Saint Gabriel Shelter
On November 24, 2000, Lisbeth Quesada Tristán, MD created Saint Gabriel Shelter, as a result of 13 years of the Pro Palliative Care Unit Foundation work, pioneering in Costa Rica and Latin America in the development and implementation of pediatric palliative cares.
Saint Gabriel Shelter is in a property bought by this Foundation presided by Quesada Tristán, MD, thus integrating the Foundation's patrimony and summarizing the effort of thousands of people who, through their work and donations, make possible to take a little relief and peace to those who suffer
Saint Gabriel Shelter is an intermediate place between the house and the hospital, for the attention of children with limited life conditions: children with chronic diseases that are not yet in the final stage of their disease, that are going to pass away, but that, probably, will still spend some time before it happens. In this way the life quality of children and adolescents with progressive advanced diseases, with no healing possibilities or in a final stage, improves.
From its opening in November, 2000 up to May, 2003:
More than 1800 children and adolescents with limited life conditions have been taken care of.
More than 3500 relatives of these children and teenagers have been taken care of.
More than 5500 hot meals have been served in the Shelter.
More than 1500 patients and their families have been transported in the
Shelter's ambulance.
Specialized equipment like beds, concentrators of oxygen, tanks nebulizers, and infusion pumps have been provided at home to more than
800 children and teenagers.
More than 1800 home visits have been done, including remote zones, as
our patient home attention program covers all the national territory.
More than 500 daily nourishing aids have been given to patients with little economic resources.
More than 850 special aids like medicines, plumbs, Ensure, have been given to children and adolescents with limited economic resources.
And the most important accomplishment has been "to improve the quality of life of these children and adolescents, as well as their families".
San Gabriel's Shelter is an organized and efficient attention option for children and adolescents that is not their house nor the hospital. Children come to be evaluated, to be observed, medicated, so that simple medical procedures are made as medication adjustment, and mainly, to have a good time as far as their possibilities allow them to.
Customized Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual attention is offered for the patients, their parents, brothers and sisters who need it. The shelter has a playroom, a sensorial stimulation room, a hydrotherapy bath, beds and individualized attention by our interdisciplinary team, plus the volunteers team, who take care of the children and program them activities according to their possibilities.
The group of volunteers is trained and supervised by the interdisciplinary team. Such qualification and supervision takes place on Friday afternoons.
Also individual group therapy for the patient's parents, brothers and sisters who require it is offered. The patients and their family's meals are the shelter's responsibility, being all these absolutely free services.
There are also programmed activities for parents as well as for the patients which include massages, music therapy, art therapy, aromatherapy and hydrotherapy. Furthermore, we count with the voluntary collaboration of a retired psychiatrist. An aerobics program is offered to parents, as well as haircuts, pedicure, manicure and massages, all this oriented to offer a breathing, resting and relaxation space to prevent the family giving up.
The shelter's working schedule is Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursday, from8:00 a. m. until 4:00 or 5:00 p. m. , according to the necessities and possibilities of parents to pick up their children.
The monthly maintenance cost of Saint Gabriel Shelter exceeds slightly an average of ˘3.500.000 (US$ 8, 500 approx. ), everything paid for by the Pro Palliative Care Unit Foundation, which depends, as well, on the generous donations and contributions of the Costa Rican people.
On this first stage, the Shelter works as a diurnal center, but in the future, according to our goal, it will offer the service of Hospice (hospitalization).
