Val’s Story: Creating The Environment And Sharing The Journey!
Who’s in your village? “Lifting as we Climb”
There are many articles, talk shows, research, how- to manuals etc that speak to the issues faced by persons caring for elderly relatives with chronic and/or terminal illnesses.. However, the more we are exposed to persons who are actually in the situation, the more we learn about deeper realities.
When we announced several weeks ago that Val Thomas was selected as a 2019 Villager Awards Recipient in recognition of her years of being the caregiver to her elderly father and his twin sister at the same time, we received hundreds of inquiries from persons who wanted to just talk to someone.
Val’s story is multi-faceted - giving up a career, learning how to maneuver through a healthcare system, pulling other family members/friends/colleagues/church members etc into a caregiving support Village posture, learning how to deal with resistance to care, etc... ...And finding time for herself. Val stated: “It took all of us working together- my brother, my sister, in-laws, daughter, son, neices/nephews/cousins, friends, church members, etc. We became the leaders of the healthcare team. We had never done this before but I prayed everyday and I knew we could do it. I am so glad we did. ...And I am glad we did it together. “
Val’s story resonated with many people. We began to get questions from health care organizations and care-giving businesses. It became apparent that the need for a village of support for persons caring for elderly relatives is rising beyond academic discussions. It’s more than a notion!
Some persons hearing Val’s story expressed feeling that they weren’t doing enough as caregivers in their own families. Others felt they were doing too much. Some felt mistreated and unappreciated. Val has lived through that and more...
Meet and talk with her in person at The Villager Awards on Saturday, May 25, 2019 hosted at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel and Executive Meeting Center. https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4212231
Who’s in your village? “Lifting as we Climb!”
Manager, Customer Success | Intelligent Automation, Cloud Computing, AI
1yGloria, thanks for sharing!
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3yOur hearts were touched as Val Thomas’ words brought us into what was like bringing the family together to care for the family patriarch during the final years of his life as he succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease across decades. She current inspires and coaches other working professionals who find themselves making the tough decisions in their own lives once they make the choice to care for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s Disease. The year was 2019. Val received a 2019 Villager Award in recognition of the mentoring she provided to her entire family over decades as they came together under her leadership as caregivers. …Her strategies are replicable and provide valuable information to countless people all in the spirit of “Lifting as we Climb!” The 2022 Villager Awards will introduce yet another group of Award Recipients- Each one sharing their diverse stories! Email VillagerAwards@gmail.com for more information. #VillageProjects.net