|
|
| |
|
|
Community Nurse & Hospice Care, Inc. – A United
Way Funded Agency
Success Story
Touching Lives - Meet the LaJoie’s
“Boy, 2004 was real tough on my wife and I,” said
Mr. LaJoie from his beautifully decorated living
room at home in Dartmouth. “I didn’t think we’d be
doing this good after what we went through, but
everyone at your agency helped us more than we ever
expected.”
Charles and Beatrice LaJoie have enjoyed so much of
what life has to offer in their …years of marriage.
Mrs. LaJoie grew up in Dartmouth and spent many
memorable and happy years working in the Fairhaven
school system cafeterias. Mr. LaJoie, raised in New
Bedford, drove tank trailers locally for years and
eventually retired at the age of 59 from Sunbeam in
New Bedford. Mrs. LaJoie describes their life by
saying, “We always had good food, a good car and a
clean home and a wonderful family. What more would
we ever need?” The LaJoie’s downsized a few years
back, opting for condo living so that they could
enjoy traveling to Florida in the winter months and
not have to worry about the upkeep of their
Fairhaven home.
Recently, in February of 2004, the LaJoie’s
experienced a series of debilitating events that
would challenge the independence of this otherwise
healthy, spirited and very independent couple. Mr.
LaJoie was diagnosed with polyps on his colon and
ended up in ICU at St. Luke’s Hospital. The LaJoie
family was told that Mr. LaJoie might not make it
through the night. Miraculously he improved and was
transferred to Sippican Health Center in Marion for
three months for short-term care. From Sippican, he
was transferred back home with services from
Community Nurse & Hospice Care.
“It felt kind of funny at first to have someone at
home helping us because we are so independent. But
everyone has to be smart and know when it is time to
accept help,” states Mrs. LaJoie. Mr. LaJoie adds,
“We never knew these things were around because we
never needed them. There are a lot of services
available for the sick and elderly if you find out
about them.”
Mr. LaJoie made a recovery back to independence in a
short period of time with the help of the clinical
team at CNHC consisting of a nurse, physical
therapist and homemaker from Coastline Elderly
Services.
Unfortunately, when life seemed just about back to
normal for the LaJoie’s, Mrs. LaJoie suffered a
serious fall down a long stairway. It seemed unusual
that she would have no broken bones given the severe
bruising all over her face and body. Mrs. LaJoie was
transported to St. Luke’s Hospital where she
received 13 stitches in her head and treatment for
the skin that was torn off of her arms and knees
during the fall. After one week, Mrs. LaJoie was
sent home with CNHC services. It was only a week
when Mary Jane Depres, Mrs. LaJoie’s home care
nurse, convinced her to go back to the hospital
because she had developed severe flu symptoms.
During her stay again at St. Luke’s, Mr. LaJoie was
also admitted with similar symptoms for severe flu.
“I probably would have not gone to the hospital
without Mary Jane’s insistence. She really kept an
eye on what was going on with me,” says Mrs. LaJoie.
“And imagine my surprise when I found out Charlie
was in the hospital too! I thought he was coming to
visit me and here he was-a patient!”
Mr. LaJoie was sent home after a few days to
recuperate and Mrs. LaJoie returned to Sippican
Health Center for three weeks of rehabilitation. She
was then transferred back home. The LaJoie’s were
pleased to be reunited with CNHC and their nurse who
would monitor their flu recovery and symptoms and
change the dressings on Mrs. LaJoie’s wounds from
her fall.
“All in all, we’ve been lucky because of the
wonderful care we have had. We don’t know what we
would have done with the visiting nurses. We would
have probably tried to rely on our son or grandkids,
I don’t know. I know I’ll never see some of the
people from CNHC again, but, boy, I’ll never forget
them.”
The LaJoie’s are looking forward to a quieter and
healthier 2005. Their 7 great-grandchildren are a
delight, they say, and they expect to enjoy plenty
of time with them. Looking back over the past year,
the LaJoie’s recognize it wasn’t easy but they also
say, “Be grateful. There are always others worse off
than you.” |
| |
|
 |
|
