Today we had a beautiful start to our morning. We got to wake up to the sunrise this morning. Sunrises are beautiful but there was something so peaceful to it this morning. People were unpacking for their beach day with the beautiful blue ocean in the back.
We headed out to Maris Stella. It is a nursing home in Aruba that was build in 1954. We were able to receive better education on nursing home and care for elders in Aruba. We learned that illness prevention is not nearly emphasized enough like in the United States. In the US we lay emphasis on prevention and educating our patients.
- In the United States we have primary and specialty care. In Aruba they have 1st line of healthcare which would include physicians, family doctors etc. 2nd line of healthcare would include their specialties.
- We learned that the government does not have an obligation to care for the elderly instead these nursing homes only receive a lump s of money to provide and care for the elder.
- In the US we are privileged enough to provide most nursing home residents with a single room consisting of a bed, bathroom and closet space. In Maris Stella they have a double room, consisting only of one bed per patient and some storage space.
After delicious lunch we were invited to speak to the founder of jump 18. It’s an Aruban childhood prevention program. There are several components of this program which include doctors visits, physical therapy if needed, meal plans, physical activity etc. In this program 18 children would accepted every 6 months where they to try to educate and help the child change their lifestyle for the better. The parents and involved by attending doctor visits and workouts. Jump 18 fully relies on sponsors and is not government funded. There is a big population on the island that suffers with hypertension and obesity, and it’s their mission to help the younger population by adapting the healthier lifestyle. We went down to the beach to go play dodgeball with them while the sun was starting to set on the beach. It was so heartwarming to see the parents waiting there while the kids warm up, stretch and play some type of sport for an hour.
See you tomorrow!
Looks like you all had the chance to meet up with older and younger population of Aruba already! Wish you the best of the remaining time in Aruba! Someone said the food was delicious, but I did not read what you ate. Please share about food you have eaten. Have you tried Aloe or any other medicinal plants?
Sachiko
We learned a lot about natural healing plants on our visit to Arikok National Park. For instance the bringa mosa plant leaves can be rubbed on the sking to relieve itching while its roots can be boiled to relive a sore throat.
We did not consume any aloe but we certainly tried out many of the products that use aloe as a base for skin care, protection frim the sun and relief from sunburn.
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