Home care nursing service launched in Seychelles |14 December 2021
(L to R) Elcia Brutus, Anselma Edmond, Winnie Hoareau & Rose-May Gabriel
In August this year, a home care nursing service was set up, and was registered in Seychelles the following month under the name ‘Gabriel’s Angels Home Care Services’.
In the following interview, Seychelles NATION speaks to the manager and proprietor, Rose-May Gabriel, to learn about the home care services that will be offered to adults.
Seychelles NATION: Tell us a bit about yourself and your professional background.
Rose-May Gabriel: I recently returned to Seychelles, after working as a registered Nurse/Nurse Manager in England for 18 years. My speciality was working with the elderly, mainly in nursing homes and home care services, providing different type of services, mainly nursing and personal care.
Before migrating to England, working as a community-based nurse and midwife, I engaged extensively with my community. This included supporting people with cancer, HIV/Aids and various ailments and conditions, including the frail and elderly with multiple comorbidities.
Administering injections such as pain relief, sedation and anti-sickness to people in my community was a normal routine at the weekends, especially on Sundays after mass. This was done on a voluntary basis, supporting the community, as we do not have such services/support in the country.
My qualifications and experiences include:
- Registered Nurse (RN1) 33 years including 18 years in elderly care, dementia, essential palliative care and adults learning disability/high dependency service users
- Registered Midwife, Ministry of Health (MoH)
- Management and Leadership in Nursing (MoH/WHO)
- Mentorship – LEVEL 3 – students and Registered Nurses (Surrey University)
- LMSCS diploma - Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care (University of Surrey)
- Foundation Degree in Arts and Social Care (University of Surrey)
- People Handling & Risk Assessment and Key Trainers' Certificate
- Certificate in Essential Palliative Care, including end of life care and bereavement care (Princess Alice Hospice, Accredited by University of Surrey)
- Induction to Training {City & GUILDS}
- GSF-NHS-Gold standards Framework - Palliative care/Dying
- Registered Manager (CQC-Care Quality commission}.
Seychelles NATION: What led you to start offering home care services in Seychelles?
Rose-May Gabriel: There is a huge need for these kinds of services in the country and community at present. I really feel that such services will reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, which will eventually be less costly and will lead to less bed occupancy in the hospitals, mainly for out-of-hours and weekend admissions.
These services are very helpful to the community, as there is currently a gap in this area. There are currently no professional nursing services after working hours, including weekends. This includes the provision of palliative care services which is also not available outside normal working hours.
Seychelles NATION: Tell us all about Gabriel's Angels Home Care Services.
Rose-May Gabriel: Supporting our team, we have nurses working part-time including Elcia Brutus, Anselma Edmond and Winnie Hoareau. Other staff members include care managers, nursing assistants/home carers, and administrator/drivers.
We are committed to offering support to people who require care in order that they can continue their lives with dignity and independence, and thus remain fully part of their own communities.
Our mission is to enhance quality of life by enabling independence and control through professional, reliable and trustworthy care and support in the comfort and familiar surroundings of our customers’ own homes.
We will liaise closely with family members and other care professionals to ensure that the care provided meets our customers' needs and goals. Our clients will have access to support 7 days a week.
We aspire to deliver personal, innovative care packages. We offer flexible packages of support to suit individual needs, just when it is required.
Some of our objectives are:
- Assess needs, plan and deliver all support in a way that meets the needs of the individual and respects their individuality and their wishes.
- To protect our service users and staff from hazards and abuse while respecting their right to take measured risks.
- To build and maintain a stable, committed and highly-trained workforce.
- To ensure that the dignity and privacy of our clients is respected at all times.
Our motto is ‘Your home, your care, your choice!’ and our vision is to aspire to provide a partnership of care with individuals in their own home, with the highest quality services promoting choice, independence and dignity.
Gabriel’s Angels Home Care Services is fully committed to staff learning and development. All staff are to complete an induction process. Specific training is provided by skilled health professionals for service users with identified specialist needs.
Seychelles NATION: We understand that you offer a wide range of home care services. Tell us what these are and who can benefit from them.
Rose-May Gabriel: Details of tasks supported under these services include:
- Rising and retiring
- Continence Management
- Support to toileting needs/incontinences/skin care
- Mobility (includes assistance with settling to bed at night and getting up in the morning)
- Meal preparation
- Assisting with maintaining hydration and nutrition (cooking, meal preparation)
- Medication Supervision
- Prompting and administration of medications
- Support with social interaction/encourage at home activities/hobbies/card games/(trips) recreational/reminiscing
- Accessing community activities/Liaise with District Administration
- Household Management, including shopping, cleaning
- Assistance with feeding pets
- Reading and writing letters
- Sitting Services, including Night Sitting
- Companionship
- Relief of family members, for example if they are going out/social occasions/hospital appointments
We will also seek to provide family support, including bereavement support to the service-users and their families.
The level of care will be needs-based from as little as 2 hours per day, to round-the-clock service. We are looking forward to working with community nurses and with all other stakeholders.
The people we provide services for include:
- Adults 18 - 65 +/Frail elderly
- Adults with physical disabilities
- Adults with sensory loss including dual sensory/cognitive impairment
- Adults with terminal illnesses/palliative care
- Adults who are ill (other than terminal illness)
- Adults with dementia/adults with distress behaviour
- Adults needing mental health support other than dementia
- Adults with special needs/learning difficulties
- Adults recovering from illness, convalescing after hospital admission/surgery/Re- enablement
For more information, contact Gabriel’s Angels Home Care Services:
- Telephone (Office): 2 875 808 (Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 8 .00- 18.00 hrs)
- Telephone (Out of hours, 7 days a week/Weekends, 9.00 – 13.00 hrs): 2 723 152
F. P.
Photo sources: Rose-May Gabriel