Solutions
To Your Caregiving Situations
Throughout Your Caregiving Years
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Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
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Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
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Someone
Like You: Robert Olsen, Council Bluffs, Iowa (Editor’s Note: Our fifth honoree, Robert Olsen, has struggling with health problems since his wife’s death. Joan died soon after we received his nominating letter from Southwest 8 Senior Services in Council Bluffs, Iowa. As Robert was concentrating on his own health and unable to speak with us, we’re reprinting his nominating letter.) Southwest 8 Senior Services is nominating Robert Olsen for the Tenth Annual Family Caregiver of the Year Award. We feel that he represents what it means to be a caregiver; to truly love the one you are caring for, to take those responsibilities seriously, to listen and tend to his own needs and participate in activities that make him happy, to problem solve and utilize community services, while remaining involved in the community around him. Even though Robert is so very thankful of all the help he receives, here at Southwest 8, we are privileged to assist Robert with his caregiving needs so that he knows caregiving cannot be done alone. When our case managers were asked to nominate someone in particular for this award, Robert was the first one who came to mind. The case manager working closest to Robert and his wife Joan, who he is caring for, felt very strongly about this caregiver deserving some recognition for what he does. Robert has been married to his wife for 56 years and he is a devoted husband who has always stood by his wife. He worked in the pharmaceutical industry for the later part of his life, until he retired. Seven years ago, Robert used that retirement to begin providing 24 hour care for his wife, after Joan suffered a series of strokes, leaving her paralyzed and blind in one eye. In his seven years of caregiving, Robert has had minimal support from our Case Management Program for the Frail Elderly. He is always thankful for the help he receives, and praises the Case Management Program. However Robert does not want to take advantage of anything, so as long as he can provide certain cares for Joan, he does. Robert does all of this for the love of his wife, because as he said, all the years that he was working and traveling, she took care of everything, so now it is his turn. Robert assists Joan with all her Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s), such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and all her Independent Activities of Daily Living, including housework, cleaning and cooking. Robert said ten years ago, he couldn’t boil water, but now he manages to make up some good recipes that have been passed down from his mother, and is always getting compliments on the meals. He is also thankful for the invention of the microwave, which he explains is very handy. Robert also checks Joan’s blood sugar levels and gives her insulin when she needs. Since Joan has aphasia, she responds by nodding her head. Robert manages to communicate with Joan and still watches her television shows with her. While providing 24 hour care for someone sounds like a hard job, Robert sees this as an opportunity to repay what his wife has given him over the years. Robert still manages to tend to his own needs and interests, by remaining close to his family and friends and communicating with them daily. He has close relationships with his grandkids, which keep him young at heart, and remind him that life is precious and important. Robert enjoys reading the paper every day to keep up on what his happening within his community and watches television shows for entertainment. For relaxation, Robert works in the yard for a couple hours each day and work up a sweat. He says then he likes to take a hot shower and relax into a nice sleep that way. Robert says he loves to work with his hands and still has a shop where he used to create many crafts. Community services are an important aspect of caregiving, and can relieve some of the responsibility for of the caregiver. Robert has accessed services over the years to better care for himself, as well as caring for his wife. Robert enrolled his wife in Medicaid, in order to help with her prescription costs. He then enrolled Joan in Southwest 8’s Case Management Program to assist her with her liquid supplements, durable medical equipment and medical supplies. Robert was also referred to a caregiver support group by our program. Through the case management program, Joan also had a brown bag review done by a licensed pharmacist and teacher to ensure proper medication. This resulted in the changing of one medicine. Robert’s use of problem solving techniques while caregiving, have been shown over the years, in his ability to get Joan the care she needs, while remaining hopeful all the while. Robert uses the time Joan is sleeping to run errands and get out of the house. When he was scheduled for surgery, he contacted respite so they could stay with Joan until he was able to return. When Joan’s lift chair was scheduled to be delivered, the truck could not back down their road, thus they could not make the delivery. Robert solved the problem by offering to drive to Omaha to pick it up, which he did. As I mentioned before, Robert remains knowledgeable about what is happening in his community. But he and Joan are more of hands-on-folks and over the years their involvement has been with their neighborhood kids. The couple took part in the lives of these youngsters, partly in raising them, taking them on outings and instilling in them good upstanding values. Robert still remains close to these kids, who are no longer kids anymore, but are grown adults, who now understand the values and importance of caring for your loved ones, and not leaving them behind when they need you most. Recently Joan took a turn for the worst and after going to the doctor she was sent back home without hope of living too much longer. Robert began working with Hospice to help Joan and himself through the difficult time of saying goodbye to one another. Robert remained by Joan’s side until the end of her life, holding her hand by her bedside, to let her know everything would be okay, and that she was loved. After Joan’s passing, Robert dedicated her memorials to all the organizations that helped Joan while she was alive. Today Robert is surrounded by his family and friends continuing to spend time with them and is still in contact with the hospice program, while receiving regular visits from their Chaplin to ensure his well being. Throughout the latter part of Joan’s life, Robert filled the role a family caregiver and showed us what it means to truly care for a loved one. For all of these reasons we feel like Robert deserves to be recognized for his dedication to family caregiving. Meet our Other Winners: And, meet winners from previous years: 2003 Winner: Kathryn 2003 Winner: Joan 2003 Winner: Diane 2003 Winner: Elizabeth |
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