Homemaker
Program
Mrs.
M. is a homebound 83-year-old woman who lives alone
in her Bangor apartment. She was referred to the Homemaker
Program because her family lives out of state and
cannot assist her on a regular basis. At first, Mrs.
M. received homemaker visits once every other week.
She received weekly visits because her physical health
declined. Mrs. M. would not be able to manage at home
alone without the homemaker doing errands – grocery
shopping, picking up prescriptions, and performing
general housekeeping tasks. Mrs. M. and her family
credit the homemaker program for supporting her continued
independence.
Mr.
D. is a 36-year-old withdrawn, paranoid schizophrenic
who lives alone in his Brewer apartment. His family
lives out of town and cannot provide assistance. He
was referred to the Homemaker Program when he requested
help with household management. Initially, Mr. D.
had limited conversation with his homemaker, but became
socially interactive with his homemaker over time.
They have established a therapeutic relationship because
the homemaker provides Mr. D. support to successfully
maintain his residence in the community.
Ms.
A is a 38-year-old female who suffers from severe
depression, bipolar disorder, and a history of substance
abuse. Her husband died unexpectedly two years ago,
which left her afraid to sleep in their bed and started
to sleep on the livingroom sofa. She lacked motivation
to perform basic personal and household tasks due
to her depression. She was admitted to the Homemaker
Program in September 2000. The homemaker spent two
hours per week to assist with laundry care, meal preparation
and household cleaning. After 17 months, Ms. A’s
self-esteem increased and she became more efficient
with household chores. They have cleaned her bedroom
in preparation to return Ms. A to her own bed. The
homemaker helped Ms. A. improve her self-sufficiency.
Mrs.
A is a 28-year-old married woman with a high-risk
pregnancy complicated by diabetes and depression.
She has had three miscarriages in a period of a few
months and has been put on full bed rest. She lives
in a small trailer with a disabled husband and their
seven-year-old autistic son. Mrs. A’s husband
is unable to do household tasks and their son attends
school. Transportation is a problem because it requires
most of the available family support. Without a homemaker’s
basic assistance with household chores and meal preparation,
Mrs. A. would have been hospitalized and the family
unit disrupted.
Additional
Information
What
to know more about the Community Health & Counseling
Services?
http://www.chcs-me.org
Interested
in volunteering with this agency?
http://www.volunteersolutions.org/uwem/volunteer/
Contact
us:
