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A few years ago, Rita S. of Des Moines knew she was committed to remaining in her home as she grew older, but she knew she was going to need a little help to live as independently as she wanted to. Someone suggested she call WesleyLife, and the rest, as they say, is history.
"Porshia (Taylor, now Director of Public Health for WesleyLife) was the first person I spoke with, and I was overwhelmed by her goodness -- as I came to be overwhelmed by the goodness of everyone I encountered from WesleyLife," Rita, 84, a retired central Iowa educator, says.
"I remember asking Porshia once: 'Do you hire them like that, or do you teach them?' I have never encountered people who are more appreciative and respectful toward older people."
Rita began receiving In-Home Services from WesleyLife in 2014 through WesleyLife Public Health. She said she was grateful that although she was not wealthy, her WesleyLife caregivers "treated me as if I was paying them thousands of dollars every time they came to see me."
"I could tell right away that these people are motivated by far more than the money they make," Rita says. "Everyone who has every been in my apartment to help me clean has been an absolute joy, and they consistently do a wonderful job."
Through WesleyLife's Public Health Services, Rita receives help with a number of tasks, including housekeeping, organizing, and light meal preparation. When she recovered from surgery last year, her Home Care aide was more important to her than ever.
"I have lymphedema, I can't sleep at night, and I have a hard time walking, and after surgery, my needs were even more pronounced," Rita says. "I like my apartment to be very neat and clean, but there is no way I could be living in a place that's so clean without help. And living in an unclean place would certainly impact my health."
Rita calls her association with WesleyLife "a tremendous gift that impacts every part of my life."
"No matter who you are, whether you need cooking or cleaning, whether you need help with pain or you need assistance to eat right, WesleyLife has something that will help you," she says. "If you are wealthy, if you are poor, they can help you."
