|
Home  Daughters Team Up
Daughters Team Up to Care for Their Mom: Caregivers Dana and Sue Murray and Their Mom
Nine years ago, Susan Colby was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. At the time, she lived in Port Clyde, Maine and spent winters on the Cape with her daughter, Dana. Susan’s daughters, Dana and Sue Murray, and her son, Martin Herbert, had noticed that their mom was becoming more forgetful, and initiated the process that led to her diagnosis. Now aged 71, Susan has a youthful face and pleasant demeanor, and it’s clear as she seeks reassurance from her daughters that she is most comfortable in the loving environment they provide.
Susan Colby’s family has made her their priority – moving, rearranging schedules and limiting their own work and social activities to be there for mom. Soon after her diagnosis, they arranged for Susan to attend JML Adult Day Health six days each week so that Dana could care for her mom and continue working. A steady income was necessary for the additional out-of-pocket expense the family incurred for groceries, incontinence items and other expenditures needed to keep their mom fed and clothed and to keep her stimulated and active as well as keep up with their own living expenses.
As the disease progressed, daughter Sue decided to move to the Cape from the North Shore to help with the increasing amount of day-to-day care that Susan needed. As a pharmacy technician for CVS in Reading, Sue was able to transfer to the Falmouth CVS store, but had to cut her hours down to 30 to be available for morning and evening caregiving responsibilities.
As they looked into other options that would support them in their caregiving, they heard about Caregiver Homes™ of Massachusetts, a community-based MassHealth program that pays caregivers a stipend of up to $18,000 each year and supports families with registered nurse and social worker care teams. Sue learned about Caregiver Homes through a friend and her immediate response was, “Really, we can get paid to do this? I can’t believe that - this is what we do every day!”
Susan was able to qualify for Caregiver Homes™ under the MassHealth Frail Elder Waiver, an option for consumers over 60 years of age who need 24-hour care and assistance with daily activities. Admittance to Caregiver Homes under the waiver allows the client to receive an additional service, and the family chose to have a companion one hour each week for their mother. Through Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands, they were connected with Lindsay, a wonderful companion who has enriched their lives with her giving nature.
Sue most enjoys the time in the morning with her mom, when she is helping her get ready for the day – she appreciates this time alone together and their quiet talks. Always by Susan’s side is her faithful Bassett Hound, Lucy, who seems to know that she needs to keep a close eye on her mistress.
In addition to the twice-monthly payments that have helped Sue and Dana in their caregiving, they appreciate the support of their care team – R.N., Cathy Lemos and Care Manager, Alice Burns, who make monthly visits, are in touch by phone and monitor the daily health notes that Sue must enter in Seniortouch™ - Caregiver Homes’ web-based case management system.
Sue and Dana enjoy taking their mother out for rides or to the local Target. At this time of year, they’re enjoying the Christmas music on the car radio and Sue comments that her mom still knows every single word to every song that plays. Sue expresses appreciation for these simple pleasures with her mom and for Caregiver Homes and says, “I would never want to put my mother in a nursing home and Caregiver Homes helps us keep her at home with her family.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|