A reluctant senior accepts home care in Grand Rapids

 

Our Fall Season

Accepting the fact that you need some help to stay at home is not easy for many. Irene has been fighting her family about accepting help for over a year. We met with her several times; we met her family, and we had many phone calls and conversations with her and the family. Despite all our efforts, Irene was still very hesitant to let anyone come in to her house to assist her.
This summer, sadly, Irene fell and injured herself, lying outside for 8 hours before a neighbor came home and called 911. After her stay in the hospital, the family contacted us saying she REALLY needs some help. We made the first huge step by going to her home and doing an assessment. Luckily, for the entire 18 months she was resisting help, our wonderful provider, Char, was making bi-weekly contact with Irene and checking in over the phone. We did not charge the family for the phone check-ins; that is something that Char decided to do on her own after we took her to breakfast with us on one of our early meetings with the family.
It was because of the relationship that was built over the phone that Irene was finally willing to accept help from Char. We started small and with some hesitation, but Char is now providing service to Irene 3 days per week. Our initial plan was to help Irene around the house; do some housecleaning and help her get some things organized.
The service plan has really grown/changed and Char and Irene go out almost every day we provide service now. Irene says she is happier than she has ever been. It has improved her quality of life so much. Irene is now able to go to the grocery store and pick out her own groceries rather than relying on her kids to get them for her. Irene has 3 adult children that are all boys. She is so happy to have Char around that she claims it is like having the daughter she never had. One of her sons told us that his mom is actually eating for the first time in years and smiling more than he can remember.
Irene was a tough cookie to crack, but now that she has accepted help she has completely changed. Irene trusts Char very much and they have built a wonderful relationship. In fact, Char has very specific instructions (from Irene) to call Irene every time she gets home after leaving her house so that Irene can be sure she made it home safe and sound. Thank you Char for doing such a wonderful job and for being such an asset to Irene's life. I know that the two of them mean a lot to each other and they are the embodiment of what Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services is all about!

Amanda Thrush, LPN
Client Relations Director

Fall Prevention

Every fall season we like to mention FALL PREVENTION. Here are four tips for seniors this fall season to prevent falls:
  1. Begin a regular exercise program.
  2. Have your vision checked.
  3. Have your doctor review your medicines.
  4. Make your home safer.

Seniors Helping Seniors will provide an in depth home safety checklist to help with fall prevention for any of our clients at no cost. This is just one of the services we offer. For non-clients a home safety assessment can be provided for a reasonable fee. Call our office if you or a loved one has any concerns about fall prevention.