On Christmas of 2011, my wife survived a virus attack to her brain while vacationing in Hawaii. Since then, she has required full time, ongoing care while recovering from a severe brain injury that caused permanent damage to her speech, memory and mobility. I chose to care for her at home myself, recalling the commitment I made to her at our wedding over 30 years ago. I then left a rewarding career as a company executive that oversaw a huge operation to provide care to my wife; the one I gave my promise to. The AHS Self Managed Care program provides an ingredient that compliments our financial means and offers the opportunity for my wife to have the ongoing motivation to recover at home, in an environment where she is safe, comfortable and filled with happy memories.
Against initial medical opinions, my wife has been improving in baby steps in the past seven years. She is able to say my name today without prompting and has more confidence in managing her personal daily routines. With the support from the Self Managed Care program, I was able to retain the services of the same committed caregivers over these past seven years even as my wife’s needs changed. I believe knowing that she is loved and cared for must have given her that strong motivation to improve because feeling loved is a bridge of hope.
Self Managed Care is not for everyone. It requires management skills and a commitment and integrity to manage the services. I am thankful that years of professional training had prepared for me for this to fulfill my commitment, with the support of AHS.