Pusat Jagaan Jed ~ 6th day!!!

1st December 2012

Sixth day at home care. Everything went well. Mr. Raman was on leave for 1 week for his daughter's wedding. Mr. Sunther and I went to Penang to bring back a new patient to our home care. The person was staying at a old folks home in Penang. The family contacted Dr. Bala few days back and informed about the person. After agreed to the terms and conditions, the family asked Dr. Bala to send his workers to bring back the person to our home care as they are unable to send him here. We moved to Penang around 11.00 am. The old folks home is in the  mainland. We reached there around 2.00 pm. The person's family was waiting for us at the old folks home. The person was diagnosed to have schizophrenia and was sent to old folks home. He is uncontrollable at times and the old folks management have asked his family to send him to another home care. After get signature in the admission form from the new patient's family. We bring him back to Ipoh. It was 6.30 pm when we reached home care. It was a new experience for me. :-)

Pusat Jagaan Jed ~ 5th day!!!

30th November 2012

Fifth day at home care. Everything went well. There was a visitor came down form Penang to visit a patient. They had called us one day before and asked us to guide them to the home care. We were waiting for their call. Around 11.30 am we received call from them said they were waiting near Jusco. Mr. Sunther and I went to meet them. It is one of our duty, we need to guide the families that come to visit their family member at the home. In the evening, we brought a patients to clinic for check up. We wanted him to be admitted in the hospital. The patient went through a surgery on his right leg after broke his leg one week before. He never eat for the past two days since he is discharged. He vomited whatever food that he took even after Dr. Bala gave him medication. His condition is bad. After consulting with Dr. Bala we took him to the clinic. The doctor at the clinic checked him and said the medication that was given before will induce vomiting side effect. The doctor asked us to stop the medication. With the supporting letter from Dr. Bala regarding the patients condition, the doctor agreed to admit the patient in hospital. She gave a letter to admit him. We brought him to the emergency department and they admitted him at the semi-critical zone for further check ups. After that the patient was admitted in the ward. It was a long day, I went back home late. I learned the procedures of admitting patients in hospital. It really took a lot of time in government hospital.

Pusat Jagaan Jed ~ 4th day!!!

29th November 2012

Fourth day at home care. Everything went well. Nothing much i did on that day. We carried out our routine activities. Looking after the patients, prepare food for them and so on. Mr. Sunther and I went to grocery shop to buy some cooking stuff. And yeah that is all for that day!!!

Pusat Jagaan Jed ~ 3rd day!!!

28th November 2012

Third day at home care. Everything went well. It is Wednesday, some of the patients had doctors appointment. Morning we brought two patients to get their injection. After lunch we brought seven patients for doctors follow up. Each patient have a book for themselves, where all the appointment dates are written by the doctor. So it is easier for us to know the dates of appointment. After done with the clinic appointments, Mr. Raman and I went to bank to settle the bills.

Pusat Jagaan Jed ~ 2nd day!!!

27th November 2012

My second day at home care. I learned about how they manage all this patients. Giving them proper medications and doctor follow up is necessary to keep them under control. Around 10.30 am Mr. Raman and Mr. Sunther told we have to bring few patients to Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. I drove them together with two patients to the clinic. And after lunch we brought another two patients to the clinic. Psychiatric patients are needed to take injection once every month. And they are also given doctors appointment once every month, particularly on Wednesday, to observe their progress. Once every six months, these patients are given a psychiatric specialist appointment at the Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh. Other than that, patients with diabetes, blood pressure and other medical conditions are also be given doctors appointment. Our duty is to bring them for follow up on these days and get the prescribed medication for them from the pharmacy. At the home care, all the patients should be given medications at the correct time and make sure they take it. Some of these patients tend to throw away the medications that are given to them.

Pusat Jagaan Jed ~ 1st day!!!

26th November 2012

It was my first day at the home care. I traveled there by bike. The traffic was heavy as it is early morning everyone is rushing to work. I reached there by 9.00 am. I was welcomed by Mr. Raman, person in charge of the home care. There are two separate houses, the male and female home care, opposite to each other. Mr. Raman briefed me the do's and don't's that i should follow during my service there. I was working in the male home care. Three foreign workers from India are working at the home care; Mr. Sunther, Mr. Sethu and Mr. Rajendran. 

There are 46 patients in the male home care; 41 Chinese and 5 Indians. All of them are schizophrenia patients. Their activities should be observed all the time. They might have period of violent and uncontrollable behavior if not given proper medication. In case of rampage, the patient will be given medication and locked up in a room to avoid from harming others. Dried anchovies are brought from wholesaler to be cleaned. This is to create a situation of normal lifestyle for the patients. RM 70 is given for a sack of dried anchovies. The money they earn is used to buy food for the patients, any special orders such as fried noodles, roti canai and etc.  At free time they watch television, play cards and read newspapers. The doctor will visit them everyday from 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm. Their daily routine are well organized.

6.30 am ~ wake up

7.30 am ~ breakfast

8.00 am ~ medication

8.30 am ~ morning walk and exercise (12 people each time)

10.00 am ~ watch tv/clean dried anchovies

12.00 pm ~ lunch

12.30 pm ~ medication

1.00 pm ~ watch tv/clean dried anchovies

2.45 pm ~ tea time

6.00 pm ~ dinner

8.00 pm ~ medication and chinese tea

9.00 pm ~ off to bed

The first day went with only observation and nothing much i did. Mr. Raman asked me if i have a car license and told me that i will be needed to drive to market, grocery shops, banks and hospitals. After lunch Mr. Raman and Mr. Sunther brought me to the fish market. They showed the place and the fishmonger that they buy fishes regularly. They also showed the grocery shops.

That is all for the first day!!! :-)

Pusat Jagaan Jed

22nd November 2012

Being clueless of where to do my another eighteen days of community service. I met Dr. S. Balakumaran, a friend of my father, who is running a clinic in my town, Sungai Siput North. He is also the proprietor of Pusat Jagaan Jed, which is situated in Ipoh. Pusat Jagaan Jed provide home care for psychiatric patients. It is located about 29km from my house.

I explained Dr. Bala about my intention of volunteering myself to work at his home care for eighteen days. He was very glad to hear that and agreed to let me work there. He briefed me about the home care and the patients staying there. He added that i am not allowed to take any photographs with or within the home care compound as it is something to do with psychiatric patients.