Meet Dr. Jumoke Odunsi, a Pioneer of the Health and Social Care Industry

Dr.JUMOKE pioneered the health and social care industry in Nigeria. She is

passionate about the care of the aged, enterprise and promoting Godly family values.

She is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Wellcare Home Medicals, the pioneer indigenous professional home-based caregiver company in Nigeria. Incorporated in 2005, the company is a proud winner of the Diamond Bank Bright Idea Project in 2007 for its brightest business ideas helping to ameliorate the plight of the elderly in the society,

Jumoke is also the founder and Managing Director of Nightingale’s Caregivers Academy; the first caregiving college devoted to nurturing professional caregivers to care for the old, frail, chronically ill and persons recuperating from accidents etc.

She conceived the idea to pioneer an entirely new Industry when many people did not give her a chance. Today however, through her dogged determination, she has blazed the trail which several organizations are now towing providing caregiving services.

Wellcare and Nightingale’s have trained over 1,500 individuals with diverse academic and managerial skills required in the art of caregiving over the years. Though many have moved on into other things, some have their own care giving companies/NGO, however a large number still work with the company till date as professional care givers. Wellcare has well over 200 staff today and still growing.

Wellcare Home Medicals is the first and leading professionally run Homecare Company in Nigeria. We provide quality in-home care for a wide range of clients across the country. Wellcare Home Medicals is known for caring for a loved one, especially those who are old, frail, suffering with chronic illnesses, or life-threatening diseases, the presence of a professionally trained healthcare provider can be a calming and soothing element for many people. In Nigeria, Wellcare Home Medicals Limited gives its clients the peace of mind they need when it comes to caring for a loved one.

Wellcare Home Medicals was established in 2005, For fifteen years, WellcareHome Medicals has offered quality service to seasoned dignitaries in the comfort of their homes, also Wellcare Home Medicals is a proud winner of the Diamond Bank Bright Idea project achievement. Since being established, Wellcare has been carefully managed by a group of industry professionals with Dr Jumoke Odunsi at the helm of decision-making affairs. All of the caregivers that work with Wellcare are carefully selected and vetted through a rigorous process to ensure that they are fully passionate, highly motivated, and trained with United Kingdom Care Modules. Senior doctors and healthcare providers also ensure that any new caregivers are fully supervised to ensure the total and complete safety of the clients themselves, who are at the centre of every interaction.

Wellcare Home Medicals has received laurels for distinguished service including the Development in Nigeria Award by DINMA in 2009 and Merit Award by the Alexander Brown Hall Students of the University College Hospital, Ibadan in 2012 for its sterling performances in the caregiving industry.

The visionary strategist is an Alumni of Fate Foundation; the leading not-for-profit organization promoting business and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria. Jumoke is a prolific and reputable speaker and has attended several business and professional trainings from distinguished institutions both in Nigeria and abroad. She also facilitates Caregiving and Palliative Management courses at Nightingale’s Caregivers Academy and other reputable establishments.

With about 24 years’ experience in medicine and caregiving, Jumoke did her professional internship at the premier University College Hospital, Ibadan, working as first line medical personnel under the supervision of resident doctors and consultants and rotated through the various units of the hospital. Jumoke served her fatherland as a Medical Officer at the Baptist Medical Centre, Ogbomosho; a mission based hospital established by American doctors, during National Youth Service Corps.

Wellcare offers an array of people-centred and home-based care to the elderly and frail members of society, as well as chronically ill individuals, and those with life-threatening illnesses. There are five key areas in which Wellcare works, which are nursing services, dementia care, elderly assistance, nursing assistance services, and palliative and hospice care. Each element offers something different, but equally outstanding. The nursing service is provided by registered nurses who are specially trained in domiciliary care for those who require ongoing medical care upon their discharge from the hospital, and they are supported by the nursing assistance services. This service is provided by personnel who are not registered nurses, but possess some form of medical training, akin to Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW), and Auxiliary Nurses.

The Dementia Care service is designed to improve the quality of care of persons with dementia, and therefore assist families in coping effectively with the care of their loved ones. Care assistants for the elderly simply takes the form of being present to help clients with whatever daily tasks they may have ahead of them, whilst the palliative and hospice care service is specialized for clients with life-threatening illnesses. It is designed to help both the client and the family during a critical period, and the service seeks to provide holistic support medically, spiritually, and psychologically, thereby preventing frequent hospitalization and stress.

When it comes to taking care of a loved one, comfort, privacy, and dignity are absolutely key. Nobody wants to feel like they are a burden to anyone, and the care provided by Wellcare is fully aware of this all-too-familiar feeling. That is why the service provided is affordable, personalised, and delivered in the patient’s own home to regenerate lives and give comfort right up until the end of life if necessary. All professionals ensure that they deliver quality service that is built on the foundation of preserving the integrity and dignity of life at all times. Staff are also subjected to training and retraining within the world of caregiving as well, to ensure that no patient ever has to go without the best care possible.

Healthcare and caregiving has advanced so much in recent years, with populations across the world living longer than ever before. As more and more people live longer and want to maintain their independence in their own home, the work of Wellcare in Nigeria is becoming even more important than it ever has been. Delivering services that are as crucial as they are caring, Wellcare is an outstanding example of how to do home care professionally in the comfort of the client’s home and we deliver palliative care right.