Mauritian Hospitality

I wrote in a previous post about home visits for elderly patients. It was a fascinating experience, and I was grateful for the opportunity to participate. I spent an afternoon traveling throughout the village of Rose Hill with one of the general practitioners who works at Bon Pasteur visiting the homes of several elderly Mauritians. As I wrote before, the Mauritian government provides free home visits for patients over the age of 75 who meet certain criteria and free home visits for all Mauritians above the age of 90. We visited the homes of five different patients, and I was glad to be able to see a segment of Mauritian life that I would not have witnessed otherwise. One of the most noteworthy details from the day was the hospitality and warm welcome I received at each of these visits. The physician with whom I worked introduced me as a young resident doctor from the United States, and all the patients we encountered gladly welcomed me into their homes. There was not a hint of hesitation, and they were all eager to talk with me about what brought me to Mauritius and what I thought of their country. Most of the patients were dealing with the same chronic diseases that plague the elderly patients I see in Colorado: hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis. They were all glad to spend some time with the doctor, and they were invariably thrilled to speak with me (the feeling was mutual!).

I believe that a 5 minute home visit offers more insight into a patient's life than a 30 minute encounter in the clinic. When welcomed into someone's home, the physician is able to determine many details of that patient's life with a mere cursory glance of the parlor or living room: mobility, cleanliness, religion, important family members, and support systems. All of this was true of the patients I spoke with during my afternoon of home visits, and it helped me realize how often these important facets of a person's life do not enter the conversations I have with my patients in clinic. After I depart from Mauritius and return to Colorado, I hope to participate in additional home visits and learn more regarding the details and important components of the lives of the patients under my care.