A Day at Sonic
A day at Sonic
When I take on a client, more times than not an individual has already been through a series of caregivers coming to the door. Complacent with little expectations of change. Some angry, others guarded and quiet. All have came to a place in life of uncontrolled and expected predictable outcome with you just being the new temporary face in life. They had yet to have Grace’s at the door to change and expand the perception of care giving.
In example, a current client on first meeting was suffering from severe lymphedema, needing wound care and miserable in perceiving life to be any different. Motivation was nonexistent , diabetes leaving her to feel defeated. Shortly afterwards she was moved to her sons home for more consistent monitoring and a deeper depression of feeling control removed from her life.
Medical needs were attended to first and resolved while gradually introducing exercise into her daily living. Conversation opened the doors in discussing the depression issues with a consistent of the positive over the negative started taking hold. All the while now she was exercising and growing stronger largely unrealized to her. Being in a wheelchair the last seven years after a fall, becoming resigned to immobile living, exercising continued.
One visit while sitting with her, I suggested we try walking. Oh how she dismissed the ability. Did not want to try for fear of failure. We walked six steps that day, the next day a few more until she started to ask to walk each visit, gradually building to 30,40,50 and 60 steps. Her sense of depression changing to rising to challenge.
Today, I greeted her with another challenge. If she could walk out to the car, I would take her to Sonic for lunch and she would have to walk back into the house. The wheel chair would not be transported. Thinking about the challenge she went into the bathroom and prepared to leave. She accepted the challenge, completed it and showed such a glow afterwards. Her 21/2 year old grandson cheered her on with “Go granny go, go granny go”!. Taking phone calls after returning home, she made sure each caller knew what she accomplished and felt at peace in a way which had eluded her for many years. She felt like she took part of herself back again. She turned to me and said “you so inspire me!”.
Not realizing she had been preparing for today for many weeks, as the challenge was designed in baby steps she could savor one accomplishment at a time. I take the incorporation of mind/body/spirit into account with all clients knowing the harmony has to become one. Relying on intuition, being empathic and reading the client as a whole in the challenge to brighten life rather than be another face at the door. It is the basis from where Grace’s differs from the rest and at times leaves a toddler just as proud as the senior in going beyond the accepted. God bless the challenges we accept and the victory large or small we accomplish anytime in life.
When I take on a client, more times than not an individual has already been through a series of caregivers coming to the door. Complacent with little expectations of change. Some angry, others guarded and quiet. All have came to a place in life of uncontrolled and expected predictable outcome with you just being the new temporary face in life. They had yet to have Grace’s at the door to change and expand the perception of care giving.
In example, a current client on first meeting was suffering from severe lymphedema, needing wound care and miserable in perceiving life to be any different. Motivation was nonexistent , diabetes leaving her to feel defeated. Shortly afterwards she was moved to her sons home for more consistent monitoring and a deeper depression of feeling control removed from her life.
Medical needs were attended to first and resolved while gradually introducing exercise into her daily living. Conversation opened the doors in discussing the depression issues with a consistent of the positive over the negative started taking hold. All the while now she was exercising and growing stronger largely unrealized to her. Being in a wheelchair the last seven years after a fall, becoming resigned to immobile living, exercising continued.
One visit while sitting with her, I suggested we try walking. Oh how she dismissed the ability. Did not want to try for fear of failure. We walked six steps that day, the next day a few more until she started to ask to walk each visit, gradually building to 30,40,50 and 60 steps. Her sense of depression changing to rising to challenge.
Today, I greeted her with another challenge. If she could walk out to the car, I would take her to Sonic for lunch and she would have to walk back into the house. The wheel chair would not be transported. Thinking about the challenge she went into the bathroom and prepared to leave. She accepted the challenge, completed it and showed such a glow afterwards. Her 21/2 year old grandson cheered her on with “Go granny go, go granny go”!. Taking phone calls after returning home, she made sure each caller knew what she accomplished and felt at peace in a way which had eluded her for many years. She felt like she took part of herself back again. She turned to me and said “you so inspire me!”.
Not realizing she had been preparing for today for many weeks, as the challenge was designed in baby steps she could savor one accomplishment at a time. I take the incorporation of mind/body/spirit into account with all clients knowing the harmony has to become one. Relying on intuition, being empathic and reading the client as a whole in the challenge to brighten life rather than be another face at the door. It is the basis from where Grace’s differs from the rest and at times leaves a toddler just as proud as the senior in going beyond the accepted. God bless the challenges we accept and the victory large or small we accomplish anytime in life.
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