Direct Support Helped Our Mom Live Independently and Safely at Home
Kathleen’s mother has lived and worked in her community for years. When, at 90, her mom needed some extra help to keep living independently, an assist from a Direct Support worker helped her family meet her mom’s needs.
When did you realize your mom might need extra support to remain safely at home?
One time I came back from a trip and her whole house was full of smoke. She couldn’t see it or smell. That was my sign that we had to do something. It’s incredibly hard. But once you realize that it’s a safety issue, that’s more important.
How has Direct Support helped your family?
Having people here to help in the community really gives me a sense of relief.
The people that have jobs doing this work [of Direct Support], they’re invaluable. We get to have a break every now and then, because of the help we get from the community and people like Jim. My siblings and I still have our own lives, so it’s nice to have that flexibility, and to have an extra couple of hands.
Having Jim around gives my mom joy. And she trusts him. She likes when she can say to me, “Oh, Jim’s coming on Wednesday, so you don’t have to come.” You can tell it’s a relief for her too.
It’s very important to have people that aren’t related to the person coming in and helping. It just makes a huge difference.
I think if my mom didn’t have this support, it would be difficult. She was always so busy and worked so long in her life that I think if she were just sitting home watching television all day, it wouldn’t be good for her mental or physical health.
What would you tell someone looking to get into the field?
There’s a huge need for Direct Support workers, especially those who will come into a home and stay with aging people that want to remain in their homes.
It’s a very humbling job and experience. I’ve done it myself. But to know that you’re going to be in her position one day, and eventually need that help, it’s nice to be able to help others when you can.
You just have to be a nice person and trustworthy. It can be quite rewarding if you give it a try.