A HOME NURSING BUSINESS

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This enterprising nurse/mother traded her hectic hospital job for . . .

by Faith Williams

When my husband took on the commitment of building our house, I had to abandon full-time mothering and bring home the paycheck . . . by returning to my prior work as a registered nurse. At first I thought I'd enjoy the old camaraderie and excitement of the hospital routine. But I soon found out that—the second time around—all the activity was more of a hassle than a stimulant. Worse yet, I could never stop worrying about what might be happening to my three-year-old son back at home.

Before long, I decided I was going to have to figure out a way to earn money and be at home myself! I didn't want to give up caring for people (the one aspect of nursing I'd always enjoyed) . . . and when I thought about it, I realized I didn't have to. After all, there were plenty of senior citizens in our part of Florida who needed—but couldn't always afford—nursing help. So why not care for such an elderly client in my own home?

Once my husband and I had discussed the pros and cons of my brainstorm, he agreed that it seemed like the perfect solution to my problem. So I got our landlady's approval . . . fixed up a room for our prospective boarder . . . and put an ad in the local paper, stating that I was a qualified R.N. looking for a house patient.

READY RESPONSE

I had a specific type of person in mind to care for: a grandfather figure who needed help with dressing, bathing, and other basic care. So when the responses to my ad started coming in, it didn't take me long—after carefully reviewing each applicant's problems and needs—to accept a gentleman in his late 70's with a premature-senility disease. He'd previously been living in an expensive nursing home, but his wife could no longer afford its rates. Consequently, she was so delighted that I was going to caretake her husband that, on top of my $1,200 monthly fee (home-care providers in my area charge from $500 to $1,800 a month, depending on the services provided), she agreed to supply the linen and a hospital bed with side rails!

During his first few months with us, "D" (as I'll refer to our elderly client) improved tremendously. Every day he grew more active and alert. Whereas he couldn't stand without assistance before, he soon was able to roam hither and yon. And with the help of my good home cooking (which sure beat the bland rest-home fare he was used to), he gained ten pounds!

All in all, D's care requires one and a half to two hours a day. This includes bathing, shaving, and dressing . . . taking him for walks . . . and cleaning his room. (I don't count doing D's cooking and laundry in this estimate, since I have to do those chores for my own family anyway.) Of course, someone always has to be home should he need help, so when I have to go to the store or run errands, my husband—who works right next door on our house—checks in on him. And when we all want to get away as a family, I make arrangements for a neighbor to stay with D while we're gone. (I baby-sit her children in exchange.)

One of the most touching aspects of having D with us is the friendship that's been kindled between him and my little boy. My son—who rarely gets a chance to be with his grandparents—enjoys helping me take D on walks. Despite the gap in their ages (or maybe because of it!), the two fellows have developed a special understanding of and warmth for each other. I think each has helped to fill a void in the other's life.

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