Caring for an elderly parent in Djibouti from abroad

Who will be your person on the ground?

Everything rests on one named person who lives near your parent: a brother, a cousin, a neighbour you trust. They drop by, go with your parent to appointments and call you as soon as something changes. Line up a back-up for when they travel or fall ill.

Put in writing what you are asking of them: how often they visit, what they can decide alone, how their expenses are repaid. Share it with your siblings.

What goes in the one-page health file?

One page, kept up to date, that any new doctor can read in a minute. Keep a paper copy by the phone at home, and a photo on your contact’s phone and on yours.

Ask your parent first. Paying for their care does not give you access to their medical information: your parent decides what is shared with you.

• Known conditions and the doctors who follow them
• Current medicines, with doses
• Allergies, past operations and hospital stays
• Their CNSS AMU or PASS card number
• A copy of their ID, and who to call

Which hospital for which problem?

Give this table to your contact. A consultation in a public emergency department is a flat 6,000 DJF, so leave them enough cash to cover it.

At night, this week’s duty pharmacy is listed on medyc.io/sante/pharmacie-de-garde, and every hospital in the country on medyc.io/sante/hopitaux.

How much should you budget, and what does the AMU or PASS card cover?

Check their cover first. Universal health insurance (AMU) covers retirees on a pension below 50,000 DJF a month free of charge, and PASS covers people with no income. With a card, care is covered at providers under agreement with the CNSS.

Without a card, public fees are low: 3,000 DJF for a consultation at a health centre or with a public specialist, 6,000 DJF in the emergency department (official 2017 tariffs). Private clinics display their prices at the entrance: ask for a written quote before a test or a hospital stay.

Send money through a bank, a transfer company or a D-Money or WAAFI wallet licensed by the Central Bank of Djibouti, and keep every receipt. Our guide to paying for a parent’s care in Djibouti compares these options.

How often should someone call and visit?

A short call on set days, a visit from your contact every week or two, a longer family catch-up every few months. That rhythm shows early what is changing: eating less, sleeping more, forgetting medicines, falling, losing the thread.

Note these changes for the doctor. If they pile up, make the visits more frequent.

Can a doctor come to the house?

Yes. In Djibouti City, Medyc arranges a doctor or nurse home visit from 5,000 DJF, and a video consultation from 3,000 DJF. The team also delivers medicines and books appointments at partner clinics, and you follow everything on WhatsApp at +253 77 04 12 12.