At Home with Audrey

Transcript

You know the story about the little old lady who’s whizzing down the road? All of a sudden, she hears a siren and sees the lights of a police car. They pull her over, and the officer looks in the car and sees this little old lady.

He says to her, “Have you any idea how fast you were going?”

She replies, “I know! I have to go very fast before I forget where I’m going!”

laughs

I’m a retired teacher, Brooklyn-born and bred, and I lived many years in Queens, where I raised my kids. My husband took early retirement because he wanted so much to fulfill his dream of just painting. He was very artistic.

I said to him, “For once in my life, I want to live in a house that no one else has lived in. I want it to be my house.”

A real estate agent told me, “They’re building a new community; go take a look. I think that’s the kind of thing you’re interested in.” We were the third family in, and it has been such a pleasant place to live.

In the spring and summer, when the golf course is in bloom, it is so beautiful. My husband was very happy here. He would sit out on this patio every evening, go over his to-do list, check off everything he did, and when the golf carts went by, he’d yell, “Get off my lawn!”

laughs

I’ve been here now for 33 years. But I couldn’t stay here alone. I have health conditions, and I fall a lot. Assisted living communities just don’t suit my personality—they’re so rigid. Everyone has to do the same thing at the same time.

So, I got Donah!

She’ll do anything I need her to do. She helps me get dressed and undressed, gets me into bed, and we joke around and laugh a lot. My kids love her, and it gives them peace of mind to know that when they go to bed at night, their mom is cared for.

They love her! She’s so special. I couldn’t stay here without her.

It means so much to me to stay in this house because my husband’s presence is in every room. I just want him to know he’ll never be forgotten—not as long as I live, and my kids live.

For my 95th birthday in August, the whole clan was here. Four generations. And I thought to myself, “Jerry, I wish you could see this. This is what we created.” And I think he knows. I really think he knows.

So, that’s the story of my caregiving with LifeWorx!