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Home  Best Friends
From mothers-in-law to best friends: Caregiver Lester Dudek and his two “Moms”
 Emily Wojcik, Caregiver Lester Dudek, Marta Dudek
Emily was the first to begin having difficulty living
alone, and her family feared for her safety. “We had
a family meeting, but nobody was able to care for
Emily, so we (Lester and his wife, Irene) moved into
her house and I built an in-law apartment,” Lester
explained.”
Marta soon joined Emily, who was under Lester’s
care and in the Caregiver Homes program. She had
been having seizures, Lester says, “but she never
told us about them. She was afraid that we would put
her in a nursing home.”
Marta’s fears were nearly realized when she collapsed,
from a seizure, at the dinner table one Christmas
Eve. After a week of hospitalization, her physician
told her that she had two choices: she would
have to live with family or go to a nursing home.”
As primary caregiver for two women in their
eighties, Lester’s days are busy. He struggles with
understanding and accepting the behavioral effects
of Alzheimer’s on both women, but his Caregiver
Homes’ case management team—Social Worker,
Aracelis Guzman-Serrano and Registered Nurse,
Cathy Marchese–help educate him about what to
expect.
Caregiver Homes has also helped Marta and
Emily to receive other services, including Meals
on Wheels. With Lester and his wife, Irene’s commitment
and belief that supporting your family is
important, all are working together to keep the
women comfortably at home. Irene supports
Lester in his caregiving for both moms. He says,
“My wife, I would call her an angel, what she
does for my mother.”
Marta and Emily now spend contented days together.
As mothers-in-law, they had known each
other for over forty years. But, Lester says,
“They’re best friends now. They hug each other,
kiss each other, they’re so happy."
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Caregiver Homes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seniorlink, Incorporated (Boston, MA).
Learn more about how Seniorlink is dedicated to helping frail senior and disabled adults live with dignity and independence.
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