The 78-year-old widower had stopped gardening, a favorite hobby, and seemed to be losing his mobility, so his family arranged for a companion from Nurse Next Door to stay with him for several hours a day. It took less than a week for Yenney Oropeza, one of the carefully-screened and experienced caregivers who work for Nurse Next Door, to realize the Placentia resident was depressed and had allowed his yard to become overtaken by weeds and dead plants because gardening had been the one activity he and his wife had loved to do together.
Yenney reached out to his friends and family and organized a yard beautification event. Flowers were planted, a new vegetable garden was created and along the way, a love of working outside was reborn. Today, he and Yenney regularly spend time keeping the yard attractive and love cooking meals with the vegetables from his garden.
“Nurse Next Door was hired to provide typical homecare services — light housekeeping, meal preparation and ensuring his safety — but what our caregiver did went far beyond that,” says Jesse Hunt, manager, Nurse Next Door. “This approach is at the core of what makes us different. We call it Happier Aging™ and it reflects our commitment to not only meet an individual’s physical needs but to find the things that bring them happiness.”
Throughout Southern California, from San Clemente to Palm Springs to Santa Monica, Nurse Next Door is owned and operated by St. Joseph Health, filling an important need for families, patients and community members.
“From simple companionship to Alzheimer’s and dementia support to skilled nursing care, we offer every level of care,” Jesse explains, “allowing seniors to remain safely in their own homes while giving families the peace of mind that their loved one is receiving the best possible care.”
In addition to assisting with bathing, cooking, medication reminders, errands and transportation needs, Nurse Next Door caregivers can also provide bedside sitting in a facility setting (nursing home or hospital) and help patients transition safely back to their home.
To find out how Nurse Next Door can help your family — from a one-time visit to 24/7 assistance — please call (866) 279-9991.
