When Sharlene Perez, a professional Care Manager at LivHOME, first met one senior couple, they were isolated and in declining health. Ironically, it took a crisis to sort out their situation.

The wife had congestive heart failure and was severely hard of hearing, making communication difficult. Her husband had Alzheimer’s disease and his driver’s license had recently been revoked. With no means of transportation and no family to lend a hand, the couple couldn’t shop for medicine or food. And they hadn’t seen a doctor in almost a year. During one of her initial visits to their home, Sharlene found the wife weak, blue in the face and short of breath. But the wife begged Sharlene not to take her to the hospital and not to leave her husband unattended.

Aware that the wife’s condition was critical, Sharlene rushed her to the hospital nonetheless—though only after ensuring that the husband would be cared for during her absence. Once the wife had recovered, Sharlene worked to match the couple with a Caregiver whose skills and personality meshed with their needs—including bringing a valued sense of humor to the daily tasks of driving, cooking, and helping them maintain regular doctors’ appointments and take medications on time.

She then took the initiative of taking the wife to get hearing aids, which helped her communicate with her Caregiver and with her husband. Their daily life became more peaceful and their health improved.

Thanks to Sharlene’s keen supervision of their care, the couple was able to continue living together at home and now enjoy the quality of life they deserve—along with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that although still fairly autonomous, they’re in good hands.

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