Disaster Recovery- Elders, San Antonio Puerto Rico

Volunteers are very important distributing meals to our elderly persons participants.  They came to our kitchen to pick up the meals every Saturdays and Sundays and each week the participants receive a varied diet.  Some of volunteers are new and others have been doing volunteer service for months. 

We are very glad to see how university students decided to try and are now regulars.  An example of this:  two young ladies from the University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla Campus.  They said:  "We started last year to get related to the elderly needs and found the experience gratifying.  For this reason we continue doing voluntary service.  The elders are waiting for us with a smile and sometimes talk about their problems or how Proyecto La Nueva Esperanza helped them in an specific situation."

Our organization was able to provide transportation to medical appointments to some participants who do not have how to get to the doctor's office.  Otherwise, they will lose the opportunity to get a diagnosis or to follow up their health condition.  This is very important to maintain any condition stable.

Participants with special needs got blue pads, disposable diapers, nutritive shakes, diabetic shakes and basic needs articles.  As their income is low they are not able to buy them regularly. 

As a non-profit organization we need your help.  We are grateful for our donors and encourage everybody to support us as the elderly persons really needs attention because of their fragility.

Nutrition is very important for everyone and specially for the elderly.  The elders must change their nutritional habits because of several reasons:  they may lose their appetite, their teeth or health conditions requires a change in their diet.  Proyecto La Nueva Esperanza is aware that the elders and the relatives must know the appropriate way to deal with these changes.  The nurse who visits our participants provides orientation in this area as well as the importance of taking the prescribed medicines as indicated.  Our organization distributes the meals during the weekends taking the nutritional aspect seriously.  Each weekend the elders receive a different menu.  They can get rice, beans, meat, vegetables, pasta, mashed potatoes, salads. 

Our participants got a present during Christmas.  Along with their meal, they received a gift which included basic need articles:  a towel, tooth paste and brush, shampoo, hair conditioner, soap, deodorant.  The elders were surprised and happy with the present and expressed their gratitute.  We were pleased to see their faces, this detail represents how much we care for them, specially for those living alone.

Proyecto La Nueva Esperanza is committed to our mission to serve this disadvantage group because of their low income and age with its limitations.  Each donation means a lot to us and specially the elders, this means that they are not forgotten and that we care (the organization and donors).  

Many services were given to the elderly during the last three months.  We continue providing meals so that our participants can receive a nutritional and healthly food.  One of our participants told us about the meal she received describing it as "delicious".  Nutrition and prevention is very important for a good health and we were able to do so with the meal and medical equipment distribution.

A new volunteer, was able to share his experience distributing the meals.  This is what he said:  "I recently graduated from Biology at the University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla Campus.  In my free time, I enjoy helping people in the community.  As part of the Honor Program Committees I had visited home care centers for elders and abandoned children.  I learned about Proyecto La Nueva Esperanza as a non-profit institution that has the mission to improve the quality of life of a low-income population, specially the elderly.  This really caught my attention and decided to sign up for a day as a volunteer in the meal distribution.  The person in charge was glad to show me all the procedure.  After my first experience, I liked the way the elderly were treated and the happiness it brought to them, some with physical limitations, others health medical conditions.  The elderly showed their satisfaction with the meal service and expressed their gratitude.  This experience was definitely the determinant factor for me to be a frequent volunteer."

During this year we've been able to provide a new service to the elder by providing medical equipment  Many of our participants are fragile or with health conditions such as:  high blood pressure, diabetes, among others.  Some of them received medical equipment to monitor the blood pressure and glucose.  Instructions on how to use the equipment was given by the nurse to the elder and his/her family.  She  explained the importance of doing a check up regularly.  They were able to understand that this will help them to keep their illness in control or to avoid future health complications.  The nurse will monitor the elderly health conditions which will help us to evaluate how effective is our elderly program.

 We are grateful that we can improve our services thanks to our donors contributions.

Proyecto La Nueva Esperanza is aware of our elderly participants needs because the Case Manager visits them to inquire about their situation.  Nutritional, health and some basic ones are identified.  We want to express our gratitute to our volunteers who help us with the meal distribution during the weekends.  Nutrition is very important to keep in good health.  Since the beginning of January 2016 some students from the University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla Campus, has been doing this task.  They started motivated with their classes, got related with the service and elders and has been regular volunteers.  The students said that they are doing something positive for a group of our society that is growing and has several limitations both physical and economic.

Last month we delivered articles for some participants needs:  blue pads for bed and elderly diapers.  The participants received them with joy because they didn't have enough money to buy these articles.  These items are needed in a regular basis and made an impact in their low budget.

We also provided some items for their personal hygiene like soap, toothbrush and toothpaste.  The Social Security and the food coupons are our participants income and in some cases must decide between buying a medicine or any of these articles.   

Thanks to our donors we are able to supply our elderly needs so they can have a better quality of life.

The elderly has been receiving meals during the weekends thanks to our volunteer who distributes a lunch at the elderly homes.  We are very aware on how a balanced meal avoids malnutrition and other health problems.  Our organization prepares different menus for each day. Nutritional meals improves their energy, their quality of life of them. 

On May 8, 2016 was Mother's Day and  22 participants received a present bag which included a towel, a soap, a robe, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, tooth paste and brush.  They were very happy to receive it besides the meal.  Some of the participants said that it was the first present they received early that day.  We were happy to share a something  that shows that we care.

The Case Manager drove three (3) participants to medical appointments.  This service is provided to those who do not have someone to take them to the appoitment or because of the lack of transportation.  The Case Manager also went to some government offices to help seven (7) participants in the process related to the food coupons and health plan documentation.  

One of our male participant celebrate his birthday during this period.  A small present was given to him which included some basic necessities (towel, body wash, shaving foam and razors).

We appreciate a lot the support of our donors who can make possible that we continue providing these services.