In Conversation with CDPAP Personal Assistant
This month we meet George B. while caring for his mom. Thank you, George, for sharing your CDPAP experience with us! We love to hear from our personal assistants and consumers.
So George, what brought you to Elite Choice and the CDPAP program?
I was caring for my mom and we’d always heard about caregiving from other people who did similar things. I was needing work at the time, and my mother’s health was becoming more worrisome. I had to be around more to help her. (Now even more.)
We started looking it up. My mom called Fidelis, they sent her to a nurse for an interview, and confirmed she needed care. It took a while, I was a little worried about the physical exam and all but Mom needed more care so I did what I had to do. It wasn’t a big deal after all that. We went through a couple agencies before we got to Elite Choice.
Wow, I’m so glad to hear! When did all this happen?
December 2019 - I remember when we finally got settled in. We planned to visit the zoo and have a nice day once in a while, but then Covid hit and everything shut down.
Right before we signed up, we were about to lose electricity, and right before that my grandfather passed away. I was gonna call the cable company to say, “we can’t pay the bills so shut it down”. It was the darkest point for us. Getting on to CDPAP was an absolute miracle.
CDPAP saved the day for you.
It was a real miracle of it working out. It was the darkest point for us financially, and since then my mom’s health has got even worse. It’s a whole lucky situation that I’m here.
Why did you choose Elite Choice over other agencies?
Fidelis gave us a list of names. We made some calls. Elite said they would send someone to help me fill out the paperwork and there would be no needles. Less needles are always better.
They were also really helpful. We needed confirmation from Fidelis and Fidelis needed work from them. Elite always helps, especially when I call ext 901. She’ s my scheduling assistant, and she always helps me.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m focused on my mom’s health. She was falling around, different health issues keep coming up. Lately her legs are very swollen. I go with her to all the appointments so she doesn’t fall. I take care of her food, bandages, medicine, and whatever else she needs. The way her legs are now, I don’t leave her alone at all.
What is your most challenging responsibility?
Her medical history is really long. We’re way out in the boonies, and doctor visits take a long time. Sometimes we go all the way to find out the doctor isn’t even there and we have to go home.
If there’s one thing you could ask for, what would it be?
I can’t really think of too much, it’s been so good. Now we have a weekly stable income and anytime there’s an issue, it’s taken care of.
What’s your favorite activity to do with your mom?
My mom likes to get out. She likes fresh air and to do some errands together. When her legs are OK, we do that, and when it’s bad, I take her to the backyard to get fresh air. She likes to feed the cats there in the backyard.
As a dedicated caregiver, what kind of support do you have that keeps you going?
Besides all the medical doctors and treatments, it’s really only us. The real help is having stable money and knowing that everything is paid for.
If there’s one thing you could tell others about CDPAP, what would you tell them?
It makes it easier to have financial stabilization and take care of the person you care for already. If you’re into helping people or you need to stay home more, look into this, it really does make it a lot easier.
Thank you, George! It Sounds like you have your hands full taking care of mom. Stay well and… look out for the next glimpse into the people of Elite Choice!