Calidad de Vida, a Hospice and Palliative Care agency is opening in Banderas Bay. This is a bilingual, multi-cultural nonprofit agency that will provide care in the home, to all people living on the Bay of Banderas who have a life threatening illness without regard to their ability to pay for these services. Calidad de Vida will provide comprehensive Hospice and Palliative Care services from Mismaloya to La Penita. The Hospice and Palliative Care services will be equal in quality to the care provided in countries like the USA and Canada. The agency is committed to assuring the highest quality of living possible for patients and their families.
Hospice is an international movement. People worldwide are committed to seeing that all individuals have access to services that allow death with dignity and limiting spiritual, emotional and physical pain. Symptoms and pain can be managed with the skills and medications now available.
The current members of the Calidad de Vida Board include 3 Mexican citizens, 2 U.S. citizens and 1 citizen of New Zealand. All live year round in the Bay area and have experience in Hospice, providing Medical Care and Palliative Services.
The Board of Directors includes Dra. Maria Cuevas, an Internist and Oncology Specialist who is the Medical Director and practices Medicine in Puerto Vallarta; Dra. Adi Dominguez is a Psychiatrist with a practice in Puerto Vallarta; Lisa Ozzello, RN, is the Director of the agency and has extensive experience in managing both Home Health Care agencies and Hospice agencies in the United States; Karla Herrera Sepulveda is an attorney with a practice in Bucerias and specializes in Corporate law; Eleanor Hawthorn is a Pharmacist and has worked with Hospice in New Zealand for more than 20 years and John Ozzello has over 25 years of experience in the management of nonprofit agencies.
The Board is actively recruiting additional members for the Board who are committed to bringing Hospice services to the Puerto Vallarta area. If you are interested in serving on the Board please contact John Ozzello at (329)298-6264 or cellular at 322-141-3255 or email at jolo1721@live.com. We especially need people with financial, legal, public relations and fundraising experience.
Opening a Hospice agency is a daunting task which cannot be accomplished without the support of the entire Banderas Bay community. It will require education, outreach and fundraising and an active and committed group of volunteers. Calidad de Vida Hospice needs individuals with a passion for assuring that compassionate and professional care is available to all who have a life threatening illness. Individuals who have experienced hospice care are often the best spokespeople for the Hospice message, as they can share their personal experiences about the care and support their loved ones were provided. They may also have experienced the support, caring and guidance of the hospice staff for the entire family.
Calidad de Vida Hospice will have experienced hospice personnel on staff and will provide training for Mexican medical professionals to become skilled in palliative care, learning not only pain control, but symptom management and also bereavement support.
So, please call and join us in this challenging effort to develop a new service and to offer new employment opportunities for local residents. If you wish to volunteer, donate, help, make suggestions or if you have questions, recommendations or would just like to talk with us about Hospice, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (329) 298-6264 or cellular at 322-116-6324.
Incorporated as Bahia de Banderas Hospice A.C.
