Michelle, our wonderful Community Relations liasion, had the opportunity to meet with one of our new patients and her daughter this past week.  This was the first time Michelle was asked to meet with a family, in their own home, and complete the required paperwork for ElderCare at Home to provide patient care.

After she got back, we asked her how it went? Everyone was curious to find out if she enjoyed the experience, the interaction with the patient and the caregiver and the rapport building and bonding that we try to create to help relieve caregiver stress.

Michelle shared with us that when she arrived, the patient’s daughter was at the dining room table doing her mom’s hair. She said they obviously shared a special bond and often laughed together.  She said that they spent some time discussing what a typical day entails for the daugher and how ElderCare at Home might be able to help. Michelle appropriately engaged the patient in the conversation, helped create a schedule that will work best based on this families individual circumstances, and got the necessary paperwork completed.  Before she left, the patient’s daughter looked at Michelle and said, “Please take good care of my mother. She isn’t just my mother, she is my best friend”.

Until she actually got to sit down and meet with a patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and help an adult child who adores her mother, agree to accept respite care, Michelle really didn’t know what a difference we make in the lives of the patients and families that we serve.

When that daughter hugged Michelle good-bye at the door and entrusted her mother’s care to ElderCare at Home, Michelle said it made her hyper-aware of how important our role is and that now, her job will now take on a whole new meaning.

Elayne Forgie, CMC, President
ElderCare at Home, Inc.
Alzheimer’s Care Resource Center, Inc.

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