Program Outcomes
There are 24 hogars (elder homes) located throughout Nicaragua. Pacific University has collaborated with 12 of these hogars, indicated by a yellow star on the map. (Click here if map is unclear)
Map of Nicaragua adapted from:
http://www.phonebookoftheworld.com/nicragua/mapofnicaragua.asp
Outcomes and Accomplishments
College of Health Professional (CHP) Participants
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Students: 67 Faculty & Staff: 12 |
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Optometry (OPT) Participants
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Students: 9 Faculty and Staff: 3 |
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Number of hogars (elder homes) with which we have collaborated |
12
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Direct Service |
Over 1500 hours of service to 560 older adults residing in elder homes and in the community |
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Professional Education & Caregiver Training |
Hours: 230 Participants: 194 |
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Community Meetings |
15 meetings with: Government officials, church officials, health care professionals, academic personnel, & community leaders |
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Donated Supplies: includes self-care products, rehabilitation equipment, medical & dental supplies, pharmaceuticals, and eyeglasses |
Over 6,000 lbs
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Sustainability
The Nicaragua initiative utilizes a community-based approach, endorsed by the World Health Organization, to facilitate sustainable care for elders by building social capacity for Nicaraguans to independently implement services and education. Efforts to achieve this goal focus on education and involvement of Nicaraguan government officials, health providers, health professional educators, community leaders and direct caregivers.
Listed below, is a sample of the positive outcomes achieved through implementation of a community-based approach:
- Residents of the elder home in Granada now receive monthly visits by a local gerontologist once a month and bi-weekly group exercise sessions led by a local physical therapist.
- Education in dementia care for caregivers working in elder homes has increased caregiver’s ability to manage challenging behaviors of elders experiencing this condition, resulting in a decrease of abusive strategies.
- Local community organizations have volunteered over 500 hours of service to:
- Improve the physical environmental living conditions of elders residing in homes
- Increase the participation of elders in health–promoting productive and leisure activities
- Collaboration with the nursing program of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma, located in Managua, Nicaragua, resulted in the incorporation of education specific to older adult health care into the nursing curriculum that includes on-going nursing student service to elders residing in local elder homes.
- Educational workshops for local health professionals and community leaders generated over 20 project ideas that have been or are in the process of being implemented within the local communities that they serve.