For Immediate Release: Medical Foster Home Program on Guam Seeks Caregivers

The definition of a MFH is a home that is owned or rented by the caregiver.  The caregiver lives in the home and provides 24-hour personal care and supervision to residents.  The home has 3 or fewer residents receiving care.  The Veterans living in the home receive health care from the Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) Program. 

The first MFH program started in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1999 followed by established sites in Tampa, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2004.  In 2008, Congress granted initiative expansion funds to 33 additional sites, Honolulu being one of them.  The program has been in operation in Hawaii since then.  There was an MFH on Guam in 2016 and we are now looking for more homes.   Nationally, there are currently 126 sites that have a MFH Program.  Additional sites are being considered for expansion of MFH.

As Guam has very limited options for long-term care, expansion of MFH there will greatly benefit Veterans, their families and potential caregivers. This program offers an alternative to nursing home placement and is for eligible Veterans seeking a home-like family environment as opposed to an institutional setting in which to receive their personal care and supervision.

Research has shown that although Veterans are eligible for nursing home placement, some of these Veterans choose to live in a MFH, even if the cost for MFH is paid through the Veteran’s benefits. Nationally, about 28% of Veterans in MFH are eligible for VA paid nursing home placement but opted to pay privately for MFH. There is an overall move toward community based services and least restrictive environments. This model of care supports this initiative.  It is hoped that we can offer an option for Veterans on Guam to include long-term care and respite care in MFH.

The MFH Program has been referred to as “Where Heroes Meet Angels”. The heroes are our Veterans who have served our country and deserve the best long-term care possible in the least restrictive environment. The angels are our caregivers who selflessly put in the time and effort to provide the care and supervision required by the Veteran and do so by welcoming them into their homes and having them become part of their families.

We are seeking potential caregivers with formal or informal experience for this program who can provide 24/7 personal care and supervision to Veterans in a home-like family environment in collaboration with the HBPC team. 

For additional information, please contact Rosemary Na’a, LCSW, MFH Coordinator at (808) 940-1322 or at Rosemary.Naa@va.gov.

-VA-

For more information: Amy Rohlfs, public affairs officer, VAPIHCS (808) 208-5544