CARING FOR THE CAREGIVERS IN OUR COMMUNITY

By Anne Brussok, DM, Clinic Manager

As Clinic Manager, every day I find myself moved by the deep religious faith and gratitude of our patients. Mrs. Jacinto and Mrs. Concepcion are two such inspirations. Hard-working caregivers originally from the Philippines and without health insurance, they are among the many healthcare providers who rely on the Clinic for their own primary and specialty care services.

Mrs. Jacinto and Mrs. Concepcion are members of the large community of Filipinos who work in local boardand-care facilities serving the elderly and disabled. Through both my personal experience with in-home caregiving (a compassionate Filipino nurse helped me care for my mother in the last days of her life) and conversations with Clinic patients like them, these dedicated professionals often live for long periods with those they care for, becoming extended members of their families while earning barely minimum wage. As a result, the caregivers we see are generally uninsured and come to the Clinic for high-quality treatment, medications, and other vital healthcare support.

One afternoon, in advance of her appointment at our Sutter Health Mobile Mammography Clinic, I asked Mrs. Jacinto if she was going to Mass at The Cathedral of Christ the Light, knowing she attends services anytime she comes in for an appointment. Mrs. Jacinto said of course, and that she was saying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary today. I gently said, “But today is Thursday, it’s the

Luminous Mysteries.” Maybe a touch of unintentional self-righteousness on my part, but Mrs. Jacinto quickly replied, “It doesn’t matter what day it is, I say the Rosary always and continuously.” She softly continued, “You know when I had COVID-19, I was so scared. We had to stay in a motel for two weeks and all I could do was walk around my room. Once a day, they would bring us all our food and a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) from the board-and-care home would check in on us. We couldn’t leave. All I could do was walk around my room repeating the Rosary.”

As I listened to Mrs. Jacinto that afternoon, words failed me as I tried to picture what it must have been like for her and her fellow caregivers during the pandemic. Words like quarantine, even imprisonment, came to mind. Caregivers working or living in small-group board-and-care homes were confined when anyone they worked with or in their care was diagnosed or suspected of having the coronavirus. These actions were taken to protect those who live in these residential facilities and who continued to receive dedicated around-theclock care by individuals like Mrs. Jacinto and Mrs. Concepcion throughout the pandemic.

Mrs. Concepcion used to spend her one day off each week with her patient’s family, who would bring her to the Clinic for appointments and to pick up her medication. When she lost this job during the pandemic, the Clinic provided her with free life-saving insulin while working with her to secure patient-assistance programs that would continue to supply the expensive diabetes medication she needs.

As Mrs. Jacinto and Mrs. Concepcion explain, part of being Filipino is to treat everyone like family. They and the many other caregivers I’ve met at the Clinic epitomize the Tagalog word “Pakikisama,” the Filipino value that means to get along, for the good of others and the community. It is a fundamental aspect of Filipino culture and a tenet that guides all their relationships. As they note, one never complains. Mrs. Jacinto and Mrs. Concepcion place their trust in Mary and Jesus in the ordinary rhythm of their lives, caring for their patients and others first, often at their own expense. They are an example for us all.

Who cares for the caregivers? We do, the Clinic does–with compassion, dignity, and honor.