If it is one thing Brazilians are good at it’s taking their time. Whether it’s having an afternoon coffee break, being fashionably late to a social event, or having a lunchtime churrasco run into way past dinnertime, these people know how to take it slow. Although we have only been here for a few weeks, we are already experiencing this aspect of the country’s culture. From cafezinhos (little coffees) to churros, the people at the hospital are always encouraging us to live life as the Brazilians do, with tranquility and happiness (please refer to our tranquil and happy, sugar-covered faces here).

Although I grew up with constant examples of this from my Brazilian family, I did not quite expect it in a hospital environment. Living in the US I know hospitals to be stressful and rushed; however down here the ease extends beyond taking time for midday coffee. It comes down to taking the time to explain and to walk the patient, their families and even the community through the entire process, the whole mission and objective of the hospital. Each member of the hospital staff works to ensure everyone feels as comfortable as possible (cafezinho included of course).

Spending time at the palliative care center this past week has given me plenty of examples. On Monday we were introduced to Elisangela, this incredible nurse who is the department of education here at São Judas Tadeu. In a total oversimplification, she is in charge of deconstructing the myth that palliative care is where people are sent to die. She does this through orientations with caregivers, educational outreach in local schools and even training the hospital’s own staff in the meaning of palliative care.

We observed one of her orientation/welcome groups where she invites all caretakers to sit in a circle to either listen or share their thoughts on everything. She begins with a question. “What is palliative care? Would anyone like to share their definition?” Most are silent and others admit they know little. Elisangela then masterfully explains the idea of a treatment not geared towards curing but still geared towards caring. She goes through everything from visitation hours to the importance of these caretakers caring for themselves. Elisangela has been asking us to help her think about how she can improve. Watching her explain everything so gracefully, it is difficult but we were asking ourselves, How can she reach more people? Is there a way she could present this information that would resonate more with these suffering families? Can we help this great cause? And so is the process of finding a need to eventually fill it. I can see why some people consider finding a problem half of the trouble in solving it.

This past Saturday we were also able to participate in another effort this hospital has taken the time to carry out. Festival Cuidar (Festival of Caring) united four middle schools from the cities around Barretos to engage in a day of activities surrounding the theme of palliative care. Students read articles beforehand so they could compete in a quiz contest. Answer the question before your rival and you get to smash a pie in their face (see below). Students were also tasked with creating a product they thought would better the lives of the palliative care patients. Everything from an app to a personal message quilt was presented. Finally, students created artistic demonstrations of the day’s theme through acting, dance and music. The best of it all was the presence of patients from the palliative unit itself. Almost all activities had the students engage with these patients, reinforcing the idea that life continues within that hospital.

 

Students at Festival Cuidar commemorating their victory of a challenge

The bus used to transport the palliative patients

A memory quilt designed by students to help palliative patients

This is all something that is very refreshing to me. When faced with something like cancer, it is easy to forget about the human aspect of it all. The patients that live on even with the disease not being aggressively treated, the families that need orientation and understanding, the young people of the community that have the power to change society’s perspective on palliative care are all humans that this hospital has taken the time to reach out to.