Throughout my many years with Visavie, I have accumulated numerous challenging stories and encountered several individuals who deeply touched me. Among these difficult cases, I would like to share one that had a positive outcome. It involved a family of five children and a Portuguese mother experiencing memory loss, having lost her husband approximately two years ago.
The mother demanded that her children take care of her, visit her daily or more frequently, prepare her meals, and attend to all her related needs. The assistance request was made two years ago by one of the sons-in-law. His spouse couldn’t handle it anymore, and three of the sisters were opposed to placing their mother in a residence, including the mother herself!
I had multiple discussions with the family, and finally, last summer, one year after the initial request, we visited two residences with the goal of dispelling misconceptions. I followed up several times, but it was impossible to get the mother to visit. She outright refused, even with the insistence of her family doctor, who strongly recommended moving their mother to a safe place with services. One of the daughters was overwhelmed, depressed, unhappy, and deteriorating. Since the mother was generally aggressive and refused help from strangers, the visited residences were not keen on accepting her. Another challenge…
But finally, in early December, after much insistence and suggestions to try it for a month, the mother agreed to at least make a visit. The doctor recommended that all five children be present, so I organized a visit that lasted two and a half hours! After a few weeks of reflection, the mother acquiesced and started her one-month trial in early January 2023. We were all on edge! To our great surprise, the mother adapted very well. It took about one week.
The daughters took great care in organizing her room. It’s beautiful! A terrible story that had a positive ending. Now, the mother’s children are also happy and relieved!
It’s gratifying, and it brings me joy to be able to make a difference in people’s lives.
