Bozeman Daily Chronicle
By Gail Schontzler Chronicle
Staff Writer
Chelsea Koessel traveled to Morocco last summer, lived with a village sheikh’s family, tutored schoolchildren and worked for two months in a city nursing home.
She loved improving her French and getting to know Morocco’s culture and people.
But the Montana State University student quickly realized the nursing home aides who worked with elderly patients didn’t understand basic hygiene, like the importance of washing hands or using disposable gloves.
From her own years of experience working at a Bozeman assisted living home, Koessel saw the lack of sanitary wipes meant the staff used the edges of clothing to clean patients. And she saw a serious problem with stray cats jumping up on kitchen counters.
She brainstormed with the nursing home administrator in Meknes about ways to improve training, especially for aides who often aren’t literate.
Now Koessel plans to lead a team of four MSU students back to the Morocco nursing home in May to work with the staff for four weeks and together with them develop a practical training manual.
“It’s exciting for me – this is something I’m qualified for as a premed student,” said Koessel, 28, a Bozeman High grad studying cell biology and neuroscience and French. “Even with the experience I have, I can make a difference.”
Joining her are Justine Johnson, Beth Brash and Ashley Sutter, 25, an MSU graduate.
“I want to give back,” said Johnson, 22, a senior from Great Falls majoring in nutrition science with a minor in French. She traveled to Morocco last summer with Koessel for the 10-day stay in a village high in the beautiful Atlas Mountains, arranged by MSU’s study abroad program.
“There’s so much love,” Johnson said, in Moroccan culture. “Everyone is constantly looking out for each other. They’re so welcoming.”
Johnson said she also sees improving nursing homes as helping Moroccan women succeed as they enter the workforce and gain education.
“I’m passionate about serving the underserved,” said Brash, 21, a senior from Kalispell, studying cell biology and neuroscience with a minor in astrobiology and honors. She started working at the Bozeman nursing home and felt awkward at first.
“I fell in love with the residents,” Brash said. “They’re like my family now.”
The biggest challenge the students face is fundraising, Koessel said. They need to raise $18,600 for travel and supplies.
They’ve started a GoFundMe page, Wealth for Health in Moroccan Nursing Home
They’re also planning an event at Valhalla Meadery on March 7, when they’ll raffle off scuba lessons, vinyl Beatles records, growlers and other prizes.
Koessel said she hopes to make this an ongoing project so that other MSU students can go to the Moroccan nursing home in the future and expand the training program.
She hopes to make a training manual with pictures because many of the Arabic-speaking aides can’t read, and a checklist for them to follow.
It should be “easy, simple, practical,” Koessel said. “Something people can actually use.”
Gail Schontzler can be reached at gails@dailychronicle.com or 406-582-2633. Follow her on Twitter @gailnews.
