Marlene Mosely has dedicated her life to serving others. For over 45 years, she provided direct care to seniors and hospice care to people of all ages. Her expertise eventually led to coordination of other health care providers, passing on important skills to the next generation.
Her clients became friends, and she found herself invited to their family events and gatherings over the years. In addition, she was a foster mom and foster grandmother to many youth, helping them to get a good start in life.
She moved from New Orleans to Minnesota in 1994 to care for her sister with cancer and decided to stay. But the work she loved grew difficult for her in recent years when diagnosed with Lupus, Graves Disease, and fibromyalgia. She had already been battling diabetes, high blood pressure, neuropathy and arthritis—but this new combination eventually forced her to retire early from the career she loved.
A former client of Marlene’s had recently received services from the Age Well at Home Program (AWAH) and was delighted to tell her friend about her positive experience with the program. She encouraged Marlene to apply. While not used to being on the receiving end of home care assistance, Marlene contacted AWAH and enrolled in the program.
Assessing Marlene’s Needs
The AWAH team conducted an intake interview with Marlene to assess her needs and better understand her capabilities and limitations. Marlene shared with staff that she is “used to being very independent and taking care of others.” With the goal to prevent falls and increase her confidence and comfort in her “forever home” she worked with the AWAH team to prioritize modifications that would be most helpful to her.
An on-site visit determined that Marlene lacked a sturdy handrail outside her backdoor entrance to her home. She expressed concerns about safety and the need for a reliable doorbell to alert her to visitors at her front door.
Marlene also described how painful and difficult it was to get up and out of the chairs in her living room, a good candidate for a motorized lift chair. She described several falls while entering her sunken bedroom from the living room, indicating need for a safety grab bar. Her shower was missing a handheld wand to enable her to shower thoroughly and safely, and she also lacked a railing to the basement to safely do her laundry.
Modifications Make All the Difference
All of the targeted modifications were completed in Marlene’s home in June 2023 by the Age Well at Home team.
- Her newly installed back door handrail provides sturdy support when she exits and returns to her home, as well as for her guests.
- She loves the new doorbell that both flashes and rings to attract her attention when she can’t hear the ring.
- Her new lift chair enables Marlene to rest comfortably, knowing she can get up and down without pain and fear of falling.
- A sturdy grab bar to her sunken bedroom is especially helpful at night when it is dark and easier to trip and fall, and the shower wand is proving to be very helpful.
- Her weekly laundry chores are made much safer with a new and stable railing to the basement.
Marlene expressed deep gratitude for all of the modifications that make her feel safer and more confident and comfortable in her home. She continues to provide care and support to friends and family in need, despite her health challenges.
Additionally, she is committed to referring friends and family to AWAH, several of whom are already enrolled in the program. AWAH staff view this positive exchange to be best of compliments and consider each of these relationships as a win-win experience!