By Marda Quon Stothers, reprinted from The 313.
Dave Iverson is a writer, documentary film producer/director, and PBS broadcast journalist. Despite his own diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease, he decided at the age of 59 that, of three siblings, he had the most flexibility and could move into his childhood home in Menlo Park to take care of his 95-year-old mother, Adelaide. Winter Stars addresses a whole plethora of aging issues – but especially for employers, workers and caregivers – who must provide mental and physical strength, skill, intuition, patience and love. Iverson’s description of the caregiver crisis in America is well worth reading and discussing its implications with others.
What does this mean for workplace employers and employees? Are employers ready to provide “family friendly” policies and support? Will they make available to employees career options with enough flexibility for when family health crises come? And for employees, have we managed our own financial futures so that we have some financial independence and a sufficient, sustainable income stream when crises hit us? Winter Stars describes a journey in family care over ten years, every bit as dramatic as any other ten-year span. The Iversons needed to come up with $14,000 per month, toward the end, in order to keep Adelaide in her home with 24/7 caregivers.
A generous solution was found. Adjustments by the both care-receiver and the care-giver/care-manager were made with love, intelligence and good humor. Iverson himself initially did night duty, then was able to cut back to a night or two of relief, then moved out but with regular visits. Two hired caregivers – Sinai Latu and Eileen Khan, from Tonga and Fuji – carried much of the load with loving care and excellence.
On a personal note, my own husband developed Parkinson’s disease. During four years in the UK, the National Health System provided fifteen hours of caregiver service each week. During four years in the USA, the national health care system provided none. On our own, we hired 36 different caregivers over the four years.
There can be no question that as Christians we are followers of a Lord who cared constantly for those suffering various challenges of sickness, injury, and health. It is a core part of the Christian mission. It takes not just thoughts and prayers but a community to do it well. Can we influence our public institutions and our workplace organizations to help out? Can our churches make a critical contribution? And are we workers making responsible and creative preparations for crises in our personal and family health experiences? Iverson’s book provides some helpful and inspiring guidance for planning this journey.
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