Peter Probst & Elena Probst, Founders, Mabuhaii Nursing Home Inc

A Place of Warmth, Comfort and Healing for Patients with Special Healthcare Needs

People say that old age is life’s second childhood, because growing old is a sensitive matter. As we grow old, we become increasingly vulnerable to illnesses because our immunity and strength may gradually weaken. So, elderly people genuinely require others to show them compassionate care, almost like the way a parent takes care of their child.

‘Mabuhaii Nursing Home Inc.’ is a boutique nursing home in the Philippines, rekindling the treatment of older patients with qualities like compassion, kindness, patience and love. The company was established by a mature couple Mr. Peter Probst and Mrs. Elena Probst, in Iloilo City, Philippines, in 2011. They are a group of specialized practitioners, caretakers and support staff living by the principles of compassion, kindness and empathy. They strive to ensure a high quality of life for elderly patients with special healthcare needs through holistic, compassionate and experienced care, often in a familial style living environment.

Exhaustive Support for Patients with Special Healthcare Needs

In 2011, Mr. and Mrs. Probst were on a vacation in the Philippines, as retirees from Germany. They really loved the local culture, especially of the Iloilo City. They recognized this as the perfect place to start a nursing home for patients with special needs. They established the company with the tagline “We care, the Filipino way”. The co-founders took inspiration from a very meaningful Filipino word ‘mabuhay’ expressing warmth, happiness and elation. They thus treat patients in the same spirit of the word ‘mabuhay’, combined with healthcare proficiency as well as compassionate care.

Mabuhaii Nursing Home wants to support elderly patients with all their healthcare necessities, within the comfort of their home or the company’s pleasant facilities and supported by the warmth of family-like compassionate care. These are their main services:

• Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care: The company has staff members masterfully trained and experienced to tend to the specialized needs of patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia,
• Long Term Care: They are well-equipped to help elderly patients live comfortably. Their own facilities’ natural environment helps patients feel at home and at peace. “To maintain patients’ quality of life, we provide compassionate individualized care. We understand that every person has different abilities and desires. We embrace each resident as a family member,” Mr. Probst says.
• Palliative Care: They yearn to give continual compassionate care for patients with chronic pain and anxiety conditions through palliative care. “We work in conjunction with the patients’ other doctors to provide lots of support. We are happy to care for patients of any age. We also welcome our guest’s family into our home to be as involved as desired,” Mr. Probst says.
• Short Term Care for Rehabilitation and Stroke Patients: In close cooperation with hospital partners, the company provides special treatment at hospitals or at their own nursing homes, especially for rehabilitation and stroke patients.
• Mental and Behavioural Health Care: Their inpatient program is designed to provide immediate care for adults having mental health challenges. “We want to stabilize our patients’ behavioural health conditions so that everyone is safe. We also want them to become normal so that they can transition back into their community easily,” Mr. Probst says. Here, patients receive personalized treatment plans encompassing diverse elements like cognitive behavioural therapy, medication guidance, life skills training, mental health education, anger management, creative activities and more.
• Assisted Living or Residential Care: This service is meant for seniors in need of help with dressing, bathing, eating or toileting but may not require medical care. “This service offers peace of mind to family members, knowing their loved one’s needs will not only be tended to, but they will be embraced as an elder in our home. We treat all of our guests with respect, dignity, and compassion,” Mr. Probst says.
• Adult Day Care for the Locals: They provide care for local adults in need of assistance or supervision during the day. “This offers relief to family members having other responsibilities or simply needing some downtime. They can be sure their relatives are well cared for, safe, and socially stimulated in the Mabuhaii Nursing Home. We also provide social activities, meals, recreation and health-related services,” Mr. Probst says.

A Genuine Approach to Winning Customers’ Trust

Within their organization, Mabuhaii Nursing Home practises four values: Mastery, Nurturing, Human Dignity and Integrity. To elaborate, ‘mastery’ represents the professional capability of their employees to ensure that patients receive good quality care. They believe in ‘nurturing’ their patients’ growth by fulfilling their every need, genuinely. They yearn to protect ‘human dignity’ regardless of patients’ past, race or creed. They uphold each patient’s ‘integrity’ and well-being through holistic care.

“We treat all our clients, patients, residents and their family as part of our Mabuhaii family. They are called by their first name, ‘nanay’, ‘tatay’, ‘mama’, ‘papa’, ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy’ just as they prefer. We are always there to listen to their stories. We sing, dance, paint and play together. We beautify the gardens and plant flowers. We want them to feel at home and loved,” Mr. Probst says. In addition, they practise therapeutic communication, observe their body language and slowly help them to understand the importance of taking medication too.

Thanks to a genuine approach to helping patients, the company has been building strong and trusted relationships with customers.

Creating a Bright Future

Anchored the company’s strong combination of healthcare proficiency and compassionate care, Mabuhaii Nursing Home has become a well-trusted home health service provider, in the context of the Philippines.

“We are ready to expand nationwide and even internationally. We have already established a satellite home in Liloan, Metro Cebu apart from the four residences that we have in Iloilo City. Our success is made possible through the dedication of everyone here. Mabuhaii Nursing Home is not just a place for the elderly but a HOME,” Mr. Probst concludes.