Mary Ndururi pours her heart and soul into her work.
For over 15 years, she and her husband have been caregiver industry professionals, dedicated to supporting both older adults and adults with developmental, physical or mental health disabilities, who can no longer care for themselves in their own home. For the last four of those years, they have served as adult care home providers in Multnomah County.
“It’s like being a doctor; you can’t do it if you don’t love it,” she explains.
Ndururi and her team provide a range of essential services to their clients, who have diverse needs but are all treated the same — with the utmost care and respect. Services can include medication management, meal preparation, housekeeping and laundry, and arranging transportation for appointments and activities.
Cooking for the adults under her care, especially preparing healthy meals, is one of Mary’s favorite roles. “We eat well — no junk food.” However, she happily accommodates special requests like pizza.
“We often take clients with us to buy groceries,” she says. But it doesn’t stop there, as clients are also taken “to social events if they wish, weddings or even trips to Seattle.”
Multnomah County oversees a robust Adult Care Home Program for aging adults and people with disabilities. The independently owned, licensed, single-family residences offer 24-hour care for up to five adult residents in a home-like setting within residential neighborhoods. They provide individualized care while supporting and honoring each resident’s independence, cultural needs, preferences and choices.
The County program licenses and inspects care homes, ensuring residents can continue to live full lives with appropriate support in a safe and comfortable environment. The program also provides continued education opportunities, including a biannual Adult Care Home Conference.
“We are doing exactly what I would do for my parents; that’s how we approach it every day,” says Vicky Stana, another local provider. “We ask them daily what they would like and how we can make their day better.”
Like the Ndururis, Stana and her husband have also been adult care home providers for many years.
“It’s like an ordinary home, only our clients are treated like family, and they are all treated the same despite having different care needs,” said Vicky.
Residents have the freedom to control their own schedules and activities, enjoy shared spaces, and spend time with pets.
“Little things can make their day better," said Stana. “I have a client who asks me to tuck her in every night. She won’t go to sleep until I bring a warm blanket and tuck her in. Being a caregiver means you have to be selfless.
“As a provider and caregiver, it’s absolutely important to maintain and encourage the independence and dignity of residents as much as possible and to promote their health and well-being.”
For families and community members, finding a caregiver or a care home is often a daunting challenge — emotionally and financially — and not a decision that’s approached lightly. It can often be accompanied by great anxiety and uncertainty.
Multnomah County’s placement specialist can help community members who pay privately or use Medicaid.
“A lot of times, the general public will go on our website and look at options for their loved ones,” said Arthur Pittman, an Adult Care Home Program placement specialist.
“They’ll call our number and I’ll handle the placement referrals. When I get those calls, I assess their care needs.”
Once Pittman gains an understanding of what the individual’s needs are and the level of care they will require, he reaches out to providers about vacancies. The families can then visit the available homes to see if they would be a good fit for their loved ones.
Both Pittman and County experts recommend visiting at least three different care homes in person and being honest about their loved one’s behaviors, care needs and medical conditions.
Not every home is the right fit, and the process can be challenging, but the effort is ideally, and often, worthwhile.
“Any time I can successfully place someone, I always see the benefit and appreciate the thank yous and callbacks about how well things are going," said Pittman. “I’m happy for those individuals because I know how difficult it can be, especially for their loved ones.”
Those in the industry have witnessed people thrive.
“Nobody forces us to do this; we do it because we want to,” said Mary Ndururi. “They are human beings, and we care for them as [if] there’s no tomorrow.”
“It’s natural. I don’t feel like I’m working,” said Stana. “It’s just like any day: you wake up and make coffee, and they each tell you how their night was and ask what’s for breakfast.
We respect their dignity, their privacy, and we try to make them as independent as possible.”
For more information about Multnomah County’s Adult Care Homes, visit multco.us/programs/adult-care-home-information.
To learn about placements, call 503-988-3000.
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