Nursing agency to provide home care

If you have to take care of a terminally ill family member or someone who is on continued treatment at home you know just how overwhelming the situation may become. A nursing agency hopes to assist those families with qualified nurses or care takers. The agency, which opened on Monday, is owned and managed by Leah Marshall a registered nurse for the past thirty-five years. Marshall, who has worked at both Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and Belize Medical Associates, says during her years of service it became obvious that the country needed a home care agency.

Leah Marshall, Owner, Belize Nursing Agency

“They can’t find a nurse to do home care, they would have to ring round and then get whoever they can find. Patients would stay in hospitals longer because they have to continue a series of treatment which has to be completed before they can go home. With the agency, it is possible they can continue this treatment at home and this will help to not only benefit the patient, it will also ease the strain of hospital beds and making it more possible for more beds for emergency admission.”

Q: “What specific services will the agency be offering?”

Leah Marshall

“We will be offering home care in a professional capacity or basic home care where you, lets say, you have a post operative case that you will go home and continue treatment with a professional nurse. Or it can be the elderly, sick who needs a care worker to look after them at different periods.”

According to Marshall it will cost fifteen dollars an hour for a registered nurse, ten dollars an hour for a practical nurse and five dollars an hour for a care giver. The Belize Nursing Agency is located at number thirteen Prince Street. For more information call 70951.