After years of contemplation, I started taking some action! I began skipping lunch from my financial services job and moonlighting after work as a volunteer companion to elders around the local neighborhood.
We grocery shopped together, went to doctor’s appointments and sometimes just talked, shared experiences and LISTENED to each other with our hearts.
A memorable moment was having a simple meal in a local deli with “Robert ”, a sociable elder who is diabetic, an amputee who happened to have been at the heart of “the scene” in Manhattan in earlier times - from Studio 54 to the opera at the Met.
With more than a tear in his eye, he smiled, looked at me and said, “Jim, this is the first time I’ve had lunch ‘out’ in more than 7 years.”
I began to better understand the feelings of loneliness, boredom and helplessness he and many of “ OUR ELDERS” have experienced in their own unique way.
In assisting my elders with what I thought they needed, I became more open to them giving to me. A two-way street of giving and receiving…CARE PARTNERING!
I retired from an industry that served me well, advanced my understanding of the home care industry and created APPLAUSE Home Care to “Help Others Help Themselves” by care partnering with our certified aides.
By the way, Robert recently mailed me an article he read in the NY Times about home care…he still partners with me in many ways.
Types of Care Applause Home Care Offer:
- Personal Care
- Companion Care
- Elder Care
- Dementia Care
- Fall Prevention Care
- Chronic Conditions Care
- 24-Hour Care & Live-In Care
- Transitional/Discharge Care
- Special Needs Care
- Veterans Care
- Respite Care
- Transportation Care
- Consultation Care
- Light Household Duties Care
Member Of:
For more information about our Home Care Service in North NJ,
call Applause Home Care at (201) 326-8051.
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