2014

2014

Thursday, June 9, 2011

I'm lazy and this man is incredible!

The gentleman I work for is 86.  I am an aide for his disabled wife.  He still works part-time as an optometrist two days a week.  Yesterday he said he fears in two months he may not have his job.  Not because of his age or any inabilities on his part, but because of some changes that will be implemented within the infrastructure of the company regarding patients insurance.  I'm not sure of the details of it, it all sounded confusing, but the funniest, most amazing, great part about any of this is: as he was driving off to go to work, he tells me out the window of his minivan he is thinking of STARTING A BUSINESS!!!!  What!?!?!  At 86?!?!
  He and I were at the breakfast table talking about his wife and all the things we both have learned in the process of caring for her.  We have found some great resources that have not been all that readily advertised to help those who are disabled.  For instance, he has a lift system in his house in two different rooms that enables us to lift his wife from the wheelchair to her living room chair, or her wheelchair to her bed.  Every nurse or any other medical personnel we have had in the house over the many years of owning this lift system will say, "I have never seen anything like this."  They have used gait belts or have themselves used a hoyer lift, but this they were not familiar with at all.  Well, it has been a lifesaver for him because it has given him the capabilities to transfer his wife on his own without the help of an aide, therefore not needing to shell out more money for help and giving the two of them more independence than they would typically have in their situation.  All that being said, he now wants to speak with the woman he purchased the lift from and see if she would like a partner (he'd make a great spokesperson), or he has thought of going into a partnership with one of his daughter's in selling these lifts and other good finds he made throughout the years.
  I have ordered and purchased (and returned!) LOTS of things to help with her hearing/speaking/seeing/eating/etc. for the total of 5 years I have worked for them--things that have been advertised to their particular age group and her particular problems, BUT the two of them, when the item has been tested and tried, are able to then say, quite reasonably, just why the item does not work and will not work in the future.  The gentleman I work for wants to be an advocate for things that do work, and let those companies that believe they are selling a product that will be useful know just why their product is not as great as they profess it to be.
  I just heard this yesterday--"Find something you are passionate about and then get involved!"  I am so thrilled to see his passion, at 86, and see the fire in his belly move him to do something about it.  How incredible!

No comments:

Post a Comment