If I'm telling you this, it's because I've lived it.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Lennart Portela. Here's a revised version to improve the flow:
My name is Lennart Portela, and in May 2016, my grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. That said, let’s take a step back.
I graduated as a nurse in 2015 and from the beginning, I worked for a hospice company, assisting and helping patients alleviate symptoms related to their diagnosis, in the comfort of their homes.
During this time, I was able to observe the need that most of these patients had for someone to assist them with basic household tasks, such as hygiene, meal preparation, bathing, among others. But it wasn’t until my grandmother was diagnosed with dementia that I was able to live and experience the complexity of this situation, as well as the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it.
Of course, my mother and I wished to care for her directly, but the reality was that we both had many responsibilities and couldn’t put everything on hold.
So, we began to explore options, with the clear priority being to keep my grandmother at home. I was aware of this service due to my profession, so we were able to hire an agency that sent a Home Health Aid (HHA).
For us, it was perfect; the caregiver took care of my grandmother’s needs while we worked and also provided companionship. The best part was that when we came home, we found her bathed, her room tidy, her laundry done, and adequately fed, just as instructed to the HHA.
The caregiver treated my grandmother as if she were her own family. Her dedication, care, and attention provided us with much satisfaction and peace of mind.
It was at that moment, feeling that it was a blessing for our family to enjoy such a warm and familiar service, that the idea of becoming that angel of hope for other families experiencing similar situations arose.