‘Her soul sparkled again’
‘Lioness’ caregiver’s love brings woman back from brink of death
When Mina Rosenberg’s full-time caregiver Charlotte Kyere took a trip home to Ghana last year, Rosenberg went so downhill that she was put in hospice care, her daughter paid for her funeral and the grandchildren were warned.
But Mina, 95, was still around when Kyere returned and despite the grim prognosis the caregiver told daughter Sally Rosenberg not to worry, as, “Your mom’s going to be outside near her favorite tree come spring.”
It is spring and Mina is still living the good life in Hoffman Summerwood, an assisted living facility in West Hartford.
It’s that kind of determination and attention to care that has earned Kyere the Ultimate Platinum Caregiver of the Year award by her employer, Assisted Living Home Care Services. The annual award comes with a $5,000 bonus.
“She is one of those caregivers that goes absolutely above and beyond,” said Mario D’aquila, chief operating officer and co-owner of the home care agency. “It’s truly in her character to love seniors and elderly folks.”
Kyere, 51, came to the United States from Ghana in 2013 to live with an uncle in New York. She became a 24/7 caregiver to Mina after the pandemic, sleeping in her living room.
Kyere said she loves taking care of people “to keep them happy,” and that she believes in the adage, “What goes around comes around.”
“I look at them like my grandmother, my own,” she said. “They may say something that doesn’t make sense but I comply. You have to listen to them.”
She describes Mina, a Holocaust survivor, as a quiet woman who knows her surroundings and is polite, saying “thank you,” often.
One of the qualities that Kyere is proud of,
and that helped her earn the award, is that she’s willing to help anyone on the spot.
D’aquila said he received “glowing” letters not only from Sally Rosenberg, but also others in assisted living and fellow employees, including the facility’s janitor.
“I will see you, greet you, help anybody,” Kyere said.
Kyere said she was “surprised” by the award and will use some of the money toward a trip to Ghana in May to take care of her mother, who had a stroke, to give her sister a break.
But she will be back soon to resume caring for Mina.
“If Mina will be able to be alive at 100 I’ll be able to take care of her,” Kyere said. “It gives me joy.”
Sally Rosenberg, who lives in Glastonbury, said her mom is bedridden and her care is tricky, involving a balancing act with nutrition, liquids and positioning.
Sally Rosenberg said she doesn’t believe her mom would have lived this long without Kyere’s care.
“She is a lioness taking care of her cub and no one is going to mess with my mother,” Sally Rosenberg said, noting Kyere watches every detail. “I’m very much in debt to Charlotte for her professionalism and kindness.”
Rabbi R. Aaron Jaffee recalled the time when Kyere was away on vacation, and Mina declined, so the family prepared for the worst.
Once Charlotte returned, “Mina perked up and her soul sparkled again,” Jaffee said. “It was very apparent that Mina’s return to us was due to the care, love and dedication Charlotte has for her.”
Sally Rosenberg said her mom is a kind, agreeable person who went “through a horrible time during the Holocaust.”
“I feel very lucky,” she said.