Below is an email that we received from a family whose mother used the transportation services provided by Ride Connection. Thank you Diane for letting us share this.
James - we just met at the Portland Nursery fund raiser and after hearing what an important contribution Ride Connection provided my family, you asked me to e-mail you with my quote you can use. "Ride Connection was a Godsend for our family."
Somehow that does not seem nearly enough of an endorsement. I trust I will not bore you with additional information, but there is a very personal story that accompanies that quote. I located information about Ride Connection from an agency providing information to people such as our family searching for assistance and alternatives for my elderly mother. (It no longer exists.) Mom lived with us when she began to decline until we were forced to have her cared for in a facility providing 24-hour care. I was still working.
My mother had multiple problems, multiple appointments and kidney dialysis three times each week. My employer was incredibly flexible, but still, it was impossible for us to cover all the appointments and maintain employment. Our lives turned into constant coordination with no relief.
When the elderly are as ill as my mother, their daily lives center around their healthcare and providers. It becomes their social life and my mother was a very social person. After utilizing Ride Connection for several weeks, we noticed my mother concerned about her clothes, her hair, her perfume. On Ride Connection days of course. Because we utilized Ride Connection several times a week, mom developed a relationship with her regular drivers. They became her social life and instead of having a "down" day for a medical appointment or procedure, she looked forward to who might be driving her to/from. Those volunteers provided my mother with discussions outside of her medical world. There are many things in this world we cannot place a monetary value on and the ability to provide an elderly person with a sense of dignity, pride, something to look forward to, and yes, a little excitement as well - Ride Connection did this for my mother.
Something this simple gave my mother more joy than all of the social workers, ombudsmen, nurses, physicians, or any staff person.
Dianne
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
An extraordinary and touching story. It makes me proud to be part of the RC family. In this time of uncertainty these reminders of the importance of simple human touch and contact are a blessing and a true celebration of Thanksgiving.
Alain
Post a Comment