Amy Perfectly Handled Client’s Fall, Follow-Up Care
On an unforgettable summer morning, CAREGiver of the Month Amy Coalson rescued her 91-year-old Home Instead® client. Her client, who routinely had been alone during overnight hours and normally wears a medical-alert necklace, had fallen and couldn’t get up. That night, the client was not wearing her medical-alert necklace and wasn’t close to a phone after the fall.
The client may have been on the floor for seven or eight hours before Amy arrived, but she was alert and anxiously waiting. “I always ring the doorbell to let the client know I am coming. But no one came to the door, and it was locked, so I knew something was wrong. I grabbed the spare key from its hidden place. When I found her, I called 911 and also found her medical-alert necklace and pushed the button,” Amy said.
The client had suffered a nosebleed that had stopped hemorrhaging, plus some obvious bruises. “I held her hand but did not move her because I did not know the extent of her injuries. She asked me to get her up. I said no, but I did put pillows under her head and waited for the EMTs to arrive,” said Amy, who followed the ambulance to the hospital at the family’s request.
Of course, Amy kept the office staff at Home Instead of Mount Airy updated. “Doctors checked out my client and luckily did not diagnose any serious injuries. She previously had undergone two hip replacements, but everything seemed to hold up. There have been no falls since then, and we don’t talk about it,” said Amy, who has served the client for more than a year.
“I enjoy being with her. There doesn’t seem to be any dementia, but I remind her to use her walker instead of grabbing a cane. Her physical therapist requires the use of a walker. Of course, fall prevention is something I prioritize. That being said, I give her personal space. There is no hovering. I know when she is ready for her quiet time. A former teacher and librarian, she reads the newspaper from front to back. My job is to make her life better and help keep her as safe and independent as possible. She is very independent and does not give up. She has a standing Friday appointment at the beauty shop, where I take her.”
Ironically, a beauty shop is where Amy first became involved in professional senior care in 2013 when she learned about a private-duty caregiving job. “While I was getting my hair done, someone at the salon asked if I would sit with a lady as a private-duty caregiver. I had no idea what the situation was health-wise,” Amy recalled.
“I went to the house, where the daughter was interviewing caregivers. Her mother needed 24/7 care. She was bedridden. I had been a family caregiver, but I did not have experience with that kind of situation. I did get one of the job shifts and was with their senior loved one for a little less than a year. I learned almost everything you can learn about senior care in that situation. The client needed total care, personal care and feeding. Toward the end, they called in hospice. The family still wanted caregivers, and I stayed. Working alongside the hospice workers was another learning experience. The client died eight or nine days after hospice came in. Those days were very important to me.”
Amy added: “I decided I should sign up for CNA-1 classes and pursue senior care further. After the client’s death, of course I was out of a job. Private-duty clients are hard to find. I went to a medical supplies company to see if they knew of anyone who needed a private-duty caregiver.
They suggested an agency, Home Instead, where I was hired in May 2017. I also learned a lot from the Home Instead training.”
As a family caregiver, Amy also learned about senior care from helping her grandmother and mother. “Mom had a lot of health issues for eight or nine years, including a broken hip that she suffered while taking my grandmother to a medical appointment. Mom had family members with cancer, and my aunt lived with us until she passed away from cancer,” Amy explained.
“Grandma had dementia and lived with us off and on for two years before she passed away at age 88. Hospice helped with her care. I learned a lot about dementia from my grandma’s situation. Her sundowning was terrible. She wanted to go back home or go to school. Dementia can change personalities. Grandma never used foul language until very late in life.”
Working for Home Instead is a lot like being with family, Amy pointed out. “The office staff makes everyone feel welcome. None of the staff is negative, and they always make me smile.
Clients are a priority, but Home Instead wants the CAREGivers to be happy, too. They match the CAREGivers and clients really well by checking backgrounds. They also formulate great care plans,” Amy said.
Amy became teary-eyed when Staff Coordinator Sharon Bledsoe announced her CAREGiver of the Month honor. “I wondered, ‘Why did I get this honor?’ I appreciate the award. In terms of trusting a care company, Home Instead is the one. I want to stay with Home Instead. Maybe I will go back to school for nursing, but I can’t think of another job I’d rather have,” Amy said.
All Home Instead CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured. For inquiries about employment, please call (336) 789-4472 or apply online. For further information about Home Instead, visit our website.
