Marie Marthe Hachey describes her caregiver as her “angel.” More than that, the Kindred Home Care staff member she has been paired with for over a year has truly become more like family.
“I am lucky in my misfortune,” the 77-year-old Hachey likes to say. As much as it breaks her heart to not be able to do the things she used to do before, she considers herself lucky to have found such life-changing support. She not only has the freedom to still live at home, but she is also living well, thanks to the help she receives through Kindred.
Every day of the week, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hachey’s caregiver comes to her Dieppe home to help her with a range of household and personal care tasks.
“She reminds me of things that I need to do and plans ahead,” says Hachey.
Her caregiver takes care of the housekeeping, and makes sure all of her needs are met. They often go for walks around her neighbourhood. They also always have lots of time to chat, and do so in both English and French, helping each other expand their second language skills – Hachey being a Francophone, and her caregiver, an Anglophone.
“I like how creative and kind my client is,” says her caregiver, who has been working at Kindred for the last five years.
Hachey’s home offers visual insight into her talented, creative eye. Every aspect of her apartment is artfully decorated and thematically coordinated in hues of blue and gold.
“I decorated after my husband died,” she says, going on to share her family’s story.
Born and raised in Shippagan, Hachey and her husband, Louis, would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year. Unfortunately, Louis passed away two years ago.
“I think about him every day,” she says.
For years, the couple owned and operated a Shippagan shoemaking shop. Her husband was the shoemaker, having learned the trade from his uncle as a child. Hachey helped at the shop and did the bookkeeping, all while managing three children at home.
In later life, Louis was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Before he passed away, Hachey took care of him at home.
After an unfortunate fall, resulting in a significant loss of her mobility, Hachey spent a couple of weeks in the hospital as well as a long-term care facility – something she would prefer not to do again.
“It’s with the ability to live at home and have access to this service that I feel like I have all my freedom,” she says, of Kindred and her caregiver.
That freedom gives her ample time to spend with her family, and the other people she cares about, including her Kindred caregiver. She also gets to focus on her creative pursuits, including crafting custom greeting cards. Her attention to detail and love for the art is something that puts a smile on her face as well as others’. For example, she’s currently been tasked with a big project related to her daughter’s upcoming wedding.
Hachey is happy to oblige as she loves to make people happy and laugh, and endeavours to always maintain a positive outlook on things, no matter what challenges she faces.
“Life comes from you, you are the only one who can control that,” she says.
Kindred Home Care helps seniors remain in their homes for as long as possible. We provide support to individuals in the areas of personal care, activities of daily living, and home management. Our standard of care makes us stand out from the crowd.
