By Kristin Stetler Donovan, Owner
Aging In Place Senior Care Service
Is there such a thing as living without regret? When I say this, I mean relative to anything, however, I want to talk about caring for a loved one. We all have had that moment when we question a decision that we made, or an action that we did or didn’t take. Regret is normal part of everyday life and a very normal emotion. I think at some point or another we have all second guessed ourselves. What is regret, it is a feeling of sadness, disappointment or remorse caused by a past mistake, missed opportunity or undesirable outcome. It involves wishing you had chosen differently and reflecting on what could have been.
When caring for a loved one, it seems that that sense of regret or guilt is compounded because the action you take or decision you make, not only affects you, but a person you care deeply about and love. I can honestly say that in my own personal experience, and that of those family members that I have met over the last 14 years, each and every one of us have shared a common emotion of regret and asked ourselves, “Am I doing the right thing?” Unfortunately, there is not always a right or wrong answer and usually never a clear path when navigating the care and support of a loved one. However, there is always a consequence for the choices that we make. It is so much easier said than done, to say that there should be no regrets.
The families that I have met over the last 14 years have had to make life altering decisions for another person. They have been faced with moves to senior communities for safety, and decisions to get hospice services for palliative, or end of life care and support, just to name a few of these major life decisions.
I can honestly say that as far as the care of my parents, I have no regrets, at least no regrets for the decisions that were made out of love and doing what seemed to be in their best interest. I do in fact have regrets about the outcomes or consequences of decisions that seemed to be in their best interest. When I was responsible for making healthcare decisions regarding surgeries, skilled nursing facilities, hospice organization selection etc. it seemed so ominous and so overwhelming. I knew nothing about skilled nursing facilities or anything else about senior care type decisions that my older sister and I were faced with making. I vividly remember the conversations with medical professionals, hospice professionals, EMTs, skilled nursing facility staff and many others. It was like an information overload. I think the only regret I had at the time of making the decisions was not having more information. But what I do know is that we made THE best decision that we could with the information that we had.
I lost both of my parents over 15 years ago, it is hard to believe it was so long ago. I will always be grateful for having the opportunity to help and support them when they needed it most. By doing so, they and my journey to support them inspired me to open an agency to help and support seniors wishing to remain independent in their own homes. I have done so for countless seniors over the last 14 years. The way I approach situations is that homecare may not always be the right solutions for you or your loved one, but we make every effort to direct you to alternate resources, whether you are looking for community placement, transportation, etc. My goal is to help as many people as I can, and to never regret doing so.
If you think Aging in Place Senior Care Services can help you, please call 302-722-8240, we look forward to helping you make the best possible decisions for your loved one.
Testimonials
“Thank you for the loving and attentive care which you gave my father! Thank you for accommodating last minute requests and our inconsistent schedule – and always with a gracious attitude! I so appreciate the support which you gave me. You helped make it possible for us to care for my dad in his home. Thank you for caring about all of us!”~ Kathy M.
“Kristin & Crew – Thank you for everything this year – I couldn’t do it without you!” ~ Vicky F.
(302) 722-8240
5586 Kirkwood Highway
Wilmington, DE 19808
