- Stories & Testimonials
- Seniors
Helga was in her late 70s when she began walking down to Route 101 at all hours, waiting for the bus en route from Sonoma County to San Francisco. Once in the city, she wandered the streets lugging a valise stuffed with cash.
Helga had sustained a brain injury in her 40s, but at that time had a husband, sister, and brother-in-law to look after her. After they had all died or become infirm themselves, she only had Loretta, her niece, and Loretta’s husband to see to her needs. The couple lived an hour away, and Loretta feared that something bad might happen to her aunt when they weren’t around to check in on her. Already, they had been forced to call in law enforcement officials to remove from Helga’s house a man many years her junior who claimed to be a real estate broker who wanted to marry her.
And then something bad did happen.
“I received a call from California Pacific Medical Center,” says Loretta. “They told me that it appeared that my aunt had been mugged in San Francisco.”
Loretta and Richard, her husband, knew that they needed to act quickly to protect Helga from further harm. Fortunately, a physician at the hospital knew about JFCS’ Personal Affairs Management (PAM) and Conservatorship Program, which helps clients maintain their well-being and manage their finances. They were immediately impressed by the program staff and agreed to have the agency appointed as Helga’s conservator to make all decisions about her care and welfare.
That was 10 years ago. Since then, Helga’s life has improved immeasurably. She now has round-the-clock caregivers to attend to all of her day-to-day needs. The JFCS care manager assigned to her successfully negotiated a reverse mortgage on her house, which had been at risk of foreclosure. Another property owned by Helga and her late husband that had fallen into disrepair and was in arrears on mortgage payments was fixed up and sold, providing her with a solid financial foundation for the rest of her life.
“It’s a relief to know that my aunt is in such good hands,” says Loretta. “JFCS takes the extra step, and her care manager shows a deep interest in my aunt’s well-being. We should all have this level of care when we’re older.”