A mom, a dad, a loving daughter...loving CarePartners Health Services
Tami Ruckman, donor and caregiver, reflects on what CarePartners means to her:
Tami Ruckman returned home to Asheville to take care of her parents six years ago. She knew about CarePartners Health Services, but didn’t know how important CarePartners would become to her family. After having Home Health, Adult Day, and Hospice care, Tami says, “I wish we had a million dollars to give to CarePartners.”
Tami’s initial CarePartners experience was with Home Health services for her mother, Lucia. Their wound care nurse stayed with them and took care of Mama for almost the entire six years. Sometime during those years Tami’s father, Howard, started going to Adult Day once a week.
Later, after Howard was in the hospital, he became a Hospice patient. Tami says, “He always liked to say he was not on the fast track, and had home Hospice care for over two years. Our social worker was great, and always got things we needed and the results we wanted. Dad was never in Solace, but after Mom broke her hip, she went to Solace and passed away there. All the Solace staff was wonderful to us.”
As Howard became more frail, he went to Adult Day more often. After Lucia died in December 2007, Howard started going five days a week so Tami could continue to work. “We liked Hospice and Home Health, but we LOVED Adult Day,” says Tami. “They are incredible caregivers. They always greeted my Dad with a hearty handshake and Kleenex if necessary, since his nose would get runny from allergies. The social worker helped us access VA benefits at every turn. And the activities! Dad had a better social life than I did.”
Tami says she is especially and eternally grateful to Howard's nurse. “She knew him as well as I did. She knew his meds, his gait, his speech, how he was feeling, and whether he was going to have a good day that day or not. She must have answered 1000 phone calls from me to explain a medication, tell me how to dress a wound, or let me know he was okay.”
Tami has many memories of Adult Day. “Dad couldn't speak but he could sit and sing hymns with the Chaplain. One Valentine's Day, he came home with chocolate on his face, in his pockets, on his shoe, and tucked up inside his hat. Another day I drove up and saw a limousine out front. I soon realized it was Waldorf Astoria Day, and everyone was going to take a ride! Then there was the day that Dad was sitting on his walker and it rolled down the hill in the parking lot before I could catch him. I nearly died of a heart attack, but Dad laughed - mostly at me and the staff running after him.”
After Howard died in February 2009, one of the Adult Day staff gave some of Howard's art to Tami’s supervisor who brought it to her at work. It is one of Tami’s most treasured possessions.
“I wish we had a million dollars to give to CarePartners,” says Tami. “We don't, but what we did was ask our friends and families to designate gifts to the Adult Day Center after Dad died. It was our way of saying how very grateful we are for all that they did to enrich my mom and dad's life, and mine as well.”
Click here to make a gift to the CarePartners Adult Day Scholarship Fund.
Tami Ruckman, donor and caregiver, reflects on what CarePartners means to her:
Tami Ruckman returned home to Asheville to take care of her parents six years ago. She knew about CarePartners Health Services, but didn’t know how important CarePartners would become to her family. After having Home Health, Adult Day, and Hospice care, Tami says, “I wish we had a million dollars to give to CarePartners.”
Tami’s initial CarePartners experience was with Home Health services for her mother, Lucia. Their wound care nurse stayed with them and took care of Mama for almost the entire six years. Sometime during those years Tami’s father, Howard, started going to Adult Day once a week.
Later, after Howard was in the hospital, he became a Hospice patient. Tami says, “He always liked to say he was not on the fast track, and had home Hospice care for over two years. Our social worker was great, and always got things we needed and the results we wanted. Dad was never in Solace, but after Mom broke her hip, she went to Solace and passed away there. All the Solace staff was wonderful to us.”
As Howard became more frail, he went to Adult Day more often. After Lucia died in December 2007, Howard started going five days a week so Tami could continue to work. “We liked Hospice and Home Health, but we LOVED Adult Day,” says Tami. “They are incredible caregivers. They always greeted my Dad with a hearty handshake and Kleenex if necessary, since his nose would get runny from allergies. The social worker helped us access VA benefits at every turn. And the activities! Dad had a better social life than I did.”
Tami says she is especially and eternally grateful to Howard's nurse. “She knew him as well as I did. She knew his meds, his gait, his speech, how he was feeling, and whether he was going to have a good day that day or not. She must have answered 1000 phone calls from me to explain a medication, tell me how to dress a wound, or let me know he was okay.”
Tami has many memories of Adult Day. “Dad couldn't speak but he could sit and sing hymns with the Chaplain. One Valentine's Day, he came home with chocolate on his face, in his pockets, on his shoe, and tucked up inside his hat. Another day I drove up and saw a limousine out front. I soon realized it was Waldorf Astoria Day, and everyone was going to take a ride! Then there was the day that Dad was sitting on his walker and it rolled down the hill in the parking lot before I could catch him. I nearly died of a heart attack, but Dad laughed - mostly at me and the staff running after him.”
After Howard died in February 2009, one of the Adult Day staff gave some of Howard's art to Tami’s supervisor who brought it to her at work. It is one of Tami’s most treasured possessions.
“I wish we had a million dollars to give to CarePartners,” says Tami. “We don't, but what we did was ask our friends and families to designate gifts to the Adult Day Center after Dad died. It was our way of saying how very grateful we are for all that they did to enrich my mom and dad's life, and mine as well.”
Click here to make a gift to the CarePartners Adult Day Scholarship Fund.