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The Four Homes of Mercy Of the Arab Orthodox Invalids Home Charitable
Society Tel: 02-6282076 Fax: 02-6274871 e-mail: (homes4@bezeqint.net) web Site (fourhomesofmercy.com |
The Four Homes of Mercy
is an independent, non-profit organization, which seeks, through the provision
of specialist services to meet the needs of people of complex neurological
disabilities resulting from damage to the brain or nervous system. This is 100-bedded center that provide unique
services to individuals of all ages. The
overall aim is to maintain patient abilities to enable them to enjoy as good a
quality of life as possible.
The organization has been through radical reorganization and we are in the process of building a strong and an enthusiastic team to provide a high quality service for this group of disabled individuals.
We believe that all
disabled people should have the opportunity to enjoy an optimal quality of
life, we work with other individuals and organizations to improve professional
knowledge and skills and to raise awareness of disability issues.
The Four Homes of Mercy
therefore seeks to:
·
Provide specialist clinical services which enable profoundly
disabled people to enjoy as good a quality of life as possible within the
elimination of their disability
·
Develop technological methods and social and recreational
programmes which enable profoundly disabled people to be as independent as
possible as well as the care of those who need rehabilitation and therapeutic
care.
·
Undertake research in basic science, clinical management and
epidemiologist relevant to profoundly disabled people.
·
Communicate with professionals and the public on improving
the disabled and the profoundly disabled people
We provide integrated
clinical and non-clinical services through the following team:
1- 24 hours nursing care
2- Full time
rehabilitation consultant
3- Part time pediatrician
4- Part time
neuro-psychiatrist
5- Part time dentist
6- Fully equipped
physiotherapy department
7- Fully equipped
occupational therapy department
8- Full time clinical
psychologist
9- Part time social
recreational officer
10-Support services on site:
a. Laundry
b. Catering
c. Domestic care
d. Gardening
e. Guard and driver
services
We currently have
ninety patients distributed through four wards:
·
Children’s ward: currently has 23 children ranging from the
age of 3 years up to the age of 12 years
·
Teen age young disabled ward: currently has 18 young
disabled residents ranging from the age of 13 years up to the age of 30 years
·
Adult male ward: currently has 26 patients up to the age of
90 years
·
Adult female ward currently has 28 patients up to the age of
94
We admit patients from
the entire West Bank and
Most of our patients come
from extremely poor background and their families are unable to contribute
anything towards the cost of their care.
The total contribution from patients and their families during the
year 2005 did not exceed 3.10% of the total cost of running the Homes. We rely hugely for our survival on donations
and projects funded from local and international organizations.
With the increasing
number of disabled persons this will become a priority area that requires much
attention and allocation of resources to meet not only the need of the Intifada
casualties but other people who are already registered disabled with the
Ministry of Social Welfare, this is estimated at 27000 people through out Gaza
and the West Bank.
1- The increase demand
for disability services is clear as the number of disabled people is on the
increase
2- The nature of
disability becomes too complex and requires specialized care
3- The closure of the
West Bank and
4- Those who received
acute care injuries are unable to reach a rehabilitation center for follow up treatment
particularly those who live in the southern part of the
5- The worsening economic
situation in the West Bank and
6- There are other
serious psychological effects from the intifada. Many children are affected with new
psychological conditions.
The FHOM (Four Homes of
Mercy) is going through a transitional period of service revision and
management restructuring. The FHOM
continue to be committed to provide care for those who have profound and
complex disabilities. While the FHOM is
working hard to ensure that appropriate care is provided for its 90 residents
and their quality of life is optimized within its available resources, the FHOM
like other institutions have been very much affected by the current contextual
changes
Access of families to
visit their loved ones at the FHOM; This
has become a big problem where almost all families are currently unable to
reach
·
We encourage residents to contact families through the
telephone and those who can’t communicate we update their families accordingly
·
We encourage local volunteers to visit residents and
participate in the existing social recreational activities such as reading
newspapers, knitting, or taking them out to the gardens.
·
Students from the nearby universities visit three times a
week and assist in different activities.
Some staff are unable
or are facing major difficulties to reach the Four Homes. Two of our staff from
The staff who come from
Ramallah are unable to get to work every day or if they do manage to get to
work they arrive very late as they get stopped at check points for long periods
or they have to walk long distances.
Possible
Solutions:
·
We have to rely on the good will of our local staff who live
in the vicinity to do extra shifts and cover for other staff. Even though this
is adding to the existing financial pressures.
·
We offer accommodations to staff and even we opened new
rooms to accommodate other staff to stay overnight, with no charge
·
We provide transport to four designated areas; Abu Dies,
Ramallah,
Vocational
Training for residents:
After careful assessment
with Life Gate (an international organization specialized in vocational
training for disabled people based in Beit Jala) it was agreed that Souma
Ahmad, Faisal, Afaf and Mahmoud will be suitable for vocational programmes. Unfortunately the staff at life gate are
unable to come to work and also we are unable to send the residents to Beit
Jala as it is not safe, in addition we need another vehicle to cope with
increasing demand on transporting staff.
We will continue to
evaluate the situation and are looking for possible solutions, no magic answer
just yet! However we built a small shop
in mid entrance, and Nemeh a resident patient will be the shop attendant,
selling chocolates, soft drinks and other items. Nemeh finds the shop fascinating and is
herself seen with a broad smile.
Meeting the existing
demand of those disabled during the Intifada
We are currently
discussing the possibility to open an outpatient clinic, using our existing
rehabilitation team to provide outpatient consultations for those who received
their acute rehabilitation at other centers and require follow up. We realize that there is at least 1000
persons in the area of
Financial
constraints:
The FHOM is committed to improve its services to residents within its existing resources. One can look at previous balance sheets and know that the resources are very humble. The FHOM relies mainly on generous donations and lately on some subsidy from the Palestine National Authority. The worsening of the economic situation is not helping anyone. The changes we made during the last six months added extra pressure on to the existing financial difficulties.
Additional staff cost was incurred as
follows:
The employment of 2
physiotherapist each @2500NIS monthly
The employment of one
occupational therapist @2500NIS monthly
The employment of Head
of Therapy services @3000
The employment of a
neuro-psychiatrist one day a week @1500
The employment of a
neuro-rehabilitation consultant
Three days a week @4000
Employment of a
clinical nurse supervisor @2500
Employment
of 2 practical nurses each @1500NIS monthly
Employment
of 3 aid nurses each @1200NIS monthly
Employment of head of
catering and housekeeping @3000
Employment
of a sewing lady @1500
Two
more occupational therapists each @2500NIS monthly
One psychologist @2500
One social worker @2500
One speech and language
therapist @4000
Subtotal
34,700
We purchased the basic
necessary equipment for the patient’s dayrooms such as tables, TV and
recreational games. We also purchased
new stainless steel display units for the new staff dining room.
We are still in great
and urgent need to purchase at least 50 new wheel chairs @ least US$1000 each
(total US$ 50,000)
Medical, nursing
apparatus and rehabilitation equipment.
We are still short on the basic necessities. We applied to the Welfare association to help
us but we are still awaiting their decision.
We continue to effectively
make good use of existing space and have converted utility rooms
for the use of residents. We just
completed the work of converting two small rooms in the children section to
become a bigger room which will be used as physiotherapy room for children and
young disabled ones. The conversion only
cost us 4000
We installed a new hot
water boiler to provide continuous hot water for residents, at a total cost of
US$12000
We repaired the existing
washing machines at a total cost of 4000
We upgraded the lounge
and the main entrance at a cost of 50000
We upgraded the men's
& women's ward with the help of Welfare Association
Building safety wall
and railings around the children gardens at a cost of 5000
Building a safety wall
and a safety railing around the external gardens at a cost of 15000
We built a ramp for residents to reach the back garden at a cost of
10000
Repair of the paths
around the FHOM at a cost of 10000
Despite the efficiency
measures we are taking, we are still unable to meet the following outstanding
bills:
Diapers NIS55125
for three months
Diesel Oil (crude)
Electricity
Water
Gas
Employee insurance NIS12000
a year
Telephone
As well as the extra cost of
needed extra staff NIS16000
Monthly
Deficit subtotal: 67,975
Outstanding projects
Renovating the
children’s ward:
The children’s ward was
not originally designed to cater for children with severe and complex
disabilities. The bathrooms, clinical
and activity areas are not suitable for children with this kind of
disability. The ward is also in need of
essential equipment and materials such as shower trolleys, bed-steads and beds
to fit and other furniture. Please see
below a list of urgent needs for the children’s ward.
Structural modification
and rehabilitation to suit the needs of disabled children will require
construction, decorating, electrical rewiring, installation of false ceiling
work through out the ward. The work is
estimated at US$70000.
Purchasing costs of
bed-steads at least 25 beds @US$1200 each.
A total cost of US$30000
Purchasing shower
trolleys at least 4 @US$1500 each, a total cost of US$6000
Total of renovating the
children’s ward is US$150000
1- Renewal of
the existing kitchen
The present main kitchen is in need of radical renewal and updating to
meet the health and safety guidelines
·
The existing
refrigeration and freezing systems are old and not functioning properly, they
need replacement urgently
·
All wooden surfaces and cupboards need to be replaced by
stainless steel surfaces
·
There is need to replace the existing electrical wiring
·
New decoration, painting and installing doors and windows in
the kitchen compound
The estimated total cost is between US$65000 and US$75000. More detailed specifications is available on request.
While there is a general
feeling among staff, residents, families, professional and other institutions
that there is a marked improvement at the FHOM, we have to be realistic and
objective about the current changes and future plans within the current
unstable political and economical situations.
We are certainly proud that the
FHOM is still functioning and strengthening its operations. Still we
realize the challenges ahead.
We are currently
viewing our performance indicators with all our staff and we need to
objectively measure our successes. This
is certainly necessary for us at an operational level to ensure that we are
running effective and efficient services and for the committee and donors to
ensure that they are getting good value for their money.
One of the most obvious
indicators is the feedback we receive from residents, families and other
professionals who visit the Homes. These
can be summarized as follows:
1- There is marked
improvement in the physical health of residents as one visitor said (at last
their facial muscles are moving and smiling).
2- Residents have become
more assertive and realize that they have a say, each section has a
representative and every two weeks they present me with their list of
suggestions and concerns.
3- Families show more
interest and have become more involved in the well being of residents, at least
those who are close by
4- We work very closely
with the local community and are interacting with community based programmes,
we just admitted a 30 year old man who has been left in a room of his, totally
isolated, with no food, cover or personal hygiene attend to. He has 7 brothers and sisters and both his
mother and father are unable to cope.
The whole family have two rooms to live in. We admitted the young man and we certainly
see the drastic improvement in his well being.
We are currently writing a case study about him with videotape. Once finished I shall send you copies.
5- Young Mohammad in the
childrens’ ward who came to us totally unable to walk, now is walking with help
of a walking aid, this is a result of intensive rehabilitation. Mohammad soon will be able to go home and
live a normal life with his family.
Unfortunately his family is in
6- There is a sense of professionalism
among all staff, they apply themselves to their patients and certainly we can
see improvement among all patients in the following areas:
·
Mobility and proper use of wheelchairs
·
5 patients have been trained to feed themselves
·
Straps are being used
to position patients
·
Rehabilitation of Nema who is now keen to be in charge of
the shop at the FHOM
·
Personal hygiene of patients, they are washed, cleaned and
dressed in a professional manner and individualized way
·
Meals are arranged around patients time and needs. Food is cooked and presented in a nice
civilized manner
·
Residents are encouraged to get out and enjoy the garden,
also go out shopping. If need requires
knowing that the road is presently under construction
·
We are working closely with other institutions and Ministry
of health and Social Welfare and participate fully and even take the lead in
drafting national policies on disability management.
The FHOM had made a
good and steady progress during the last 6 months. There is a sense of harmony a certain amount
of professionalism and commitment.
There is one special
person who has an extraordinary faith and I am sure the Lord is listening to
her prayers. She continues to be the
candle that lights our road through this time of change and challenge. We in return ask the Lord to give her the
health and strength to keep the Homes open.
Dr.Ibrahim
El Ziq
General Director
The
Four Homes of Mercy