In April 2016, Marie Morin, the CEO of Transitions Care, had a series of strokes that left her a quadriplegic. Though Marie’s medical and rehabilitation needs were taken care of through the hospital and the rehabilitation centre, the biggest challenges she faced was upon arrival at home. Marie found assistance was limited to minimal drop-in care, her schedule was evolving around those drop-in occurrences while family and friends were burdened with the extra caregiving required for her continued comfort and residence in her own home.
It was during the basic drop-in service that Marie identified that quadriplegics or other severely handicapped persons can often times lack the ability to communicate additional needs. It was through Marie’s ability to express her needs vocally that she identified and expressed the need for a qualified caregiver who was available to integrate with her schedule and assist with household chores, medicine, caregiving of dependents as well as simple accompaniments and companionship.
Through networking, Marie was lucky to find a caregiver who was willing to be such a caregiver. Her caregiver was qualified to assist with daily chores such as medication dispensing, cooking, cleaning, and shopping. She provided accompaniment and companionship in the home and during outings and provided for basic hygiene needs while leaving tasks such as needles, catheter, bathing, tube feeding and transportation to the Health Care Aids.
Marie knows that family members can find themselves being drained of energy and “burnt out” for helping their loved one. This can add stress to daily routines and ultimately hurt the relationship between the person with the disability and their loved ones. With a full-time care provided, Marie found she could live a fuller and more enjoyable life. Her partner was involved in her rehabilitation, but with the help of the full-time care provider, the burden of daily tasks had been removed. This allowed for greater flexibility and daily enjoyment for Marie, her partner, and the household.
Of course, every person has their own challenges and needs, but Marie is hoping that her experience can help and benefit others. Marie knows that family and friends want to help and that they do everything that they can to be of assistance. Yet, on a day-to-day basis, Marie found it is more reliable and convenient to have a full-time caregiver working within the family schedule so that a household routine is created and followed. She knows that the meals, laundry, chores and required outings will be taken care of within that routine leaving her able to relax and enjoy the time family and friends can offer for visiting.
Marie also recognizes that some people do not have family and friends that can be relied upon. These people still deserve to have the comforts of their own homes and often do not want to be in a facility but have little choice. A scheduled drop-in caregiver can provide a way for them to stay in their home and to find comfort in the surroundings they are most comfortable with.
Transitions Care is here to ease the burden of personal care so that people can continue to live in their own homes on their own schedules.
