former Coordinator, Jeannette Lindgren
pleased to welcome
Kelly Holtzman
as our new
Chore Coordinator.
Heidi and Ingeborg’s Story
When Heidi first connected with Care Partners, it was because of an interest in geriatrics. She jumped on board the organization’s second-ever training class, and immediately began making connections that would eventually change her life.
In 2010, Heidi’s mother, Ingeborg, joined her in Cook County at age 89. “It was always part of the plan for her to move in with us,” Heidi reflected.
During this time, Heidi continued volunteering with Care Partners, visiting an elderly woman to give her caregivers a break. Ingeborg would accompany her, and Heidi was delighted to see the way her client and mother connected. The two women would tell stories and laugh. “It was just the coolest thing.”
When Care Partners piloted a Group Respite program, Ingeborg became a beloved member of the group. As Ingeborg's needs grew, Heidi left her full-time work to care for her. At times, she’d wake up three times a night to tend to her mother. “There came a point where I just couldn’t do it anymore. I contacted Care Partners, they put a call out, and people responded. It was amazing.”
Heidi noticed that each volunteer who visited with her mother had a unique impact. “They related in a different way than a family member could. It was such a break for us and for her normal routine.”
Eventually, with the help of Care Partners, Ingeborg got her wish to be at home through end-of-life, which was a gift to both Heidi and her mother. Heidi expressed, “It was amazing, and it could not have happened without Care Partners.”
Heidi and her mother’s experience with Care Partners is similar to that of many families caring for a loved one experiencing end-of-life, aging, or serious illness. Not only does Care Partners strive to provide life-affirming care and connections for clients and care givers, but it also fosters deep relationships between clients and community volunteers.
“As a volunteer, most of us feel honored,” Heidi explains. “You’re invited into somebody’s life, and you get as much out of the visits, if not more. It’s a rich, valuable, relational experience where you get out there and make a difference.”
Whether you or a loved one could benefit from additional care giving, or you’d like to make a difference as a volunteer, Care Partners hopes you’ll reach out and let yourself be a part of this journey.
raffle in 2015. Local resident, Lori Thompson
(right) was the luck winner.
Look for another Care Partners Quilt Raffle this
summer!