Elder Care in Port Charlotte, Florida

My name is Larry Waite and I am 57 years old. I just returned from Croatia after living there for over 8 years. I am married to a Croatian woman. We are now separated. During the time my wife and I lived together, we lived in her mother's - my mother-in-law's - apartment after the death of her husband (the kindest gentlest man I've ever known) from lung cancer. After his death, my step-mother was obviously distraught, in terrible grief. But, beyond the emotional and psychological trauma she was going through, unbeknownst to me and my wife, her eyesight had degenerated to near complete blindness (we realized it was very poor but were unaware of the degree to which her world had visually blackened - reliance on her husband shielded the extent of the affliction perhaps). My mother-in-law asked for me and my wife to move in with her immediately after the funeral to help support her in time of grief. We did so. She voiced and it became quickly apparent that she needed us to stay because of her blindness. We stayed. My wife works full-time as a secondary school teacher. I worked only 6-10 hours a week in the evenings for a private school teaching English. I became the full-time caretaker of my mother-in-law for the six years residing there. I cooked, cleaned, escorted/redirected her around the house when need be. I made sure she took her medications - the right ones at the right times. I took her blood pressure and called emergency when there were acute physical problems. I answered the telephone, answered the door for visitors, and, really, also very important, socialized with her, trying to uplift her and keep her in good humor. She sadly refused to leave the confines of that quite small apartment because she was ashamed of how the community would react to her state - tragic! There was only one time I was able to coax her out of the apartment. She had to travel to the neighboring country of Slovenia - her country of birth - in order to finally claim money from a bank (long story of injustice) she was owed for a lifetime of work/savings. The bank demanded that she present herself personally to the institution to sign the papers to enable release of the funds. Her daughter couldn't get her to go. She just couldn't do it. By this time, she was decompensating much more physically as well. In this particular circumstance, I was able to motivate her by using reverse psychology. I said she just didn't have the capacity, and, boy, didn't that work - played right into her stubborn streak. We made it to Slovenia and back - mission accomplished! I miss her and my wife a lot! It's not necessary to know why I left - all so very depressing and tragic... - but that I have, and want nothing more to be in a position where I can be a caretaker to another elderly person in need. Your mother needs assistance but I also need the satisfaction of assisting. We can satisfy each other's needs! Just to let you know of my present living situation. I returned to the States a month and a half ago. I am living with my parents in Port Charlotte until I can find employment and get myself back on my own two feet. There are no complications of moving out of a pre-established home or rented apartment. I have few possessions, making transition to such a live-in position would be easy. Most of my compensated employment has been in direct care, case management, and counseling roles. To the former, I worked for Residential Resources Inc. in Scarborough, Maine as Direct Support Professional. The developmentally challenged residents lived in a group home in the community. I shopped, cleaned, cooked for them. I fed one client who was especially challenged. I made sure their hygiene was attended to and changed one client who was not capable to do so himself - in diapers. I would go on walks with one wheelchair-bound client in the immediate residential community. He liked it. I did just as much. I planned and organized activities in the community for the residents I looked after, and I transported them safely to and from these places. I also worked as a Psychiatric Nursing Assistant for Maine Medical Center. I engaged clients in activities, observed their behavior for stability, safety, purposes of assessing mental health status/progress. I learned how to take their temperature and blood pressure and logged the results. I took care of the hygiene of clients, changed diapers, johnnies and bedding. I took care of patients ADLs generally speaking. In particular, I worked with the elderly population on the unit. I would assist the elderly care nurse in addressing their myriad of desires and needs. I did constant periodic security checks on the unit - knowing where all patients were all the time, checking for safety. I worked for Elan School in Poland Spring, Maine. I worked as a Residential Staff Counselor for adolescents. The residents were assigned departmental and/or functional positions in the homes and the staff managed the residents in maintaining the operation of the enterprise. I engaged residents in individual and group counseling in milieu where there was encouraged resident involvement in providing/exerting positive peer pressure. These are just several of the positions I've held.