A Caregiving Story
The picture you see is of a couple who were married for 63 years, enjoying breakfast and the view together just a week or so before they were separated by death.
For almost a year BrightStar Care has been providing care for Julie, pictured here at the window with her husband Ralph. The two married in 1957. They had 4 children and lived in Salt Lake City. During the last several years they have been a popular couple at Summit Vista. Ralph participated in many community activities. Julie did as well when she could, but she was having increasing difficulty with memory issues.
Linda Arias, her daughter from Hawaii, came to help out and joined our staff to provide care through her moms’ long-term care insurance benefits. Sally Smith also was a regular and greatly appreciated caregiver at the couple’s home. Many other BrightStar Care staff helped out on occasion.
It was a difficult year in Covid, but Linda was able to spend many happy hours with her mom and dad reminiscing and giving them the extra help that they so needed. Then Ralph got sick and needed surgery and his health did not return to its previous level. Still, in the last few weeks of his life, he rallied and felt the need to digitize the couple’s 20 or so scrapbooks. He made great progress on his project but towards the end of January he took ill again and this time he did not recover. He passed among his family, including Linda on 28 Jan 2021. Linda will always be grateful for the time she had in the last year of her dad’s life assisting her parents.
This is the mission of BrightStar Care, to provide comfort, respite, and assistance to those who need us at the most vulnerable times in their lives. Our most sincere sympathy to Linda, her mom and family. And also, our gratitude, for allowing us the privilege of joining to help provide care in Julie and Ralph’s last chapter of life together.
- Deborah Parker, Director of Nursing