This is a heart-warming Love Story from Love INC Navigators and Littleton United Methodist Church. Anne Heathman presented this story which we had to condense some for our post, but definitely a story you don’t want to miss.
A 96 year old couple who served the Lord their entire lives needed help. He had served as a Chaplin in several hospitals and specialized in ministering to the mentally ill. He also served as a Pastor in several Methodists Churches and led many grief- recovery groups. His wife, supported his ministry in many ways including hosting many grief-recovery groups, worked as an administrator in several hospitals as an employee and then followed by working as a volunteer for many more years.
They have no family to provide support but God raised up an army of 22 volunteers to provide support. It was amazing and a blessing to watch Love INC and the Little United Methodist Church provide the hands and feet of God’s love.
In early January 2022 they called me and said, “Anne we are in trouble and realize we need to move to Assisted Living.” I went over to chat with them, and they said things were going downhill. They had gotten a notice from their apartment building saying they were late with their rent. Their question for me was “do we pay rent?” They could not remember if the paid rent, how much it was, how to pay it, where their check book was. I helped them sort it out. During the next weeks, they declined rapidly, both medically and physically, and needed lots of support while we found appropriate care.
The next week they requested 4 of their friends to set up a team to guide them as they engaged home health care for short term care while researching & relocating them to appropriate assisted living for long term care.
The Team : Anne Heathman, Team Lead, Love INC Navigator Leader, Friend & Neighbor; Glenn, longtime friend, Littleton United Methodist Church Leader, and Seniors Sunday School Class Teacher; Ada, longtime friend, Littleton United Methodist Church; Wendy, longtime friend of family.
The job included: Providing support while we engaged home health care for 5 days a week. The challenge was a significant shortage of home health care workers. We had to engaged two home health care agencies to get the 5 days of coverage while we researched Assisted Living for long term care. The volunteers stepped up and cared for the couple for 3-4 weeks while we waited for home health care to locate providers.
Volunteers provided grocery shopping, transportation, medicine administration, meals, laundry, handled two 911 crises, managed hospital care and worked with the county to find Assisted Living care. Then there were late night crises, trips for him to visit his wife in her temporary Assisted Living place, exploring assisted living care options with him while also finding and engaging appropriate care, managing financial issues plus arranging a Financial Power of Attorney which will be an ongoing ministry of the Church. Next there was arranging the move from packing to sorting to cleaning to unpacking. Extra furniture and items ended up at Renewed Treasures, Furnishing Hope and ARC. A Jitterbug phone was provided with training for the couple as well as arrangements made for address changes plus transportation to doctor’s appointments during all this. And, all this time volunteers also provided friendship and prayer support.
Nearly 990 volunteer hours were put in by 22 volunteers. And the result?
They are comfortably settled in their new Assisted Living home and are now thriving and enjoying life again! And all God’s people say “Amen!”
