The sister missionaries asked us one day if we would like to go with them to Santa Casa -- a home for the elderly (lar de idosos) -- and help them in their weekly volunteer service. It was a fun hour -- we helped the residents play UNO on a huge table. All the cards were face up in front of them and we would help them choose what to play. There wasn't much strategy going on and no matching or stacking!! Then they went to help feed lunch to the bedridden patients and we went home.
We talked about it and decided that was something we could do -- 2 hours, once a week. So, we put in our application. The director was a little unsure about me and my apparent lack of fluent Portuguese. But they accepted us anyway!!
This is the main building. There is an L-wing in the back. If you walk past the building you will come to a rotunda and our Angra church building is on the opposite side of the rotunda. On rainy days or days we are late, we can drive the car, park for free in the church parking lot and walk to the nursing home.
Santa Casa da Misericórdia has been in existence almost from the beginnings of settlement on Terceira.
Obviously, the current building is not an original building, but the crumbling walls and buildings of the more ancient buildings surround the block.
This is the view from the second story into the vegetable garden. This is early in the Spring and the plants are just starting to grow.
This view is to the right of the above. You can see the remains of an old hospital. The Misericórdia organization is associated with the original Angra hospital and this old one behind Santa Casa. This hospital was replaced by the one across the street from our chapel, very close to Santa Casa, which has since been shut down and replaced by the new hospital way up the hill. We were told that this old hospital was severely damaged in the earthquake of 1980 (not so long ago!!) but was already on it's way out of service.
We had to wait several weeks for our request to be approved and us cleared for service, but finally began volunteering in January going on Friday mornings from 10-12.
The yellow batas are for the more experienced volunteers.
The batas are kept in a locked 'closet' for the volunteers. That gives us a place to put our own coats, purses, bags etc. where it is safe.
We spend the first hour helping the full-time care or bedridden patients to drink a small cup of herbal tea. That is challenging because they don't swallow well and if you give it to them too fast, using a little sippy cup, they begin to choke and cough. We have a thickener to mix with the tea to help them swallow easier.
Lúcia (on left) and Deolinda are our mentors and fellow workers. The older woman is a resident that can get out of bed and sit in a chair. We offer the tea to everyone -- She probably will drink it herself!
Here we are, in our batas and with the 'tea cart'. We usually get 2 pitchers of hopefully not too hot herbal tea. Sometimes it is hotter than the patients would like, and we pour tea from one glass to another until it is cool enough.
About half way through the patients!! We serve tea in 2 hallways. Sometimes the residents are so asleep, we can't wake them up. Others don't want any or don't drink all that is in the cup (The cups on the lower shelf are the used ones)
Most don't say anything. Sometimes it is just a nod yes or a nod no when we ask if they want some tea. Occasionally, there is 1-2 who like to -- and can -- converse.
Ana is a member of our Angra Branch and works at the Santa Casa as an aide. We usually see her every Friday as the enfermaria (the wing that needs constant nursing care) where we volunteer is her assigned area.
She is also a mother of 3 children, their family has been to the temple and sealed. She is currently a counselor in the Young Women organization. Her youngest daughter just got baptized at 8 years old.
During the second hour, we go around visiting the many residents in the corridors and sitting rooms. They like to talk, and I try to carry on some sort of conversation. Dennis does much better. We decided they just like to have someone interested in them.
They also have a van that seats 9 or so people. One day, we were asked to go to the day adult center in São Bartolemeu to help with a musical rhythm program that was going to be presented. There were about 6 of us plus the volunteer director who went in the van.
They provide many such activities. On Fridays when we finish helping with the tea cart, there is an exercise class, just helping them to keep some mobility. The exercises are done sitting in the chairs, which for some is still a challenge! Or last week, it was a group playing bingo (black-out). We stayed to help, though most of them were fine.
They have a small computer lab -- about 8-9 computers. Some have keyboard with LARGE keys that make it easier for them to see the letters. Many come to listen to music and/or watch music videos, or sports. One woman is active on Facebook, keeping in touch with her family.
Growing old, while inevitable, is not easy!! We appreciate the care and concern that the patients get from the workers. Every soul is precious!!
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