Chris
Found the Right Care for Her Mom
It
was about four years ago when Katherine Anderson began to
experience the affects of Alzheimer's disease. At the time
Katherine was living in Alaska, and her daughter Chris began
to have some concerns about her mother's ability to care for
herself. Isolated to her home, Katherine began experiencing
dementia and was afraid to venture out into public settings.
That's
when Chris decided to quit her job and move to Alaska to care
for her mother, whose condition was deteriorating fast. However,
after living for 14 months with her mother in Alaska, Chris
not only missed her husband back in Tacoma, she also began
to see the financial impacts from not being able to work.
With
school loans to payoff and a new career still ahead of her,
Chris searched for resources to help her find care for her
mother so that she could return to work and to her husband
at home. Chris knew that she did not want to place her mother
in a nursing home because of the high costs and the lack of
daily interaction with family. After talking with the Alzheimer's
Association, Chris was directed to the Good Samaritan Senior
Day Health & Respite Program at Orchard Hill, which turned
out to be the perfect solution for both mom and daughter.
Now
Chris and Katherine commute together in the morning. Mom goes
to Orchard Hill, where she participates in both social activities
and exercise-programs, which help keep her stimulated and
full of good spirits. Meanwhile, Chris goes to work and enjoys
the benefits of a paycheck and the opportunity to follow her
chosen career path. Thanks to the help of United Way funded
programs such as Good Samaritan Health & Respite, Chris
is able to afford the much-needed care for her mom during
the day, with the peace of mind knowing that her mom is safe
and in the caring hands of a great professional staff.
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