A Double Amputee Lives at Home with SeniorBridge Care

Written by the happy daughter of a SeniorBridge client.

As the daughter of two elderly parents who reside in Melbourne, Florida, I can testify that SeniorBridge has been a blessing to our family, but especially when they both needed care the other day.

Recently my father had his second leg amputated, and his doctor suggested we call SeniorBridge given the company's expertise with complex chronic care. His care at home would require more than what my mother, who had been his full-time caregiver, could possibly provide alone.

My father and mother have been married for 54 wonderful years, and both wanted more than anything for my dad to stay at home where his rehabilitation and recovery after the amputation would be more successful. However, the prospect of his ability to return home without additional help was questionable. Not only did my dad have several chronic conditions that make his disability more challenging for him, but the physical limitations of being a double amputee were clearly going to be a challenge. The mechanics of daily activities like transferring in and out of the shower, bed or car would require special training and equipment. SeniorBridge arranged for equipment we did not even know he was eligible for to make his transition from the hospital and care at home easier and safer.

SeniorBridge's professional staff, Dorothy Burns and Peg Holloway, visited my father in the rehab facility to assess his requirements on multiple levels. After taking into account his physical, medical, financial and emotional needs, they devised the best plan of action to take. SeniorBridge advised us that they take pride in matching the best caregiver for each individual and their particular needs. That plan included identifying Cheryl Johnson and Russell Pratt, two SeniorBridge caregivers, who were perfectly suited for my father's needs and assisting my mother with his care. From their first day with us, it was clear these caregivers had been thoroughly screened, and that they had the training and skills to provide the best possible care. They immediately took an interest in learning my father's exercises, which are critical to the success of his physical therapy, and began assisting him as needed (they even remembered the ones he forgot).

Last week, we saw them excel at their jobs when an emergency situation unexpectedly arose. While visiting my parents, I surprisingly had to rush my mom to the hospital. Russell had arrived right on time, and when we explained what was going on, he went above and beyond the call of duty to take care of my dad while I was at the hospital. I checked in on them several times during the day because Russell had only been to the house a few times by this point, and I worried he might be overwhelmed by the situation he walked into that morning. However, SeniorBridge had everything under control. The scheduling and supervisory staff at SeniorBridge quickly re-arranged my dad's caregiver schedule so he could remain with Russell, with whom he was most comfortable, throughout the rest of the day and that night until Cheryl was scheduled to arrive the next morning. As Russell had promptly recognized that my dad was extremely worried about Mom (for obvious reasons), he began working with him on his exercises and kept other daily routines going to occupy him throughout the day. My dad can be a challenge when he's worried, but Russell did everything to perfection and then some. Russell even cooked us dinner that evening so I could continue to focus on what my mom needed in the hospital, and the meal was DELICIOUS!! Cheryl, also, took excellent care of Dad the next day. She picked up where Russell left off and again kept him focused on the daily routine and his exercises until Mom could return home.

Both Cheryl and Russell have a giving, understanding, caring and gentle way about them. It takes a very special person to be a REALLY GOOD caregiver, and these two SeniorBridge caregivers have it all! They are the number one reason that my dad gets to stay at home with his wife of 54 years and be happy, content and healthy rather than requiring the care of a nursing facility. The SeniorBridge care team makes that possible, and my family could never in a million years express our thanks for that. When I call Dad in the evening, and he tells me about how good his day was and what he and the caregivers did, it makes the whole world right no matter what my day was like. He has made amazing progress and much of that comes from the great care he is able to get in his own home.

We were hooked from day one. My dad's discharge from the hospital after the second amputation was a major difference from the first time, and his care at home allows him to live with the quality of life he has always known. My parents and I are confident the SeniorBridge team will help us with whatever we need, and words cannot express my gratitude for the entire SeniorBridge team of managers and caregivers and all they coordinate for us. They have also matched us with the best nurses and physical and occupational therapists that have also contributed to his successful rehabilitation.

Please be sure to let the Melbourne team know how much our whole family appreciates them and is thankful every day for all they do and how great they do it!