is either this or watch their loved ones suffer.

And that’s another thing about Doc. Much as he knows that he provides a service, his action is always guided by that deep medical ethic of healing – the welfare of the patient comes first.

That’s why lately, many of us in his staff comes along with each enrollment in a Centerlife Care program to explain to families how we could cooperate so that our common objective – that of healing, caring or cure for an ill loved one can be achieved. One of the guiding principles here at Centerlife is interfacing with the patient and their families. We at Centerlife rely heavily on information. The first level of information we need to know is about the patient and his ailment and what actions have been taken to address the ailment. Second is their commitment to the care of the patient, as this determines how aggressively we can respond especially in cases of unexpected complications. Third is a little on the personal side – what are the patient’s habit, former activity, interests – those little things that might help us with the care of the patient, like easing minor aches or pains and boredom.

Each enrollment is a cooperative agreement between Centerlife and the patient’s family. When we receive the right information, Centerlife can adequately prepare for what is foreseeable in the care and treatment of the patient. But such preparations entail costs since we’ll be stocking up on medicines and delivery systems. What we would like the families to reciprocate to is the support of such preparations.  Their timely support will ensure that Centerlife is always prepared not just for the everyday care and treatment of their loved one, but any emergencies as well.

One thing Centerlife guarantees its patients, we’ll never compromise on their care but we will always find ways to keep things affordable. After all, any enrollment with Centerlife is treated as a relationship and we’ll honor that relationship by reducing any hardship for the patient and the patient’s family.