JUST VISITING
Time with Pam & Punkin
At 84, Earl Ehrhart's health slowed down, but he wanted to stay close to his wife, Pam, and their Yorkie, Punkin, in their island home overlooking a tidal lake on Bokeelia.
So it was a comfort when the couple was referred to the Hope Visiting Nurses program after their health provider explained that Earl's multiple conditions—post-polio muscle weakening, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and dementia—“can't be resolved,” Pam recalled. “A super-high priority was keeping him at home.”
Hope Visiting Nurses provides home health, private duty nursing care and aides wherever a person calls home. In addition, the program provides: medication plans and disease education; wound and cardiac care; personal care; light housekeeping and meal preparation; occupational, speech and physical therapies.
As a child, Earl had polio that left him with a limp, but that didn't stop him from driving the couple's motor home on road trips until he was 81. During the past 15 years, his strong muscles gradually weakened due to post-polio syndrome. With Hope Visiting Nurses, Earl was thoroughly evaluated and given in-home physical therapy for three months to gain the strength needed to use his walker with confidence and hone his balance. He also learned exercises to perform on his own.
The nurse who visits weekly “is super,” Pam said, noting that doctors' orders could sometimes be confusing. “She makes everything clear and puts your worries at rest,” she said.
Their home is prepared for life's changes, with a ramp leading to the driveway, and walkers strategically placed at the top and bottom of another pathway.the bathroom was remodeled for accessibility with a walk-in shower, built-in bench and hand bars. Pam's art studio on pilings in the back of the home, overlooking the lake, can be converted into a long-term care room if that becomes necessary.
Everything is in place for Earl to give much-needed affection to Punkin and enjoy drop-in visits from neighbors and friends. Pam, 76, reads and creates art when Earl naps, but she doesn't leave him alone for fear of his falling. She may take an art class if a Hope volunteer is arranged for respite care.
Hope Healthcare provides many programs and services to support people who are living with complex medical conditions and their families. In addition to Hopevisiting Nurses, Earl and Pam recently added another layer of support with the addition of Hope Palliative Care.
The Hope Palliative Care team works closely with the Visiting Nurses team to ensure that Earl's clinical needs are met and that his pain and symptoms are under control.together, the programs focus on Earl's comfort by creating and managing custom care plans, providing social services and volunteer support too.
“We want to keep him independent for as long as possible. With Hope, if he has more trouble, we have choices to involve more people to help,” she said.“the safety net helps us to stay here at home.”
To learn more about Hope Visiting Nurses or Hope Palliative Care, visit Hopehcs.org or call 239-482-HOPE.