A Home-Visit, away from HOME

Categories: Care, Community Engagement, and Opinion.

Just a few days into joining Pallium India, and moving to Trivandrum, Kerala, I had the chance to go out on a field visit with the Home Care Team on Tuesday, 4th June, 2024. Pallium India established by the visionary anaesthesiologist Dr. M.R. Rajagopal, is one of the leading NGOs working in the domain of palliative and pain free care to patients, in India. I was a fish out of water here, with respect to the location of Kerala, the people, the language, the culture and of course a novice in the world of Palliative Sciences.

Irrespective of whichever department you belong, you get to accompany the Home Care Team in these field visits, atleast once a month. Hence, I planned for the same and took off with the team which was headed by Ms Dinu (Medical Nurse), Ms Hridi (Social Worker) and Mr Somen (Palliative Care Assistant).

I was told that in the first week of the month, the team goes out for free food kit distribution to the patients and their families, free medicines for those who are suffering from chronic ailments and have been a beneficiary of Pallium India. I was introduced to the entire Home Care team and after discussing the field plan and a morning prayer I noticed each team set out with their respective fleet of Pallium Vehicles. Inside the vehicle there were food kits, medicines, medical accessories, patient documents and records.

With me sitting by the window in the rear seat, I had the privilege of witnessing the scenic beauty of Kerala as the vehicle penetrated through the city and travelled the nearby hills with lush greenery crossing our path every now and then and small hut like houses and a blue skyline adding to the beauty of the view. We stopped midway at a roadside hotel for tea and moved on soon. As per the plan we were supposed to cover upto 7-8 homes within 14 link centres.

We visited numerous families whose patients have been our beneficiaries for a long time, and each house greeted us well with a sense of inquisition in their minds about my presence. Hridi, our Social worker, was kind enough to translate the conversations with the patients to me in English for my understanding, which I really appreciated.

We managed to cover around 8 homes and were surprised to witness the condition of the patients. While some were suffering from cancer, someone else’s leg was amputated in an accident.

Some elderly patients seemed to be bedridden with teary eyes as if waiting for our arrival.  Their houses were more or less located in difficult terrains, challenging pathways, including shrubs, muddy lanes etc. The age limit of the patients screened was between 35 to 75 years. The medical nurse screened every patient thoroughly, heard them out well, offered medicines as prescribed and required, the social worker recorded the patients’ conditions in detail in a mobile application and ensured to offer help. The food kits were handed over by Mr Somen, the Palliative Care Assistant. Each home had a story which struck an emotional chord in me every time I moved from one house to the other. I noticed how emotionally and in depth our team conversated with the patients. It looked as if they were a family and not representing any organisation.

I also saw the role of caregivers in a patient’s family suffering from chronic illness for a long time. Their patience, determination and act of serving and caring for their loved ones goes beyond words. I never knew that providing palliative care is so comprehensive, inclusive. Our approach was patient centric also including their family members. I saw medicines and prescribed drugs, lotions, which were lying on the bed and medical accessories in a few cases. Also, the brief hospitality of these families towards us, and their testimonials are certainly an anecdote to the great sustainable work that Pallium India has been successful in doing over the years. While travelling I learned that 7 vehicles reach 62 panchayats, 2 municipalities and Trivandrum corporation…7 days a week, which is quite a number. We stopped our vehicle for lunch on the way to our next visit. At the end we stopped in an old age home, to get an update about her condition and provide her with some medicines.

 

Finally, wrapping up our visit we again took the road meandering the tall coconut trees, few lakes and hills way back home.

A single visit isn’t enough, I look forward to many such visits. However, I am pretty sure with the continued dedication of our Home Care staff and team having a personal approach and patient centric vision, Pallium India can definitely put-up smiles on so many more patients’ and touch more lives with care and compassion.

 

 

About the Author:  

Mr Sayanditya Sen is an Assistant Manager – Resource Mobilization, at Pallium India, Trivandrum.

 

 

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