How You Can “Thrive at Home”

September 14, 2021 Kevin Doel

When his Parkinson’s doctor told him that there were options to getting more help in the home, Jimmie Treat and his wife, Marcie, decided that Midland Care’s Thrive at Home program was just what they needed.

“We like that when the time comes to need hospice or additional services, we can stay with Midland. We want to stay with the same care as long as possible,” said Jimmie.

Having help with daily activities, caregiving needs, and some light exercising makes Jimmie feel safer while continuing to live independently at Brandon Woods in Lawrence.

“We enjoy having Dawn come, and encouraging exercise and helping us both out around the house. She has gotten to know us so well and she just makes us feel comfortable.”

Since Jimmie’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s, even daily activities have started to become a little more difficult.

Having a program that can be flexible and fluid with his needs is important. Assistance with light housekeeping and hygiene allows Marcie some respite from being a primary caregiver and also lets her remain Jimmie’s wife and not the sole caregiver.

Menu of Help

The Thrive at Home program is a “menu” of sorts for people to be able to choose the kind of help they need. Midland Care Thrive at Home specializes in caring for individuals needing help with:

Bathing and dressing
Diabetic monitoring
Home exercise programs
Injections
Laundry and changing linens
Lifeline and medication dispensers
Light housekeeping
Meal preparation and cleanup
Medication setup and reminders
Respite for caregivers
Transportation
Wound care
Other services including social work or physical therapy (based upon your individual needs)

“It’s nice to know that if things get harder, we still have this great care, and they will still be here to help even more,” said the Treats. “We have more options. Parkinson’s has made life harder, but the Thrive at Home program has made things in life easier.”

Jimmie and Marcie Treat have lived in Kansas off and on, with Marcie being a teacher and Jimmie being in the ministry. They currently live at Brandon Woods at Alvamar Independent Living.