About Boston Senior Home Care
Learn More about us!
Frequently Asked Questions | People's Stories | Back to About Us
Elders can live at home safely
Mrs. Ann Smith is a 78-year-old widow who lives alone in her own home in Boston.
Recently, she has experienced dizzy spells; she fell once while she was getting out of her
bathtub. While she did not seriously injure herself in the fall, she became quite fearful.
Mrs. Smith receives Social Security benefits and a small pension from her late husband's
company, but she has been struggling to pay her medical bills and housing expenses. By the
end of the month, Mrs. Smith's money is very limited and her food supplies are lean. She
often will eat only toast and tea for breakfast and supper the last few days of the month.
Mrs. Smith has two children who help her out as much as they can, but her daughter lives
in the suburbs and doesn't drive. Her son is working two jobs to support his family. Mrs.
Smith is afraid to tell her children that she is finding it more difficult to take care
of herself and her house. She is afraid of becoming a burden to them, or, even worse,
fears that they will want her to enter an nursing home. She is afraid to lose her home
and her independence, which mean everything to her.
Mrs. Smith was lucky - a friend told her about Boston Senior Home Care and the services a
vailable to low-income elders in Boston. She called Boston ElderINFO (617-292-6211), where
a geriatric specialist took information about her situation and needs. A few days later,
an intake care manager visited Mrs. Smith to assess her needs and tell her about the
resources that were available to her.
Mrs. Smith now receives home-delivered meals five days a week. She has a personal care
assistant who helps her bathe twice a week and a homemaker to help her clean her home.
Since she lives alone and has problems with falling, the care manager suggested a
personal emergency response device so Mrs. Smith could call for help if she fell again.
The care manager also gave Mrs. Smith information about community agencies that could help
her with fuel assistance, medication cost and other issues.
Have all of Mrs. Smith's problems been solved? Of course not! She still has less money
that she needs. Her dizzy spells still occur once in a while. Her children cannot visit
her as much as she, and they, would want.
Is Mrs. Smith happier? YES! She can still live in her home, safely and with better care
than she has had in years.
Continue... or Back to About Us...
|
