Courtesy of: The Morning News
By: Rosalie Klein
Disabled travelers to Aruba and islanders, who find they require specialized equipment, now have a quick, convenient answer to their needs with Essential Health Supplies, located adjacent to the Dr. Horacio E. Oduber Hospital and close to all the resort areas.
Essential Health Supplies was founded by Sylvia Dennert, an expatriate American who is married to an islander from a family of doctors. She spent many years in the medical insurance business in the U.S., becoming well acquainted with the various needs of those who were bedridden or required ambulatory assistance.
Sylvia and her adopted Aruban family went through the trial of losing a beloved family member to cancer; a drawn-out and exhausting experience for the patient and all those who cared for him. It inspired her to start this business dedicated to the needs of the injured and very ill, where it would be easily accessible for patients coming out of the hospital needing specialized equipment as quickly as possible.
From her personal experience, Sylvia recognized a severe need for this service on Aruba. “We discovered how difficult it was to care for someone who has totally lost mobility, and finding the equipment needed to best help caregivers deal with it. This was with a family of doctors, who don’t have quite the experience of giving every day care to the seriously ill and disabled that nurses do, so it was still very hard. I could imagine how very difficult it must be for ordinary families without any health care experience whatsoever.”
Essential carries several different models of wheelchairs and walkers, motorized or self-propelled, to meet particular needs, for sale or rent. Long-terms rentals for a month or more are extremely affordable, and they also work with Aruba’s national health insurance, AZV, which will cover the cost, depending on the need. “When putting my inventory together I discovered devices that make a world of difference, which I wish we had known about when caring for my father-in-law” she explained. One is a simple rotating circle on which to place the feet of a disabled person when transporting them from a bed or shower to a wheelchair that easily facilitates turning them from one place into the chair, without straining the back of the caregiver.
Essential also sells and rents portable ramps to provide instant wheelchair access; crutches of all types, motorized sick beds with various forms of mattresses to meet individual needs, bath seats and folding commodes and nebulizers, among the more than 30 specialized items for bed-ridden patients or those with limited mobility. They also have a large inventory of items for sale dedicated to rehabilitation and physiotherapy, as well as dozens of small items that simply make the patient’s life more pleasant.
Essential is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 AM until 6:30 PM. They are located on the Caya Dr. J.E.M. Arends, directly across from the main entrance to the hospital parking lot. The shop also provides emergency service during off hours by calling 563-0415, and free delivery. Island visitors wishing to arrange rental equipment before arriving for their vacation can contact Essential Health Supplies.
