Did you know that we have a Psychogeriatric and Mental Health care area that provides specialised and integral care for people with mental disorders and their families, including pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation and support to social integration?
We introduce you to Lizeth Nathaly Checa Calero, a Sister Hospitaller of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who accompanies and helps the residents of Belén´s Care Home in Argentina in the different daily activities. She is also part of the home´s communications team.
How long has Nuestra Señora de Belen Home been operated and what is its specialisation?
If I had to choose one word to sum up St Augustine’s Care Home it would be welcoming but if I could make up a word it would be warm-welcome.
How is the Sisters Hospitallers mission lived in the centre?
We try to make the constant practice of hospitality more dynamic in our daily life, promoting charismatic values.
The spiritual experience and the apostolic work of our founders Saint Benedict Menni, María Josefa Recio and María Angustias continue to inspire our work, and the values they embodied are now explicitly recognised in our care for the elderly. The participation of so many collaborators enrich the mission with this charism requires us to live our identity in a renewed and shared way.
How is the mission of the Hospitaller Sisters lived in the centre?
We try to make the constant practice of hospitality more dynamic in our daily life, promoting charismatic values.
The spiritual experience and apostolic work of our founders, Saint Benedict Menni and María José and María Angustias, continue to inspire our work, and the values they embodied are now explicitly recognised in our care for the elderly. The participation of so many collaborators who enrich the mission with this charism requires us to live our identity in a renewed and shared way.
How many people currently reside in the centre?
We currently provide care for 94 residents, with a capacity of 100 beds.
What types of physical and psychological pathologies are currently associated with the residents of the home?
They are associated by their age with a functional cognitive impairment, a progressive decrease in capacity and skills for daily living. They lack the ability to perform activities autonomously and, in some cases, progressive cognitive impairment and chronic degenerative diseases, requiring more specialised medical care.
What is the home´s approach and philosophy of care for the residents with a higher level of dependency and need of special care?
In order to respond adequately to the different needs of our residents, we follow the founding criteria “science and charity go hand in hand”. The professionals of the home work as a team and they do so from an interdisciplinary oint of view.
How is a day in the life of a resident at the centre? What activities and proposals are carried out on a weekly basis?
Depending on the resident’s physical and physical state of health, different activities are carried out. For most of the semi-disabled residents we have several activities throughout the week distribute by days. We have a music therapy workshop, dance workshop, play activities, cognitive therapy, religious activities and spiritual accompaniment and, when is necessary, kinesiology and psychology therapy.
How could you describe Nuestra Señora de Belen Home in one sentence?
“Warmth of Home”.