On being a "surrogate daughter"

In the past few weeks several of my clients have referred to me as their "surrogate daughter". Their real daughters have echoed this sentiment by calling me their "surrogate sister". I can't tell you how honored I am to claim that title. To me it connotes trust, responsibility and love all key ingredients in caring for an aging parent. My job is to assist adult children in the care of their aging parents when their work, family or long distance prevents them from being there. So not only do I perform neccesary tasks, I do it with compassion and care. You see my 'job' is more than that. It is a calling. This is what I do, but more important this is who I am.

Hospice care

What an eventful day. My client just graduated off hospice care. She was on for about six weeks, coming home with a failure to thrive diagnosis. With the loving care of her family and the round the clock caregivers she has gained weight, is sleeping better, her heart disease is stable and she has fully recovered from a stroke. In other words she is ALIVE! I have been in this business a long time and have placed many many people on end of life palliative care, but this is a first and it feels great.