Heartbeat of Homecare – Maine-ly Elder Care

A Dream Come True

Denise Stevens — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 17:01:12 +0000

A dream come true, a letter written by one of our own Personal Support Specialists, Kurt Manelick, providing us a glimpse into one of his most memorable moments as being a Personal Support Specialist with us here at Maine-ly Elder Care.

Some of my greatest moments with a private pay client I worked with for 3 years. My client and I would have Thursdays set aside for only going out for rides in his vehicle. This made my client very happy. He had told me that he loved fishing, hunting, camping and outdoors activities. And when he was unable to do these things anymore he had told me all the places he had gone to in Maine to do all these activities. I told my client we would go back to all of his places around Maine he had enjoyed so much. So every Thursdays would set off to some part of the state and he would talk all about the areas. He never wanted to get out of the vehicle just wanted to go for a drive and see all the nature and fun places he had been able to go to throughout his years when he was able to go out on his own. My client and I went to Rangeley, Jackman and Moosehead. We went to the coast a lot Popham, Fort Ellsworth, Belfast, Bath, Harpswell and about every place you could think of in Maine last summer. This was a dream come true for him because when he had lost his license to drive anymore and had to be in a wheel chair he wasn’t able to do all the things he loved to do. We even set up a garden last summer in his back yard and his family and I helped him take care of it. He knew his health was declining a lot and wished one more time he could go to all the places he loved throughout his lifetime. I told him we would and last fall he really wanted to go to Rangeley and I set up a day trip to take him up there and he told me “Kurt, thank you for making something I thought I wouldn’t ever see again come true for me this summer and I thank you so much” he said. My client was a great person to work for and I am so glad I was able to make his end of life so happy for him and his family. My client passed away back a few months ago and he will be greatly missed.

Kurt J. Manelick – PSS

A Client’s Blessing

Denise Stevens — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 16:54:00 +0000

I am a Christian Care Giver. I have worked for Maine-ly Elder Care for almost a year. I chose this field because I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the elderly. I strive to be a blessing and a help to my clients. But…I also receive a blessing from them!

One of my female clients has dementia. When I first started working with her, she was very anxious and cried a lot. She has lost her ability to read and do self care. She is a Christian and it calms her when I read her the Bible. This is just one of the blessings I receive. To see her face light up and the tears stop when she hears God’s Word is so amazing!! I was told recently by her daughter that when her mom is anxious when I am not there, she flips through the Bible herself for comfort. Warms my heart and I know this is where God wants me to be.

Kelly Gardner – Christian Caregiver

A Caring Voice

Denise Stevens — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:01:12 +0000

I am a male caregiver who has worked for Maine-ly Elder Care for five years. Some of my recent experiences have brought me into homes of aging males with varying stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Even though I have taken the 23 hours of on-line instruction to be certified as an Alzheimer’s and Memory Care Caregiver, at times it takes all my wits to discover activities that are safe and will bring joy and meaning to these aging citizens. For some, it’s a simple card game, checkers or cribbage. For Mr. A (a recently acquired client), I discovered he loved it when I read simple adventure stories aloud to him. The adventures of Nate the Great, boyhood detective, were the right medicine. It gave him a time to exercise his failing abilities to concentrate and brought me a particular delight when he could ask me questions about what I’d just read to him! Now that’s a reward that won’t just be put in a drawer and forgotten. And this is how I try to treat those I care for– with dignity, respect and grace.

Daniel Clark PSS

The Healing Power of Pets for Elderly People

Denise Stevens — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 16:48:00 +0000

I met Trudy* about a year ago. She was suffering from renal failure, and was going to dialysis three times a week. Over the following months, I visited Trudy once every month, and came to care about her plight between uncertainty and fulfillment. As winter drew upon us, she was more and more depressed. On occasion, she opted not to go to dialysis because she could not bring herself to face the three long hours of sitting in the chair for treatment. One day, she was particularly sad. I embraced her, held her, and told her what she meant to me. As the year turned to a new one, Trudy came into ownership of a small dog. After that I saw a change in her. She was less depressed. She had something enlightening to share her days and nights with. The longer her little dog stayed with her, the less depressed she was. She may have even saved this little dog’s life, but the reward of it all is how this animal helped change her life. Now when I go see her, she has a lighter spirit. I don’t hear her talk so much about how hard life is for her, and I breathe a sigh of relief that she has this little, furry miracle, to bring her some joy and meaning to her life.

Laurie Thornberg RNC

Nurse for Maine-ly Elder Care