A Word from the President of Boquete Health and Hospice Foundation
With the successful fundraiser last November, the goals set for 2017, we knew that this year was going to be exciting and full of promise. Since February, we have given our website a fresh look, created a Facebook page, expanded our medical equipment for our loan bank and started a monthly newsletter to keep Boquete informed of who we are and what we do. At our May 13
th monthly meeting we showcased our new video about Boquete Health and Hospice.
All of the above has been initiated by our enthusiastic corps of volunteers and would not have happened without their selfless dedication to BHHF.
David Wulf
Are You Hurt? Sick? Need Medical Equipment? Equipment May Be Hard to Find -- or Too Expensive!! 
BHHF HAS A FREE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT LOAN PROGRAM.
In 2016, we loaned equipment -- wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen concentrators, crutches, walkers, bedside commodes, shower chairs, and other items -- to 135 people in the Boquete community. These clients used our equipment for a total of 408 months before returning the items to our storage locker. 26 % of the people who benefited from using these free loans were Panamanians -- we hope to increase their number through the community's awareness of our program. Our records for April 2017 show good progress in awareness about our free resources: Currently we have 24 items on loan to 14 Panamanian clients; 17 items are on loan to 14 English-speaking clients.
To request equipment, just call our Administrator's phone number -- 6781-9250 or send an e-mail to boquetehospice@gmail.com. There will be a conversation about your medical need, which can be done in either English or Spanish. In some cases, a visit to the home may be required to fully understand the medical situation. BHHF member volunteers will meet you at our storage unit in Alto Dorado to loan out the equipment; in some cases, like hospital beds, we will arrange delivery to the home.
If you, your family or friends are in need of this service at any time, we hope you will call on us. Using the right equipment can bring relief, comfort and shorten the healing time.
How We Help 
A Current and True Personal Story … What Boquete Health and Hospice Is There to do for YOU…. Life …. When you Are making Plans…. A story I wrote for my Husband By Erin Ross for her husband, Dave Ross. To My Dave: The Story of Your Stroke (because you say you have no memory of this). Sunday, January, 22, 2017 in our shower, you have a bleed in your brain. You said you felt dizzy and you lowered yourself to the floor of the shower. (You told me this later... the only thing you remember for about 2 months).
30 minutes later, struggling in 2 feet of water as your towel and body block the shower drain, ice cold water pours down on you.
You are not one to yell for help, so instead you struggle alone to get up and drag your head up from sinking.
You could have drowned.
The doors to the bathroom and closet area are shut.
Your wife hears your rescued pup, Ridley, barking ferociously, ferociously, in your bedroom. She goes to see why, annoyed at the barking… and realizes how much time has passed since you said "I'm going to take a shower". She calls you… no answer.
She bangs through the door. She wades into the shower pan, and holds a towel under your mouth because you are retching. She tries to lift you up. She thinks you have fallen. She wants to get a neighbor, but you say "No, I just need to get up". So you are talking. The two of you struggle for too long because your wife thinks you had just fallen, and you were moving your legs and talking.
When your wife finally gets you out of the shower and onto the bathroom floor, she asks "what happened"? You said "I am sitting on the bathroom floor and my right side is very weak".
The emergency bells ring in her head. She realizes you did not simply feel "dizzy".
Every Hemorrhagic Stroke is different.
We did not have any idea what was happening at first.
Our neighbors were caring, brilliant and steadfast.
Our Community swept waves of support, food, visits, technical care, therapy care our way.
Medical care was there at Mae Lewis. You spent 8 days in ICU and almost 2 months off and on in their Hospital rooms.
You are home now. In May 2017, you are regaining your strength, and mobility, although your great inquisitive brain and all its talents, are straining towards, and have difficulty regaining, clarity. You also have difficulty visually.
Today May 8th you were able to read a passage from a book aloud with our spiritual group.
Everyone applauded and hugged you.
Your humor, Spanish language and interpersonal skills never disappeared, amazingly.
Boquete… We are sharing our story for several reasons. ONE ... "life is what happens when you are making plans", and your life can be very different before you know it. At some point you grasp that and take care of what you need to do next.
TWO … Make SURE that Anyone who needs to know … Spouse, Partner, Child, etc. … has the important information re: Banks, Passwords,
All things required in Panama, also Instant money/credit cards/insurance to take care of Medical and other Bills. It will save many sleepless nights.
THREE … We cannot ever thank the Boquete Health and Hospice organization enough!! All Free of Charge … *** Delivered to our home … a wonderful comfortable hospital bed, a walker, a commode extender, a commode, many paper and pamper supplies. *** Visits day and night from caring supportive Volunteers, both in the Hospital and then at home *** Delicious food deliveries every other day from caring Volunteers *** Calls from the Nurse Administrator *** Assist with some Dr. /Hospital issues Thank You Boquete Neighbors, Friends, and especially Boquete Health and Hospice!! Dave and Erin Ross Residents of Boquete for 12 wonderful years , with many more to come. Save the Date! 
Did you know 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 fall each year? Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for people 65 and over. BHHF will do a presentation on Falls Prevention at the BCP Tuesday Market meeting on June 13th. Come learn the simple things you can do to prevent falling.
Boquete Health and Hospice has a new website. Be sure to check it out.
www.boquetehealth.org We also have a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/boqueteheartshandsandhelp/?ref=bookmarks Please Like our page and Share the contents with your friends and families.
To Contact Us Hospice/Health: 507.6781.9250
Blood Donor Program: 507.6590.2000
E-mail:
boquetehospice@gmail.com E-mail:
boquetehealth@gmail.com Confidentiality All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence.
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