By Megan Sperry
ms.sperry@gmail.com
Every morning, 73-year-old Carlos Perez does a 30-minute exercise routine in his room at the St. Vincent de Paul residence on Intervale Avenue in Longwood. He does his best Chuck Norris impression until he feels strong and ready for the day. Then he dresses and heads down to the main dining area to enjoy breakfast with his friends.
Perez, a Bronxite born in Puerto Rico, fits right in at St. Vincent de Paul. In fact Perez serves as the vice president of the Resident Council, which meets once a month. Everyone knows who he is.
The 200-bed nursing home opened in 1992 with a mission: to meet the special needs of elderly members of New York’s Latino communities. Seventy percent of its residents are Puerto Rican and 28 percent are Dominican. Some stay for a short visit while they are receiving short-term rehabilitation therapy and some stay long term.
“When my time comes, then I go back to Puerto Rico,” says Perez.
The home focuses on the medical, social, spiritual, emotional, and cultural needs of its residents, says Luis Flores, director of therapeutic recreation. He cites the care the staff takes to acknowledge customs and traditions observed by Latinos. St. Vincent de Paul celebrates everything from Three Kings Day to Kwanzaa.
The residents look forward to the numerous events hosted by the friendly staff. Each floor has a calendar listing the day’s events so the residents can see when and where they will be held. Options include: arts and crafts, bingo, movies, tai-chi, pet assisted therapy, needlepoint, dominos, music appreciation, and outdoor walks, as well as the daily celebration of Mass.
Bingo is one of the favorites. Every Wednesday afternoon, residents travel from all the floors to take part. They gather around their tables with their bingo boards and red chips and wait for the games to begin.
“Estamos listos,” says Phil Hernandez, a recreational therapist and leader. The residents agree and the game starts with the call of “B-13,” first in English then in Spanish. The players cautiously mark their letters, some receive help from nurses and others help each other.
“Look!” cries Martina Santos Santiago in Spanish.
“Do we have a winner?” asks Hernandez.
After review of her bingo board, she discovers she’s missing one letter combo. “Oh my god,” cries Santiago who alternates between English and Spanish as she converses with her friends. The game resumes and she sits with the other residents, patiently waiting for her lucky number to be called.
Santiago, who moved to the Bronx from Puerto Rico 40 years ago, is an advocate for the residents, all of whom know her by name. When she’s not playing bingo, she likes singing and dancing, playing cards, gardening and taking field trips to Barretto Point Park and City Island.
Like Santiago, Perez enjoys dancing. He especially likes it when certain entertainers come to play for the group. Some of his favorites are Karlen Guzman, Richard Frank, Juan Ortega and Linwood Peale. When they come, he dances up a storm.
As Hernandez walks through the hallways, all the residents greet him excitedly. The ladies hug him and the men shake his hand. As he makes his rounds, he talks about the different types of therapies that are offered at the center, which includes everything from physical therapy to psychological services and hospice care.
In addition to its residential program, St.Vincent de Paul also offers an adult daycare program for people who need assistance and would otherwise be home alone all day.
Each patient has specific dietary needs, presenting a challenge to the chef. Still, the kitchen caters to Latino tradition, preparing such dishes as roast pork with rice, beans and plantains or Cornish hens with polenta stuffing.
St. Vincent de Paul relies on government grants, Medicaid, Medicare and donations from the Archdiocese of New York for its funding, and the weak economy has taken its toll.
Government funding has been cut and the reimbursement rate for Medicare and Medicaid has been reduced, accordint to Flores. As a result, the nursing home has cut its purchases of supplies and equipment and reduced the hours of non-nursing personnel.
But the residents have no complaints. When shifts change they greet their favorite staff members with hugs and kisses.
“If people weren’t good with me, I would have left a long time ago,” Santiago says.
A version of this story appeared in the September edition of the Hunts Point Express.