Deborah Krehmeier 2008 Central Regional CAREGiver of the Year
< Back to CAREGivers of the Year
Deborah Krehmeier beautifully set the table with her finest china, reserved for special occasions. She carefully prepared a festive meal. The staff from the Central Region's Belleville, Ill., Home Instead Senior Care franchise office were invited over for a Christmas luncheon, and she wanted to make sure they felt special. Krehmeier recognizes they work hard to match CAREGivers and clients and deal with a phone that does not stop ringing.
Before they sat down to eat, Franchise Owner Beth Roussel had a small announcement. Deborah learned she was nominated for CAREGiver of the Year. "I just sat there dumbfounded," she recalled.
Krehmeier's CAREGiver service totals nearly 10,000 hours--more than five years--with one client, Ann. While this is extraordinary, Deborah sees it as simply taking care of someone as though she were your own mother. After five years together, they have become inseparable.
"My mother passed away 10 years ago. I was overseas then, and I didn't get to spend time with her in the final year of her life," Krehmeier said. "I see Ann as a way to spend time with my mother. I see her as my mother."
Ann, a woman living with Alzheimer's disease after an amazingly organized life filled with friends and travel, knows Deborah as the person who is always there for her. "She remembers my name," Krehmeier said. "It makes me feel good, because I know I have touched her life."
Ann's family thinks of Deborah as part of their family. When she took over Ann's care, Ann's daughter, Lynn, hugged her and told Krehmeier, "You have given me my life back."
Roussel believes Krehmeier has given Ann life. In her nomination letter she said, "I have no doubt that if it weren't for Deborah's dedication, we would not have kept this client in her home for over five years. These years have been turned into a time of not just 'existing' or 'coping' for her client, but into five wonderful years of gourmet meals and new adventures."
Krehmeier has influenced many lives. As a full-time military spouse and full-time mother, she heads her household because her husband, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, often participates in active duty. She served as a military ombudsman in spouses' organizations, uniting and supporting military families. A former real estate assistant, Krehmeier understands the importance of home. One holiday season, she saw a Home Instead Senior Care ad describing a position for a "Santa's elf" and thought, "I can do that."
Home Instead Senior Care then offered her a position with a client. Ann's daughter said her goal in seeking a CAREGiver was to keep her mother at home as long as possible. "I have worked as a physical therapist for 30 years, the last six in a nursing home," she said. "I have watched many people go downhill rather quickly, once admitted to a facility." This family wanted more for their mother.
Within her first month on the job, Ann, a devotee to her previous schedule, was accepting Krehmeier's gentle advice to eat nutritious meals, steering her away from life-long habits of having toast or pastry for breakfast and a sandwich with potato chips for lunch. Deborah's homemade soups, breads and vegetable dishes replaced empty calories, filling Ann's refrigerator for Home Instead Senior Care's overnight shift, as well.
From creating innovative ways to prevent potentially embarrassing personal hygiene accidents while ensuring personal dignity across the process, to helping Ann retain her position as the family's beloved matriarch, Krehmeier accepted the challenges of learning about and working with an Alzheimer's client.
"You have to be patient. That's the best advice with Alzheimer's. They can't help the way their mind is. They can't adapt to us. We have to adapt to them," Deborah said. "You can't go around and around about their reality. Some days, Ann will wake up and think she's in Spain, and I come up with some place to go in Spain. We go wherever our imaginations let us."
The territory they have navigated together includes new pets. Ann spoke of having a cat, so Krehmeier adopted a housecat from the Humane Society, ensuring the staff he would receive good care. They call him George, and Ann sits for hours, enjoying petting him. Another time, when Ann continued to ask why a china bird would not sing, Deborah brought her live birds that do sing. But, Ann's family insists Krehmeier is the one with wings, calling her an angel.
Because they like to stay active, Ann and Deborah make an 86-mile round trip "once or twice a week" so Ann can see her daughters. They also attend the summer program at the local opera house. Deborah looks forward to receiving the opera brochure each winter, so they can preview what is in store for them. "She sings the whole time we are at musical events, and I sit there and cry because she's so happy. It thrills me to see her so happy," Krehmeier said. Ann danced all her life, an activity Deborah continues with her at senior centers.
Family birthdays allow Ann to continue being a loving mother. "It's your daughter's birthday," Deborah will say. "Let's send flowers." The rewards include seeing Ann living in the moment, relishing her role as a devoted mother. Birthday celebrations also include planning special surprises, with toys and balloons, for great-grandchildren. "They call her Gigi, for great-grandmother," Krehmeier said. "Her great-granddaughters have a chance to create memories with their Gigi."
As their mother was known for enjoying cruises, her daughters have dubbed Deborah the "cruise director." When Ann's grandson, Drew, was planning his wedding, one of his great hopes was that Ann would attend the ceremony to be held on a beach in Malibu. Though they thought Ann would not travel again, Cruise Director Krehmeier told family members, "We can do this."
The wheels were set in motion several months before the wedding, giving Ann and Deborah time to prepare for an unforgettable event. Each day, they practiced Ann's role in the wedding, and Krehmeier made sure the families reserved a spot for Ann to toast the happy couple. When the time arrived, Deborah and Ann stood before the wedding group. "I held her glass up," Deborah said, "and Ann said, 'To my grandson, Drew, and his lovely bride, Megan.' She said Drew and Megan's names. Everyone cried, instead of clapping, because she remembered."
And so, we raise a glass to Deborah Krehmeier, the 2008 Central Regional CAREGiver of the Year and her client, Ann, who remind us that patience, love and imagination allow the human spirit to soar.