“It feels wonderful to be able to live on my own”
February 13, 2012
Ames, Iowa – Sitting in her recliner, Gloria Vannorsdel can watch the birds outside, perched on bare December trees.
Her apartment at the Rose of Ames is decorated for Christmas, with a lighted tree on her kitchen island and a stained-glass nativity scene on the living room windowpane.
There’s a certain comfort in being in your own home, a comfort this elderly Iowan doesn’t take for granted.
Two years ago Gloria was running errands on an ordinary day, when a single misstep led her down a long journey of rehab.
“I was walking down the post office steps,” Gloria recalled. “It was a gorgeous spring day, and I was admiring the leaves coming out. I barely caught the second step with the edge of my heel, and I fell down on the cement.”
Gloria drove herself home, thinking rest and a nap would cure her aching leg.
But when she woke later and tried to stand, she fell again. With torn ligaments, she crawled on her hands and knees to reach her downstairs neighbor who called an ambulance.
Gloria spent months in and out of four hospitals, with extensive skilled nursing and physical therapy. Last April she was then referred to LSI and the Rose of Ames, an independent assisted living facility, for home health care.
“When I got the call, we weren’t sure if she was the right fit for the Rose,” said Lou Ann Williams, LSI nursing coordinator. “She was borderline, whether or not she would be able to live on her own, but since she was so nice and adorable, we decided to give it a try.”
Lou Ann smiled at Gloria. “If you push her, she’ll push back and do what she needs to do. She was determined to stay and make it.”
Slowly and with encouragement, Gloria regained some of her strength. First, she walked to the laundry room. Then, she could go as far as the elevator. Finally, she was able to attend meals in the dining room on her own.
“It feels wonderful to be able to live on my own,” Gloria said. “I don’t mind being alone, but here you don’t have to. You can go to meals, church, the beauty parlor.”
When asked about LSI, she joked about her special rapport with the nursing and home health care staff.
“I could sing their praises to high heaven,” she teased. “How good and flowery do you want me to get? I enjoy staying here and doing the things I want to do. My home health aide not only does a great job helping me, but she’s become a good friend, too. It’s emotional and physical support.”
Gloria would like to share her own support with fellow residents. In her home church, she was a trained volunteer counselor in loss and grief issues.
She’s interested in sharing a similar ministry at the Rose.
“I bet there are a lot of people who have lost a loved one who would appreciate someone to talk to,” she said.
It’s an activity right up the alley of this independent-minded woman, one who’s not content to simply sit on the sidelines.
“I don’t like just playing dominos,” she shared with a grin.
Learn more about home health care.
