As Dubai's population and demands continue to surge, the healthcare needs of the society are also growing in tandem. Studies indicate that comfortable and familiar surroundings of a patient's own home can maximise the healing process, reduce recovery times and increase the overall wellbeing of patients.

Professional at-home healthcare services are addressing the changing needs of the community - from post-operative and palliative care to maternity care and elderly assistance.

Two women are working to revolutionise healthcare in home settings in the UAE to increase the overall wellbeing of a demanding population.

Dr Yasmine Torkamani, founder and CEO of Sublime Home Healthcare, noticed a gap in the market for accessible and affordable home care services for both expatriates and UAE nationals alike, with an increasingly ageing population in Dubai and many parents who balance a family life and a full-time job.

Licensed by the Dubai Health Authority, Sublime Home Healthcare has been operating in Dubai since 2012 and provides a complete range of professional home healthcare services.

"Home care - whether short or long-term - is a fast-growing sector in the healthcare industry and reflects Dubai's evolving demographics, from higher birth rates to longer life expectancy," she said.

In the UAE, there are over 40,000 residents aged 60 and above and this figure will rise by 20 per cent by 2020.

'Lifestyle diseases', such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, are on the rise, requiring tailored medical solutions.

Also, according to the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, female UAE nationals now account for nearly 60 per cent of the workforce in a number of fields (including healthcare, IT, law, government and academia) which means that many working women now require increased support such as post-natal care or help for elderly family members.

"When given the choice, most patients and their families would choose ongoing treatment or recovery in the comfortable, convenient and relaxing surroundings of their own home, compared to a traditional clinical setting," she said.

"We are able to give Dubai residents this choice - providing a bespoke level of care at home across a wide range of fields and specialisations," she added.

Also when it comes to medical tourism, patients need nurses to provide them with medical care while they are recovering in their hotel rooms. The team of nurses provide a range of therapies including pain management and post-operative rehabilitation - all administered at home 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Similarly, Lily Kandalaft, founder and CEO of Malaak Mama & Baby Care, came up with a maternity focused agency. Born in Jordan and raised in the UAE, Lily, a mother of two boys, realised the gap in postnatal care in the region after she had her first baby in 2013.  That was when she launched Malaak, a maternity nursing, and baby-sitting service to help support women through their parenting journey.

Malaak offers newborn care, maternity nursing, breast-feeding support, sleep training, postnatal home visits, professional baby-sitting and child development. "Launching Malaak was very personal for me and I developed the concept as a direct result of being an exhausted mum with a newborn, and feeling like there was a lack of qualified at-home support available," she said.

Cecile de Scally, lead midwife educator, hosts a wide range of classes and workshops on various topics, from prenatal sessions and hypno-birthing workshops, to post-natal sleep support, sleep training consultations, baby massage techniques, and breast-feeding expertise. "Being a new parent is such a wonderful thing, but we cannot and should not pretend that it's always easy; that's why I am so passionate about working with other parents to ensure they receive the best kind of help when they need it the most.

"Our maternity nurses receive incredible feedback on a daily basis and we know what a huge impact they can have on a family's wellbeing, whether they are full-time or just there to babysit during a much needed night off."

Source: Khaleej Times