This month’s lesson: Get to know your residents–each of them has an inspiring story with lessons to teach us.
By: Pam Vance, House Manager, Hayden
One of our residents with whom I spent some time getting to know is Dr. Robert Hurt. He is the most distinguished man I have ever known. He is 85 years old and a Dentist. He was married for 30 years. Mr. Hurt and his wife Gayle loved to travel, especially to Europe. They have 3 daughters. Heather Is a Lawyer. Kathy, the oldest, is an M.D., and Jenny, the youngest, has a Masters’s Degree in clinical psychology.
Robert came to us on June 30 2022 because he was weak from colon surgery. He was diagnosed with bladder and colon cancer. He was staying with his ex-wife Gayle, but he was falling a lot and not eating or drinking fluids. He just let himself go. He never liked taking his medication. But when he moved into Sunrise Care Homes he adapted quickly. He started eating, drinking fluids, and even started coming out and socializing with the other residents. He was walking and doing chair exercises. He started becoming very outgoing, demonstrating a good personality, and getting along with everyone. He was getting back to his old self again.
The family was shocked. Their dad was much stronger and his mobility improved by 100%. He was very alert and aware of everything going on around him. He became very motivated to do whatever it took to go home. He was doing very well. So he and the family decided he will be going back home at the end of July. His family assures us that they will keep in touch with us here at Sunrise Care Homes because of what we did for him.
What I learned from all of this is that life is too short. There are no promises for tomorrow. Do your best to enjoy every moment with your family. Work hard but also play hard and enjoy life–like traveling and seeing the world. Don’t forget to get an annual check-up from your doctor so you can plan for the future. And, most importantly, we all have more life to live. Make sure you provide good and motivational care for your family so they have more reasons to keep living and thriving–just like we did here at Sunrise Care Homes for Dr. Robert Hurt.
