October  2001

A Life Confined to Home
Is No Longer Confining

Helen’s life changed dramatically when she was stricken with polio at age 15, but her spirit remained unmovable. Helen fought back from an extremely bad case of polio to being rehabilitated in a few trying years. She moved from a wheelchair to crutches and on to braces, meanwhile completing school, getting married and having children.

Nearly 30 years later, Helen noticed her muscles becoming weaker. Within the next few months it became painfully clear her symptoms were reoccurring and she was soon diagnosed with post polio syndrome.

"Everything came back except the virus," Helen says. "The second time around is so much harder than the first...after relearning how to do everything and then losing that ability again."

Help for the Helper

Today, Helen is unable to dress alone, stand, walk or even do her hair. Her husband cares for her, but as Helen grows older and more immobile it’s turned into 24-hour-a-day care. Fearing for her husband’s health, Helen looked for alternatives. Then a social worker told her about respite care from Senior Services, Inc. of Wichita, a United Way-funded agency.

"My husband was becoming my 24-hour care giver," says Helen. "I could tell that he really needed some sort of a break."

Dolores Cooper, respite care director at Senior Services, emphasizes the importance of a short break for the caregiver. "We are seeing more and more people caring for their loved ones in their own homes," says Cooper. "Often times, we find that the caregiver becomes shut in from the outside world."

A Timeless Three Hours

Once a week for three hours a respite care worker, Dorothy Snell, comes and helps Helen cook, put dishes away on out-of-reach shelves and even does her hair. This gives her husband, Marvin, three hours to work in his shop, take a walk or do any number of daily, simple things he normally couldn’t do—all without having to worry about Helen’s welfare.

"I really feel that this is extending Marvin’s life by lessening his stress and anxiety," says Helen.

For Helen, these three hours help her focus not on the things she has lost, but on the many blessings she has. Through it all Helen has found a pride in the level of independence she’s able to maintain.

"Dorothy is helping me keep my independence," says Helen. "She doesn’t do everything for me, rather she lets me do what I can and assists me in so many ways. We laugh and we cook; when she leaves I feel like a new person."

Polio may have weakened Helen’s body but thanks to her strong resolve, and your support of United Way, polio hasn’t weakened Helen.

"This has really given us freedom," says Helen. "Marvin and I are both able to do what we want…it’s like having a friend come and visit."

Call United Way of the Plains at 267-1321 to find out more about how your money is helping our community.

United Way-Funded Programs That Care

United Way of the Plains is committed to focusing on the issues that the community cares about most.

Senior Services, Inc. of Wichita provides programs and services that enable the elderly to live independently and productively. The in-home respite care program helps seniors that are confined to their homes, and their caregivers, continue to feel that they’re an important component of society.

Senior Services is one of the many United Way-funded programs that meet multiple needs in our community.