ORLANDO, Fla. – On Friday’s Breakfast with Bridgett, Seniors Helping Seniors, SHS, highlighted May as Military Caregivers Month.
The interview covered how SHS provides in-home care to seniors, including a special emphasis on military veteran seniors. SHS is a preferred provider through the VA Hospital. SHS serves Flagler, St. Johns, and Volusia Counties.
A Retired Air Force veteran who works for SHS as a caregiver shared his joy and insight about serving elderly veterans. The owner of SHS explained the ins and outs of what non-medical in-home caregivers provide and how it works to establish this type of care for a loved one.
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Caregiver Charlie Viviera is an Air Force veteran who’s retired and now helping senior veterans through SHS.
He visits his assigned seniors one to three times per week to help with things they can no longer safely do on their own.
He says it’s rewarding work, and through it, he’s gained tremendous insight into life and aging with dignity.
“I actually have a very darling couple, they’re both 91 years old, he was in Vietnam, and they met in assisted living. They’re a very fun couple to take care of. I do minor things, take them to doctor’s appointments, and grocery shopping, every once in a while they need clothing. They’re a good couple, they’re the reason why I do this program,” Viviera said.
“If you’ve been independent all your life, they don’t want to be treated like a child, they want to be treated with respect. I’m slowly learning that, one of the perks I want to also say one of the perks with working for SHS is that I am learning how to gracefully grow old. Helping these elderly people is opening my eyes to different things I did not see before,” he said.
If you’re an active senior interested in caregiving, you can learn more and see the full interview in the video player at the top of this story.
For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors, click here.
Breakfast with Bridgett is back on Monday at 7:30 a.m. Watch it every weekday on the News 6 Plus streaming app or here on ClickOrlando.com.
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