 Contents of this Newsletter • Learn About Hospice's Incredible Medical Equipment Loan Program • Medical Equipment Loan Program Guidelines •. What If?....there's an emergency, are you prepared to help? • Equipment Recipient Thank You Letter • Community Education - Healthy Living Series • Be a Hero! Announcing our Next Blood Drive • A Special Note From Lesley Hughes Our Administrator • Our Mission
Boquete Health and Hospice Medical Equipment Loan Program Sometimes you find yourself in need of help. Maybe you had an accident, maybe you just had surgery. Or maybe your loved is at the end of life needing hospice care.
BHH developed our equipment loan program to help you when your life has taken a detour. Our inventory includes: wheel chairs, walkers, hospital beds, oxygen concentrators, canes and more – to support you for your short-termneed.
WHAT TO DO:
1. Call or WhatsApp our Administrator at 6781-9250. 8am to 8pm only!
2. The administrator does an assessment either over the phone or with a visit.
3. Hospital beds are delivered, perhaps with additional equipment. All other equipment is checked out at our storage locker. Arrangements are made for someone to come and meet one of our volunteers to pick up the equipment.
4. Because our inventory is limited, the equipment is on LOAN for 1 or 2 months only.
5. Kindly call or WhatsApp 6781-9250 to return the equipment so it is available for loan to others in need.
6. DONATIONS are greatly appreciated for this service. We use donations to buy new equipment and to store it. Storage currently costs us $200 a month.
7. Remember that we are not an emergency service. Our equipment loan team is a group of caring volunteers who will attempt to accommodate your needs in a timely fashion. In July we helped:
6 Panamanians with 7 items and did 5 home visits to set up or pick up equip
and 9 expats with 19 items and 4 home visit to pick up or deliver equip.
in July, the equipment team made 25 total trips to the locker to loan out items or to receive returned equipment.
Total year to 7/31/19 we have helped:
35 Pan with 51 items .... 43 home visits to pick up or deliver equipment
39 expats with 68 items 21 home visits to pick up or deliver equipment
Total equipment out in the community at the end of July:
27 Panamanians have 34 items
28 expats have 60 items
Total: 55 people have 94 items -------- 8 of 9 beds are in use
5 of 19 canes are in use
11 of 14 bedside commodes (BSC) are in use
9 of 13 crutches are in use
12 of 16 shower chairs are in use
21 of 35 walkers are in use
12 of 16 wheelchairs are in use (1 chair in locker is well used, 1 wide body, 1 has calf supports)
  
  
   Boquete Health and Hospice Respiratory equipment program
Boquete Health and Hospice has a variety of respiratory equipment that is hard to obtain in Panama and frequently requested by doctors and patients. All respiratory equipment is available for loan to both the expat and Panamanian community.
Most requested and needed is oxygen supply equipment for the home and portability. The organization currently has 15 home oxygen concentrators of which 8 are currently in service. These units make concentrated oxygen from room air and do not require any refills, like compressed gas oxygen cylinders, which are the only other available source of oxygen in Chiriqui. Boquete Health and Hospice also has three portable oxygen concentrators for special needs. These units are loaned out on a short-term basis when a patient is unable to travel to and from the doctors without supplemental oxygen. During this year Boquete Health and Hospice has placed 12 oxygen concentrators with 7 being returned for future placements. All disposable oxygen tubing and delivery systems are provided to the patient without cost. Boquete Health and Hospice has also supported two patients with portable oxygen concentrators to return to the United States. Both units were returned to Panama without incident. Patients with oxygen equipment are monitored by a respiratory team from Boquete Health and Hospice on a one to two month basis to evaluate use and ongoing need as well as checking the equipment for proper function.    Boquete Health and Hospice also has a supply of eight CPAP units that have been donated over time. These units are used to support nighttime breathing by patients with sleep apnea. The units are permanently placed with patients. The organization does not supply the disposable tubing and masks. Boquete Health and Hospice has placed four CPAP units so far this year, with one being returned.   Boquete Health and Hospice also provides nebulizer compressors for patients needing to do home respiratory medication treatments through inhalation directly into the lungs. The patients receive the disposable equipment from the doctor's office and our organization can provide the compressor. We have 9 compressors with 3 currently in use and two available at the office of our medical director, Dra. Digna Diaz. Please Donate in order to continue to provide our community services we ask for your assistance.
The equipment loan program is a very costly - for example $200/month just for storage, $1000 for each bed, and $2300 for an oxygen concentrator. If you can help, please donate. Click Here to Donate  Equipment Loan Policy Boquete Health and Hospice is a volunteer organization that has limited equipment and volunteers. Although we would like to help everyone that requests equipment, we restrict our SHORT TERM loans to residents in our service area based on:
1) assessment of the need
2) the availability of our volunteers
3) the availability of our inventory.
Respiratory equipment requests from outside our service area will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
If you need equipment you must call the administrator. Please only call between the following hours: 8am to 8pm - +507 6781-9250 Our Equipment Loan Program is limited to The District of Boquete 
  Though I have a genetic form of asthma that in my 70's is quite a challenge... because of the Boquete Hospice program that loans visitors a portable electric O2 machine, I am here , for a month, enjoying this magical place of beauty and peace. In late March, I fell while loading my groceries ( in Arlington, VA.) and suffered a severe compound fracture of my left ankle. Classified as a " highly traumatic" i njury...the doctor suggested , when I had sufficiently recovered, that I get away to a calm, peaceful place where I would still have help and support.
After over three months of surgery and rehab, my surgeon agreed to let me travel to Boquete. I was told I must have both a walker and a bath chair ( and of course an O2 machine). My daughter asked BH& Home Healthcare for help, and they promptly lent us all three of these vital tools to assist me. I was also told that "If I needed anything else while here... to please be sure to let them know."
This Team of caring compassionate individuals has made such a positive difference for me ... allowing me to continue both my physical and emotional healing in this , as I call it " Panamanian Garden of Eden!"
Thank you and may you continue to be blessed as you share your gifts of time and compassion to all here who need your help.
With great appreciation.... Jo Clem
What If?....there's an emergency, are you prepared to help? CPR Training has been a successful endeavor for BHH. Three classes under our belt already!
"Can you speak? Can you speak?" I hear no sound, but the frantic, bulging eyeballs of fear and the clutching of their neck speaks volumes to me! This person is choking! Do I know what to do next? Does the waiter know what to do or does he just turn his back and walk away?
Early intervention saves lives!
That is the intention, the goal for which the CPR Training program was birthed.
As we grow older, our teeth break, rot, fall out or get pulled out and replaced with bridges and dentures. Chewing can become difficult and painful. Dentures become loose and fit poorly as our gums shrink. All hazards that increase our chance of choking. How about during our wonderful opportunities for socializing in Boquete that distract us from paying attention to our eating habits. We talk, we laugh, we turn our heads and wave to our friends walking in...and oops, down the wrong pipe. Cough, cough, cough, no big deal. We do it all the time. But one day it could be the major choke. BE PREPARED!
Sign up for BHH's CPR program that includes training on recognizing someone is choking and how to assist that person best. It may only require you to encourage that person in their coughing attempts. Or move on to the next step...Heimlich maneuver or now generically known as the abdominal thrust (The AHA had a falling out with Dr. Heimlich and so essentially is not allowed to use the word Heimlich).
Sometimes the Heimlich Maneuver is unsuccessful and the person passes out. Now what do you do?
Stay tuned for the next episode in next month's BHH newsletter. Better yet, sign up for the next CPR class.
The September 12th class has 2 spots still available. The October 10th class has 6 spots available.
Both classes will start at 2:30 pm and take about 1 and 1⁄2 hrs. To request a spot email info@boquetehealth.org
We are planning our first Spanish-speaking CPR class November 14th, Thursday at 2:30 pm. Consider sending your housekeeper, gardener or your next-door neighbor. We are hoping that local restaurants will send their wait help, as the Heimlich maneuver can come in handy sometimes. We are working on training our translators in CPR, hoping to avoid the English to Spanish time constraints. If you would be interested in helping in this area, please notify BHH.
There will not be a December class, so if you are not able to attend one of the last 2019 CPR classes listed above, we will see you in the New Year.
BHH CPR Training is supported through donations at this time, so we ask for your special consideration in this area. Buying equipment and supplies is on-going.
Thank you all, especially the CPR Instructors who put all their time and talent into making this program successful.   
Be a Hero Save the Date
Community Education - Healthy Living Series  Diabetes: How Sweet it is: NOT Tuesday October 1 at the BCP Theater 10:30am
Linda Archer will present this topic. Linda has over 40 years of diverse experiences as an RN working in ICU, Critical Care, ER and a focus on cardiovascular. Prior to moving to Boquete, Linda taught nursing assistants at a career school. Linda serves as the Boquete Health and Hospice CPR Coordinator for training. Bring your questions.
  
A BIG thank you to Merl Will-Wallace for his July 30 presentation, "Meditation for Health and Happiness." And a hearty thank you to our volunteers Erin, Dave and BHH Ambassadors Shirley, Jeanie, Phyllis and any other members who attended.   Photos by Mike Weber
A Special Note From Lesley Hughes Our Administrator  Boquete Health and Hospice is such a wonderful, caring group of people. So many are involved in doing projects that will help our community and spread the word about what the organization is all about – Health Fair, Blood Drive, Lectures, BCP table.
There is also a fairly large group of people that work behind the scenes to bring health care to our population. Over the last few weeks I have been acting as interim administrator and have seen first hand how kind and generous the Equipment, Respiratory, Meal, Translating, Information, and medical/Administrative teams are.
Sela, Michael, Kat, Cat and Judy have gone above and beyond to help those who have called for help. A special thanks to Michael who made two trips to deliver equipment to a very sick patient, stayed to remove some of the cardboard recycling, drive a family member into town so they could get a rental car, and spend several hours helping the family when the patient got home from the hospital. Cat had delivered beds on the same day as requested and Judy and Kat have responded extremely promptly for the smaller equipment needs.
Merl and Michael who have delivered concentrators and nebulizers and made house calls. Without Merl's help, one of our patients, who was experiencing severe respiratory distress, may have died.
Beverly S. (and her meal team of Tamera, Jan, Evie, Molly and Tatiana) organized meals for two back-to-back cases with almost no warning.
Luis and Carmen who have helped out with translating needs. First while out of town in Panama City, and then Luis with one of our health care cases who needed translator help in David.
Joanie who is always willing to speak to people about "Being Prepared", even when they are out of our service area.
Liz and Bev T – always there to advise and answer questions.
Dra. Diaz who made a house call and, I believe, actually saved a patient's life.
These people, and others, sometimes don't get the recognition of a well-done job. I just want to say
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide palliative care for the terminally ill in order that they may experience death with dignity and limited pain; to inform and promote community health; and, to support people with health and wellness needs by providing information, equipment and volunteer services.
To Make a Donation
BHHF functions with donations provided by the community. If you are interested in supporting the work we do, please make a donation.
To make a financial contribution by check or cash contact Merl Will-Wallace,our treasurer,at dharma49@icloud.com to arrange a time and place to pick up your donation.
You can also click here to make an online Paypal donation.
For more information visit our website: http://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 family and friends.
Confidentiality
All patient information shared with any Boquete Health and Hospice volunteer is kept in the strictest confidence.
To Contact Us
Hospice/Health: (507) 6781-9250
8am to 8pm only, Please.
Blood Donor Program:
WhatApp (507)-6590-2000 or call (507) 6781-9250 8am to 8pm only, Please.
Email: boquetehospice@gmail.com
Email: boquetehealth@gmail.com | | | |
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