• All individuals will be treated with integrity, sincerity and empathy
• All individual’s privacy, dignity, autonomy and diversity will be respected and honored.
• PeopleCare will make a commitment to direct service, the desire to help, teamwork, partnership, and the human connection to the community especially to individuals and family members.

And the other day, I got a mailing from AARP telling me I should “know my numbers”, be aware of “superfoods” that are great tasting and good for you, and after all that I should be “working out” to stay healthier. Plus, you know what, they provided a 24/7 telephone number to call a Nurse HealthLine -1.888.543.5630- to get help with any of these suggestions you aren’t sure about.

I don’t know about you, but in my 93 years, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I’m still working my way through the thought process, but right now I think it sure makes it easy to get minor medical and health information quickly.

See you out there again soon,
Helen

She began calling PeopleCare just to talk and tell us about Tony’s condition. Ange gave Evelyn her home phone number because she was afraid what they might do if they couldn’t find a ride on the weekend. The phone became Evelyn’s security blanket…she would call 2 or 3 times per week. In November Tony changed doctors and began going to Northwestern. He continued to drive himself for treatments until he eventually became too weak, at which time, Northwestern sent a hospital courtesy car to pick him up for treatments and doctor visits, as well as frequent hospitalizations.

Evelyn called just to talk and “to keep PeopleCare in the wings in case she needed us.” Ange referred her to SW Suburban Center on Aging to help answer questions about nursing homes and home healthcare. Evelyn became very upset because she couldn’t afford any help.

It was the end of February and Tony’s doctors finally hospitalized him and told Evelyn it probably wouldn’t be long before Tony could no longer fight the fight. Their daughter came to stay with them for 4-5 days…but Tony lingered and their daughter had to return home.

Evelyn was alone again and asked if Shepherds could drive her to Northwestern to see Tony. Although we don’t normally do that, we bent the rules so she could see him before he died. We were lucky…Ken Mooney said yes and drove her one day. Harold Verdak, another Shepherds volunteer said he’d take her the following week. Believe it or not, Tony was sent home. Evelyn called Ange practically everyday even though a home health nurse came daily. Ange also continued giving her numbers to call…SW Suburban Council on Aging, Staying-At-Home and more.

Now it’s March and Tony is on his way back to the hospital, sent by the home nurse, because all his blood counts were so low. Evelyn never saw him again…Tony died two days later. A neighbor drove her to the hospital when Evelyn received the call. She said she felt better after she saw him, “because he was still warm.”

Ange told her we would stay in touch and that we could certainly help her with her own rides to Loyola. She calmed down some…cause Tony always took her.

Evelyn called to say she received a very thoughtful sympathy card from PeopleCare.

This day was a special visit. It was Christmas morning and Carol had gone to midnight Mass the night before. She had a special feeling the warmth in her heart. One thing kept tugging at her though…Trudy…visit Trudy.

So she did. She found Trudy in her room. When she realized Carol was there, she said, “ I prayed that you would visit today. ” Trudy was not doing well. They talked…reminisced…it was nice to have a friend. What a nice morning.

The next time, just after the holidays Carol visited again. This time Trudy wasn’t in her room. Concerned, Carol looked everywhere, finally finding her, wheelchair and all, in the lounge playing bingo.

Relieved, Carol stopped in and said,  ”Hi Trudy, how are you doing?”

Trudy bubbled,  ”Not now , Honey, I’m playing bingo!”

After a laugh of disbelief, Carol sat and waited for a few minutes as the game finished. She and Trudy then talked for about an hour about her sudden energy. Trudy remarked that she was still waiting for the Polident Carol had promised to bring at Christmas. Trudy also couldn’t remember her birthday, which Carol reminded her was May 13th, when she’d be 92.

When Carol called Alice the next morning to check in…she got word that Trudy had died during the night. She had been able to see her friend for the last time. Carol still misses Trudy.

Although the daughter was not over 65 we felt we could help because we were already helping her mother and helping one meant helping both. We were able to drive Mary Ann to her treatments and a member of our staff did a lot of listening and hand holding, in addition to working with Community Care Options, making both of them as comfortable as possible.

Ellen died in May of that year and her mother died in the British Home in November of same year. One of our staff attended the visitations and services.

Remember, Grandpa is just visiting in Florida, so after the operation he’ll have to get back home to Riverside for the remainder of his recuperation and therapy.

That’s when the call came into PeopleCare. How does he get home? What do we do when he gets here? He can’t walk…how will he get around the house …go to the bathroom or shower. The questions were endless.

The wheels started turning. We made a call to the airline to make sure they had a service get him on the plane and then a call to Grandpa and Grandma in Florida to assure them that all was arranged for the trip.

Now what do we do at home? Well, we called the Riverside Township office to see if they might have the necessary aids for a “temporarily handicapped” person. Sure enough, they had a wheel chair, shower seat, commode, etc. We made arrangements to pick them up and delivered them to Grandpa’s house. We also made arrangements for a local woodworker to install a couple of stair railings to help Grandpa get up the stairways. Oh, and we almost forgot, there was a quick run to the hardware store to pick-up and install a new handheld shower so he could take a shower without falling.

The house was about ready for their return, all we needed was to make arrangements for live-in help. A call to Staying at Home took care of that just in time for their arrival.

Whew! Everything was all together, just in time, with the help of Grandpa and Grandma’s neighbor and friend. Then guess what? Grandma fell on the basement stairs and injured her leg. But that’s another story.

Grandpa sent a nice letter to PeopleCare saying that we had “indeed made (his) life more bearable,” and continued by saying, “It can be said ” your friend is your needs answered.’ Thanks PeopleCare.”

“I’m happy you called, what can we do to help you”, asked Bruce?

“Do you have anyone who could teach my wife to talk again,” hesitating as he asked? “Maybe they could show her how to walk upstairs, too? She used to read to me, for God’s sake and now she doesn’t say anything,” he continued almost without taking a breath.

Obviously something serious was going on with his wife and after some reassurance, the man settled down so Bruce could ask about what had happened to her…had she had a stroke?” First Frank said no, but then added he didn’t know. “We were going to go to the doctor, but she didn’t want to go, so we didn’t,” he continued.

After more reassurance Bruce told Frank that even though PeopleCare didn’t have anyone who could help directly, we could get someone who could. He seemed less agitated and Bruce said he would call back after checking things out.

We immediately called SWSCoA and talked to an intake person. Frank and his wife were on their service list, but had had no recent contact. Bruce explained the situation and they agreed… didn’t sound good. They put an “emergency” on it! After calling and visiting the couple the following day they called us to report that the women not in good shape and “was a captive in her own body.” The social worker said they were going to follow-up with more comprehensive service immediately and thanked us for the call.

When we called Frank to see how things were going, son Bill answered and indicated that his mother was in the hospital for tests and evaluation, and would be back home in three to four days. At the same time, SW was working to find a nighttime caregiver for the couple. It seems the son can help during the day, but works nights and isn’t home to help..

During a follow-up call, Frank told us things were moving along and said “Thank you for what you did to help us. I don’t know what we have done.”

During the Holidays we called Frank to see how things were going and ask if he and his wife would like us to deliver a Holiday meal. He said he was so glad we had called so he could thank us again because “everything was better now and his wife could even yell at him again.”

Each year The British Home provides a holiday meal for local shut ins or those who might be alone. A nice program and one that fits nicely with our vision for the community, so we usually get in touch with our clients to see how they’re doing and if they’d like to have dinner delivered. Since everyone seemed to be busy, Helen decided to make the calls. She said, “I’ll never think of Christmas dinner the same way again.”

Each call was a new story…thank you for thinking of me… you don’t have to do that, but it would be wonderful. It made her realize how important this one call was…w it let each one of these people know that we were thinking of them. Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle you can easily forget that just saying “we care” can change someone’s outlook.

When Addie answered, there was a little hesitation until she recognized Helen and PeopleCare. Then she couldn’t figure out how Christmas Day was going to work out because her sister was sick and…e then blurted out, “Yes, please deliver my dinner. That’s the day before Christmas and if my sister invites me, I’ll eat the dinner the day after. Oh thank you.”

And when she talked to Frank, he said “I’m so glad you called so I can thank you again for your help. Everything is better now and my wife can even yell at me again.” It made Helen remember the day Frank called our office and said, “Hi, this is Frank, I’m one of your people and I need help. It’s my wife…e used to read to me for God’s sake and now she just sits there and cries. Do you have someone who can teach her how to talk again and go upstairs?”

Helen told Frank it was nice to hear things were going better and that he and his wife would be going to his son’s home for dinner on Christmas.

It didn’t seem to matter who Helen called, they were all glad that someone cared enough ask about them…en though a meal wasn’t necessary. She even gathered some new information about some of our less active clients.

She discovered Milly now has a 24 hour caregiver who loves to cook, so she’ll have her own private chef for the evening, but still, “it was so nice of you to think about me.”

And Elinore told her their refrigerator had been delivered by the Village of North Riverside…e one we had gotten from Plymouth Place to replace an ice chest being used for cold storage by Elinore and her husband. But she said they couldn’t possibly accept anything more from us, we were doing too much already and they “didn’t deserve it.”

That was a tough one…at do you say? After some talking, reassuring, listening and even a tear or two, she relented and agreed to have two dinners delivered.

When Helen got off the phone she couldn’t help but wonder whether we shouldn’t create a “keep in touch” call program to touch bases with our clients more often. These calls seemed to make such a difference to them. Just letting them know we cared was enough to spark up their day. It seemed also to give us another chance to provide additional service where help was needed. Plus it made Helen feel good, too.

After the last staff meeting, it sounded like everyone agreed with Helen’s assessment and it looks like we’re getting an official “Keep in Touch” program going. Like she said, “Christmas Dinner will never be the same.”

One caring friend suggested to a caregiver that they contact SW Suburban Center on Aging to help provide the necessary socialization services. She refused the services and even food.. She was almost unapproachable. A supervisor from AgingCare Connections called PeopleCare to see if we could possible help by providing transportation for her to get to the doctor. We did that, and it turned out, much more.

It seems our lady loved Riverside and the sensitive staff from PeopleCare. After a number of visits the trust built and we were able to arrange with AgingCare Connections to deliver meals to us and we in turn brought them to her each weekday at lunch.

But it was not only a meal. Each person stayed with her …alked … reminisced…and tended her needs. We even got involved in helping a caregiver pay her bills, assigning a caregiver/house keeper on weekends and acting as a liaison with relatives and SWSCoA who were in the process of arranging a legal guardianship so she can obtain proper full-time live-in help and medication to help control the depression.

After a long haul, her housing situation was finally resolved and she has a roof over her head thanks to PeopleCare, Southwest Suburban Center on Aging, the Public Guardian’s office and a good hearted neighbor. The arrangement meant that she could continue to live in her own home and have her bills paid by the Guardian’s office. Sometimes it just takes people who care.