Octavia Waight is a beautiful assisted living home less than a 10 minute drive from town. We spent 3 hours interacting with the residents. We helped make lunch, played bingo with them, and even assisted with physical therapy. I spent most of my time getting to know some incredible individuals. Bridgette, a very soft spoken women, slowly opened up to me and shared about her likes, dislikes, family, and her struggle to cope with loneliness and a loss of independence. It was sad to see her reach tears as she expressed disappointment at how little her family is able to visit her.
I think our time with the residents really made a difference. Bridgette grabbed my hand as I left and asked why I had to go. I told her of our future plans and promised to think of her when we sit on the beach later in the trip. She told me the seaside was one of her favorite places to be and she was sad she could no longer enjoy it. I responded by suggesting that every breeze was the ocean letting her know it hadn't forgotten her.
We toured one of only a couple hospitals in San Ignacio. Translating to "The Light on Top of the Hill," it serves as an alternative to the public hospital that many Belizeans put less trust into. It was very interesting to see such a different standard of healthcare from the United States. Though currently being updated, the majority of the building was unairconditioned. Perhaps the most interesting part of the day was organizing their storage facility. It was suprising to see detiorating equipment mixed with supposedly sterile dressings in a dusty, bat-infested shed. It was evident that the hospital was doing its best to utilize the resources provided. However loads of items were either outdated or were not practical for the staff.
Very advanced record keeping
Apparently in Belize it's a concern that someone may enter an operating room without even wearing shoes
A standard room
A maybe not so comforting environment for birthing
Unconventional hospital kitchen