Cuba’s approach to primary healthcare has enabled it to meet its elderly population’s needs within their communities allowing them to retain higher levels of dignity, independence and psychological health. Due to such approach, only 0.5% of Cuba’s elderly population are hospitalized and/or institutionalized which is not only positive for the elder individual but is less costly on society as well. 

Utilizing this experience, Cuba has set in place the Cuban medical programs for the elderly with a focus on primary and secondary care as well as on pre–emptive actions which can make a difference in the quality of life for the elderly. The final aim is to promote goals intended to achieve a healthier lifestyle and improve quality of living. 

Through CubaHeal’s relationship with La Pradera International Health Center, and our sister company EcoCuba Pro, we have succeeded in producing a program that not only addresses the accommodation needs of the residents but also their quality of health and life by turning such stay into a long-term health and rehabilitation vacation in one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful islands. (new paragraph)

La Pradera prides itself on its holistic approach to therapies of the body, mind and spirit. Its mission is to provide specialized medical care offered by specialists with high ethical, humanistic values, in addition to vast multi-disciplinary medical experience, all in a natural, attractive and revitalizing environment.

The Cuban LONG TERM NURSING HOME CARE program is intended for residents who require constant living care due to significant deterioration of the ability to carry daily living activities. The program begins with initial assessment for specific and personal needs (7 days) followed by the development of, and the implementation of an individualized care program. The LONG TERM NURSING HOME CARE program is considered to be one of the world’s most extensive in terms of safety, around the clock medical and urgent care, hygiene and personal care, rehabilitation and entertainment.

The services provided include:

• 24-hour nursing and personal care
• Personal and centered medical care
• Restorative / rehabilitative care
• Recreation and leisure activities
• Nutritional care

The Cuban LONG TERM ASSISTED CARE program with around the clock nursing care, support services is intended for residents who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. It also includes.

The program encompuses the following two phases:

1- Initial Needs assesment (7 days)
2- Tailored Care Program (continuous): This is based on the conclusion of the above assesment

1- Initial Need Assessment (7 days):

In this phase, the presence of a companion is a must. The initial need assessment will include the following:

INITIAL PHYSICAL EVALUATION:

– Initial evaluation and clinical history;
– Biomedical evaluation;
– Social evaluation;
– Psychological evaluation;
– Functional evaluation;
– Ophthalmological evaluation;
– Audiological and stemmatological evaluation;
– Neuropsychological evaluation;
– Bladder Evaluation;
LABORATORY TESTS:
– Complete Blood Count (CBC) test
– Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (automated method) test
– Glycemia test
– Creatinine test
– Uric Acid test
– Urea test
– Liver Function tests
– Cyturia test
– Full lipid Profile study
– Glucose test
– Coagulation test
– Creatinine test
– Glutamic oxaloacetic Transaminansa (GOT) test
– Transaminansa glutamic pyruvic test
– Organisation chart test
– Alkaline Phosphatase test
– Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) test
– Serology test

IMAGING AND OTHER RELATED INVESTIGATIONS:

– Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) investigation
– Complete abdominal ultrasound exam
– X-ray and Bone Densitometry distance
– Clinical analysis of body composition

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• The above program does not include medications for certain conditions such as depression, blood coagulation, etc.
• Medicaments, fluids, blood and derivatives to be used, as well as additional procedure(s) performed not included in the exact treatment would be invoiced separately on upon the conclusion of said treatment /procedure(s)

Private room with the following features:

•  Electronic patient bed
• Equipment for disabled patient
• Oxygen hookup
• Three AP meals taking into account the patient’s preferences and / or special diets prescribed by physician
• Fully equipped private bathroom
• Infirmary and nursing care
• Colour TV with national and international channels
• Local and international phone services (extra cost will apply)
• Safe box
• Internet service on every floor
• Laundry services

Time allocated:

7 days

2- The Care Program:

Based on the above mentioned “Initial Needs Assessment Program”, a tailored care program will be tailored. The Care Program will include the following services:

– SAFETY:

1- Each resident will have a 24/7 one-on-one “Special Care” nurse who is highly
trained in dealing with safety and medical emergencies .
2- The center maintains a Code White Staff team to humanly deal with any
unforeseen situation .
3- The center is a gated compound with trained staff guarding the parameter .

– MEDICAL CARE:

1- Around the clock internal medicine care for the prevention, diagnosis, and
treatment of diseases in the elderly, including prescribing applicable medicine.
2- Regular internal medicine checkups.
3- On site, fully equipped emergency room for immediate events. Upon the medical situation control, the patient could be transferred to a more specialized hospital for additional specialized care. Kindly note there will be additional costs for hospital care outside of the center. CubaHeal will utilize its credit facility to pay for such service and will either bill the family, or the resident himself .
4- 24/7 “Special Nursing Care” services run by staff member trained in dealing with safety and medical emergencies .
5- Regular dental checkup and care. Kindly note should the patient require complex dental care such as extraction, filling or surgeries, additional costs would apply.
CubaHeal will utilize its credit facility to pay for such service and will either bill
the family, or the resident himself.
6- Regular podiatry checkup and care

– HYGIENE AND PERSONAL CARE:

1- Once a day showers and complete body wash, or twice a day for patients with
bedsores.
2- For dependent guests, complete personal hygiene such as mouth care, toileting, shaving, diapers change and around the clock perineal hygiene.
3- Daily supply of clean towels and clean bed linen.
4- Monthly pedicure and manicure, as well as hair dressing services.
5- rooms, floors, bathrooms, dining room, hallways, contact places etc are cleaned daily .

– NUTRITIONAL DIET:

Nutritionist tailored program which will take into consideration the following:

• Diabetes sensitive diets
• Calories reduced diets
• Salt reduced diets
• Puree diet
• Minced food diet
• Soft food diet
• Juice, milk, soup and dessert are offered with every meal
• Religious adhering diets (could be accommodated at an additional cost)

– REHABILITATION PROGRAM:

Important Note: the decision of applying none, some, or all the following
rehabilitation protocols would be based on the above mentioned “Initial Need
Assessment”.

The resident may undergo the following:

• Quality of life gymnastics: They are exercises to increase the joint arches and muscle tone for the independence of the daily life activities. With six
  frequencies a week in the afternoon schedule 9:00 pm, for 30 minutes.
• Holistic psychomotor medicine exercises: These exercises take into consideration the whole person — body, mind, spirit, and emotions — to establish good health and balance so that the mind and body function harmoniously.
  This program is carried out twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00
  am for the duration of 40 minutes
• Foot reflex therapy: This includes the improvement of nerve functions,
  increase energy levels and increase circulation. Carried out once a week in the afternoon at 3:00 pm, with duration of 40 minutes.
• Training to perform complex manual work: Such activity is intended to improve the functional impairment in disability situations, including immobility, instability and intellectual deterioration suffered by some patients.
  This activity is carried out from Monday to Friday at 10:00 am, with a duration of 45 minutes.
• Dance therapy: This form of therapy combines music and movement to
  different rhythms, stimulating the flow of energy in a harmonious and
  controlled way, for the improvement of balance and gait for the elderly. Dance therapy is carried out twice a week on Thursday and Saturday at 3:00 pm, with a duration of 1 hour.
• Aquatic therapy and hydrotherapy: this type of therapy utilizes the physical properties of water, such as temperature and pressure, for the treatment of symptoms of certain diseases, such as arthiritis.
• Cognitive rehabilitation: the objective of this therapy is to help the elderly in reducing or eliminating thinking and behavioral patterns that contribute to late life congnitive distortions relating to the difficulties experienced in adapting to a range of losses such as pyhisical disablity and loss of independence.
  Typically a therapist and patient work together to replace dysfunctional
  patterns with those that promote health and well-being.
• Ozone Treatment: This form of treatment is used for the improvement of the intake and use of oxygen as well as to activate the immune system and to limit the effects of bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast, and protozoa. Ozone treatemnt is also ussed to combat and reduce anxiety and depression.
• Harmonizing therapeutic massage: Therapeutic massage treatment is given to decrease stress in the body and lessen the negative effects of physical disorders, anxiety, depression. This program is disinged with a focus on softening of hard muscles / tissues and increase flexibility, increase blood flow, stimulates the nervous system and to relileve pain. Theapeutic massage has the added benefit of infusing the feeling of being cared for and connected.
• Tai chi: This is a very slow, deliberate, repetitive, and low-impact exericeses to help elderly people with relaxation, strengthen muscles, increasing flexibility and motor coordination.
• Lymphatic Drainage massage: This is a gentel massage to the skin
  following in the directions of the structure of the lymphatic system so that
  lymph fluid can drain through properly. Lymphatic drainage is used to balance the body’s internal chemistry and to help in normalizing the immune system.
• Postural treatment: This form of treatment focuses on the posture of the body as a whole as well as the position of the limbs. Special attention is placed on postural due to a change in body position with the goal of improving postural symptoms, standing time, and function.
• Bladder Rehabilitation (electro-stimulation): For people with bladder issues, electrical stimulation of the urinary bladder to improved urinary tract function.
• Horse therapy: This activity centers on learning how to groom, halter, feed and lead the horse. This form of treatment has physical and psychological benefits for elderly who have cognitive impairment such as Alzheimers and Dementia and also has benifits in helping the elderly in dealing with anxiety and depression
• Gardening therapy: This activity involves indoor and / or outdoor gardening. This type of treatment has positive benefits for the elderly in that it improving sleep, agitation, and cognition in dementia patients by helping individuals to learn new skills or regain lost skills as well as improve memory, attention, sense of responsibility and social interaction.

Also included in the program are:

• Revitalizing Treatment with Biomoduline T and other natural products
• Sauna

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• The above program does not include medications for certain conditions such as depression, blood coagulation, etc.;
• Medicaments, fluids, blood and derivatives to be used, as well as additional procedure(s)
  performed not included in the exact treatment would be invoiced
  separately on upon the conclusion of said treatment / procedure(s)

Private room with the following features:

• Electronic patient bed
• Equipment for disabled patient
• Oxygen hookup
• Three à la carte meals taking into account the patient’s preferences and / or special diets prescribed by physician
• Fully equipped private bathroom
• Colour TV with national and international channels
• Local and international phone services (extra cost will apply)
• Safe box
• Internet service
• Laundry services

ADDITIONAL SERVICES INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM:

• Local airport pickup and drop off
• A personal CubaHeal field member attending to residents need. The field member’s role and mandate would include the following:

– Proper adherence by the center to the program and addressing any personal need of the residents
– Facilitate communication between the facility and CubaHeal head office in Canada

– Facilitate communication between the resident and resident’s family, or CubaHeal head office in Canada
– Translation services outside of the facility

TOTAL MONTHLY COST:

*Companion receives full accommodation and three meals a day