Frank J. And Maude J. - A Scenario from Home Instead in Bryan/College Station
Frank and Maude were married in 1946. Frank had recently graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Civil Engineering and Maude was very anxious to start a family. For the next 66 years theirs was a story of love, family, and faith.
But as Frank and Maude approached their 90s, changes in their health became very evident. They found it more and more difficult to keep up with the activities of daily living that once presented no challenge to them at all. Frank’s vision was failing, and Maude had severe osteoarthritis and yet, they lived independently in the Bryan home that they had built in 1953.
Secure in retirement, Frank and Maude had little to worry about. Their two daughters had married and blessed them with 5 grandchildren whom they adored. While most of their family lived in Fort Worth, they were able to visit frequently.
As their health declined further, Frank and Maude enlisted the services of Home Instead to assist with household tasks and to provide transportation to doctors’ appointments and visits to HEB. Their primary CAREGiver℠, Grace, soon became part of the family.
Then one Sunday morning the unthinkable happened – Frank passed away in his sleep.
Maude was devastated at losing her husband and best friend. She was strong throughout the funeral but as friends and family returned to their everyday existence Maude found herself alone, afraid, and depressed. That’s when Grace really stepped up her efforts with Maude.
That’s when Maude found out the true value of companionship.
They had long talks about Frank and the life that he shared with Maude. They assembled photographs of all of the grandchildren and framed and mounted the photos throughout the house. They often visited Frank at the cemetery where they cried, they laughed, and they reminisced. This went on for over two years until Maude – on her and Frank’s wedding anniversary – joined Frank in heaven.
Grace spoke at Maude’s funeral through her own tears. She talked about a love story that was a joy to witness and about just how blessed she was to be able to work with two beautiful people.
Even though this scenario is not based on an actual client story, it is indicative to the care and compassion that we strive to achieve for our clients. At Home Instead, we care about positive outcomes for our clients. We believe that relationships are every bit as important as tasks. We know that seniors demand and deserve great care that encompasses the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of the client. That’s why we say that to us, it’s personal.
