Senior Care Helped Sam and Twyla Take Care of Each Other
Twyla loved taking care of her husband Sam. She had loved taking care of him since the day they were married, 62 years ago. But, boy, was she getting tired.
Sam had begun showing signs of forgetfulness a few years back.
Now, his dementia was unmissable, and he needed much more than he ever had. While Twyla loved taking care of him, she was running out of opportunities to take care of herself.
Twyla had always been a wise woman – “my smart cookie”, as Sam had always fondly called her. She knew that she wouldn’t do Sam any good at all if she was exhausted. She would end up sick, tired, out of patience, or in the hospital. She picked up the phone and called the senior care agency.
“I love taking care of him,” she explained. “But, I just need some support, so I can keep it up!”
Twyla talked with the lovely lady from the senior care office and together, they came up with a plan.
Sam had always been at his best physically, emotionally, and mentally when he was able to exercise daily. He hadn’t been able to exercise lately – Twyla was just too dang tired to make it happen!
The senior care agency arranged for a friendly young man to come by several days a week to take Sam swimming at the pool center. Sam had been a pretty good swimmer in his day, and Twyla thought he’d still enjoy it, given a chance.
She was right! His senior care aide, Gary, was a swimmer in his own right, and the two got along famously. Gary was able to drive Sam to the pool, assist him in the dressing room, and swim laps with him for a good while. Sam loved it!
All in all, Sam and Gary were out of the house for a couple of hours several days per week. Twyla was able to catch up on rest, and after a couple of weeks, she found her energy returning.
In the meantime, with regular swimming and activity, Sam was calmer and happier than he’d been in a long time. He was speaking better, too and he was able to express his feelings one afternoon to Twyla. He wanted to help her more around the house; he just wasn’t sure how.
They called the senior care agency again. This time, they arranged for a senior care aide to come two more days per week. Mondays, he would take Sam to the grocery store with a list Twyla had written out to take care of the week’s shopping. Thursdays, he and Sam would work together on changing the bedsheets, doing the laundry, sweeping, vacuuming, and straightening up the place.
Sam was over the moon!
He was so happy for the chance to help out his wife again. Twyla felt enormously better as well. Finally able to get her body enough rest, she started to catch up on bills and other responsibilities, and actually enjoy herself more again. She reflected on the irony that it hardly felt like she was taking care of Sam at all anymore. In many ways, he was taking care of her again. She was so grateful for senior care for their life-changing support!
If you or someone you know needs a Caregiver in Daphne, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Call Us Today at 251-517-9901. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County.
Sources
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/
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