At the beginning of 2018 Grales has received many great donations from residents of senior centers, friends, family and volunteers. Some of these great items include; wheelchairs, walkers, cains and many other small items to improve daily life, these have already been sent to Ghana for immediate use and have been received very well.

Because we have not obtained enough resources at this time, the construction of the home and senior center has been put on hold. To accommodate the immediate need of our patients and be able to run our administrative tasks we have already opened an office in the city of Tema. This structure is also already in use for the therapy sessions and daily movement activities (physical therapy) for the elderly. This is an efficient step in creating social environments between the elderly and creates a community feeling which has been received very well. This is also a great therapy for loneliness and depression, we at Grales want to help all elderly in every facet, we want to prevent people living in decay and possibly remove influences that may cause by depression.

We get a lot of letters from families where they explain that popping out for a second to run some errands can be very challenging. Most families do not want to leave their elderly family member alone for longer periods of time. A simple visit to the doctor can be very challenging, there is no immediate access to transportation services like wheelchairs or equipment to help with for example incontinence and other immediate on site emergencies.

We have noticed in most situations, many elderly citizens just do not go anywhere, or receive frequent visits. This is no kind of life for anyone, with the introduction of our center we can help the majority of the affected people immediately. The above mentioned problems will then become a thing of the past. Any doctor will agree that a happy spirit is the start to any successful activity and is also the main force behind healing and recovery. We can provide food, drinks and professional insight with our personnel. We will also try to include the remaining family members as much as possible to make it a joint venture and to share the transportation duties. We want to bring understanding and a community feeling back to the people.

We have already been sending supplies and funds to help Grales from the Netherlands, thanks to this we have been able to get our ideas put into a reality. Wheelchairs, incontinence pads, shoes, clothing, bandages, walkers and pretty much anything we can supply. Unfortunately we are not there yet and any help we can get is very much appreciated. This is why we would like to give anyone the opportunity to be able to join our team. It does not have to be difficult, you can help in any way you would like to. We have a donation section on our website where you can send funds, we also accept anything that can be used to help support our elderly and their daily lives. Please send an email with pictures of any items you may have that you would like to donate.

Below you can find pictures and videos about Grales.org and some of its activities in 2018.

 

As part of the design of the home, I was again in November 2017 for a working visit in Ghana. In view of the ever-growing need for help I found, I decided with my team to provide homecare for the serious cases. We have been able to designate fifteen people for this. Back in the Netherlands, I sent a few rollators, wheelchairs and clothes that I had collected. We can use anything. All donations are welcome. Do you have items lying somewhere, such as: clothing, shoes, household items, etc., we gladly receive them. The need is high!
Unfortunately, the sad news reached us that one of our clients is no longer there. It concerns Mrs Victoria Abba is 96 years old. She had fallen and was admitted to hospital for an operation, but unfortunately this did not happen. She was 96 years old.

 

Because the need is very high, we have already started a sort of ‘First Aid’ at clients’ homes or on location. A recent orientation visit shows that there are a large number of people living at home in the area with (physical) limitations. For example incontinence cases, difficulty walking, neglect, etc. We have already registered twenty (20) serious cases for urgent assistance and they also receive this help from us.