Finding a safe home for our elderly loved ones is not an easy matter. And when you finally get the right one, with quality staff where your loved one feels respected and cared for with love, then you want to preserve it. This was this elderly facility care in Ponce, before it was destroyed by the earthquakes of January 2020, which have not received the necessary help to rebuild it, leaving 25 seniors without the home they cherished and that allowed them to live in dignity and love.
Withstanding drastic changes as a senior can have a detrimental impact in their wellbeing. We need to return these seniors to their home as soon as possible. However, this is a structure from 1912 which needs careful reconstruction to make it safe from future earthquakes, while preserving its beauty. This beauty is what attracts and fills its residents with great memories from their younger lives, contributing to the quality of care they receive in this senior center.
The Voluntariado de Ingenieros y Profesionales de Puerto Rico is providing all the technical assistance to inspect the building, structural engineering and architectural services and to ensure these seniors have a safer home. However, without donors like you, reconstruction would take years to complete and the risk for additional deterioration of the structure from current earthquakes still remains. With this project, we can bring these seniors back to their home, as soon as possible.
The impact of this project is two-fold. On one side, is bringing back these seniors to what they once called home and their extended family. According to research, this kind of environment can significantly improve their wellbeing and add years to their life. This will provide a safe home for these seniors and the ones to come. On the other side, this project addresses a challenge that colonial structures possess of building back stronger to withstand future risks while preserving its essence.
