Making an Impact – Keeping Mom Safe is First Priority
In the Making an Impact series, clients and services are featured to expand awareness of the wide array of help available at JFS and to ensure donors understand the lives they touch and the difference they make throughout the community. Client names have been changed to protect their confidentiality.
“Grandma” was 90 and living with her daughter and son-in-law when she became a JFS client through her insurance and elderly waiver. She was kind and talkative but did not speak English. She communicated with her case manager with smiles and a friendly face.
She was relatively healthy, with generalized aches and pain, osteoporosis, hypertension and poor vision. These chronic conditions were manageable. However, Grandma was experiencing rapid cognitive decline. She was becoming more forgetful, repeating the same questions to her grandkids constantly and getting lost when she would wander outside by herself. She would occasionally refuse to take her medication and complain that she hadn’t eaten, when she had eaten just an hour ago.
It became apparent to her daughter and son-in-law that they did not have the capacity to care for her anymore. But beyond providing care while working full time, Grandma’s safety was comprised by her wandering and getting lost. Grandma needed close supervision in a controlled environment.
The JFS case manager worked closely with Grandma’s daughter to find a memory care unit in an assisted living center. They found the center that they agreed would be best for Grandma, placed her on the waiting list, and followed up with the center often to secure a room. The case manager had all the paperwork ready when notified of availability and worked closely with the center as Grandma moved in.
The case manager found Grandma happy and safe during her assessment after she moved. The facility has staff who speak her language. Her daughter and son-in-law visit often and take her for walks and bring puzzles and take her to their home for holidays, keeping her safe but well connected to her loved ones.