Care Solutions....Articles

Seniors Do It Their Way Written by Brenda Richardson

I’ve been reminded again lately of the changes that roll through our culture and back again. Not only fads, (like flower power or bell bottoms), but in returning to a more natural way of doing things. For example, when I was young, breast-feeding was obsolete. In a laboratory far, far away, a milk type formula was developed, with what was believed to be comparable to mother’s milk, rendering nursing to be unnecessary. UNNECESSARY! Can you imagine? Mothers would finally get away from their babies. Huh? Why was that appealing? Oh yes, it was a time when women were entering the work force and liberation from…..well, that’s another article. But enough years have rolled by and we recognize what nature knew all along. Unfortunately, 3 generations later, no one knew the “how-to’s” of breastfeeding. So now we have books and lactation nurses and LeLeche Leagues. Can you hear the laughter of our ancestors?

Similar stories, same moral; refined and processed food, preventative health care, childbirth, pharmaceuticals, and countless other scenarios. We come back to what worked best in the first place. An old friend of mine, Dr. Bradly said, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature, and if you do, you’ll wish you hadn’t”.

Recently I was speaking to the 70 year old son about home care for his 91 year old mother. Her needs were minimal at the time, but the family dilemma was, “when should we transition her to a facility?” He explained that she didn’t want to leave her home. So I asked what the problem was, and he went on to explain what he assumed I knew, what everyone knows; old age equates to nursing home.

I explained how home care works these days. There are businesses whose soul purpose is to aid the elderly who wish to remain home. I’ve had patients that require little help, say, once a week for household tasks, maybe transportation, etc. When things get more difficult, or a disease progressed, the hours and type of care is increased. From a couple of hours on occasion to 24 hours per day, and any custom tailored schedule in between. Even teaming up with hospice if need be. Home care can meet the same needs as a facility can. Forget the fact it can often be a fraction of the cost, or that the caregiver has one client to dote on instead of 20. Imagine the richness of life enhanced by being in your own home, hearing the clanking of your own pots and pans and dishes as your meals are made to your taste. Your own linens and towels carry the same scent they’ve been laundered in for years. Family and friends visit in familiar surroundings complete with the smell of grandma’s kitchen and dad’s musty old trunks filled with memorabilia. Sure, the old worn carpet never did get replaced, but all the better because it says home. This is the place that many of us want to live and die. It’s the most natural process on earth, in the most natural place to do it.

This man was so surprised at this concept, and I am reminded of how many are. So,…..on behalf of his mother, I said, “This transition need not be from home to a facility, but from home to that eternal peace, and with no trips in the middle.”

Brenda Richardson is a registered nurse and clinical advisor for Care Solutions, Inc. based out of Silverdale, with a satellite office in Chimacum. She has a well established role as advocate with many of the seniors in our community; from Poulsbo to Hansville, Bainbridge Island to Port Townsend...and back again.