Nursing Home

This was a very fun trip. We were able to volunteer in the mornings and go on excursions in the afternoon. Costa Rica was a beautiful country to explore! The house was a little tight for the large amount of people in my group (18 plus two others from a different group). The area that the house is in is part of the community. Across the street there is a small bar and a place to pick up dinner. There are small grocery stores and a few places to get food within walking distance, but no place to actually go out for a sit-down meal.

At the nursing home I only wish we could do more. They are severely understaffed and many of the patients just need a little attention and to get out of bed on a daily basis. Even if you are not an expert in the healthcare field, you can make a difference in the lives of these patients. The nurses and physical therapist at the nursing home were more than happy to assist with anything we needed. HOWEVER, I would say that a background in Spanish is necessary. Hibiscus provides you with sheets of commonly used medical terms, but if it was not for my parter and volunteer translators, I would not have been able to effectively communicate/treat.

In all, I think this would be a very valuable experience for anybody in school with an interest in health care or a health care professional just looking to give back and vacation at the same time.