Aging In Place

10/11/2016 | By Seniors Guide Staff

Mrs. Sweet lived with her husband on a lovely country property. There were a few horses, their faithful dog and lovely gardens. The Sweet’s had raised six children who had several children of their own making family gatherings such a cheerful event. While they were both in their 70s, Mr. Sweet still enjoyed working in his business. Mrs. Sweet spent time with her grandchildren, loved to sew and attend her women’s club meetings.

One day Mrs. Sweet suffered a stroke and lost her vision. Her family hoped it would be temporary, but she remained blind. They soon discovered that even though they had a big family, they all had other obligations and did not want to leave Mrs. Sweet alone. Their daughter Pam decided to investigate home care and I was fortunate to receive her call, fortunate because Mrs. Sweet lived up to her name. She was incredibly kind and good natured. We met and decided that having a companion for the weekdays would be perfect. The companion would work with Mrs. Sweet to plan and prepare meals, maintain the house, run errands, shop and hopefully craft.

One of our challenges was that the Sweet’s lived about 20 miles out of the city center so it would be a drive for many caregivers. I must admit that our first caregiver did not work out well. She wanted to be a nurse not a companion. Thankfully, we struck gold with the second caregiver Laura, as she and Mrs. Sweet were a lovely match!

The days for Laura and Mrs. Sweet were fulfilling! The morning began with breakfast which Mr. Sweet enjoyed as well before heading off to work. They would clean up together then their day might include food shopping or a stop at the craft store. Together they would make crafts or sew. They also loved to flip through cookbooks and try new recipes. And they fit in household chores. Having a home care companion allowed Mrs. Sweet to live well despite her loss of sight.

Seniors Guide Staff

Seniors Guide has been addressing traditional topics and upcoming trends in the senior living industry since 1999. We strive to educate seniors and their loved ones in an approachable manner, and aim to provide them with the right information to make the best decisions possible.

Seniors Guide Staff