A Caregiver Who Makes Homebound Challenges Easier to Handle

According to a recent report, 9 in 10 seniors want to spend their golden years living at home. But when age causes health and mobility issues, sometimes we need a little extra help to do it. 

Cheryl Campbell has been serving the client families of Caring Hearts of Batesville, Indiana, for more than two years. Caring for as many as three clients at a time, she works shifts divided between her various assignments.

Helping a special senior care client

One of her daily stops is at the home of Marge, a woman in her 90s who lives in a farmhouse outside of town. The century-old frame structure lacks the air conditioning that would make the sweltering summers more enjoyable, and the heating system is terribly unreliable, so winters are a particular challenge for Marge.

Cheryl makes a point of being there at bedtime every night, making sure Marge is comfortable and when the weather turns chilly, that she has enough blankets to keep her warm. Marge sleeps soundly until Cheryl returns first thing in the morning to help her start the day.

Cheryl reads, Marge sings

In the summer and fall, Cheryl helps Marge with canning vegetables from her garden and even with packaging and freezing meat to make sure Marge’s food outlasts her monthly income. Since Marge can’t get out anymore, she misses her Sunday church services, so the two recently began holding their own service at the house. Cheryl reads from the scriptures and Marge sings her favorite hymns.

Marge has expressed several times that she doesn’t think she would have made it this long had it not been for Cheryl’s care.

What we do know is that Cheryl is sharing a gift that is much more valuable than time.

If the time ever comes when I need someone to care for me, I only hope it would be a caregiver like Cheryl Campbell! —Tammy Hermann, Caring Hearts colleague in Batesville.

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