12 • SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2019 • CAREGIVER
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PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVER SPOTLIGHT
was an immediate connection between all
three of them. For starters, Swensen said, she
and Bailey both share an Italian heritage.
They’re also a lot alike in temperament and
in their refusal to accept anything less than a
future in which Lunt recovers.
“What is it you always say? ‘This house is a
no …’” Bailey asked Swensen.
“Failure is not an option,” she answered.
“That’s it. Failure is not an option here,”
Bailey said. “I hold him to that standard
just like they would. I push him just like his
family would.”
Humor plays a big part in their success.
“You have to have a little humor,” Lunt
said.
One of the things that makes Bailey such
a good caregiver, Swensen said, is that she
doesn’t wait to be told what to do.
She takes meticulous notes every day,
understands the correlations between things
such as his level of hydration and his blood
pressure and heart rate, and if Lunt seems
like he needs a pick-me-up, she takes him to
the local animal shelter to pet the dogs or on
another outing.
She’s creative and proactive and gives
Swensen the freedom and ability to focus
on her work and take care of herself without
worrying about her husband, she said.
“I had caregivers before who would sit with
Brian and not talk to him all day. All day,”
she said. “That never happens with Heather.”
Bailey also understands, Swensen said, the
importance of spouses preserving a marital
relationship and having private time.
“We have someone who will say, ‘You guys
need to have your dinner together. I’m going
to step out, you light some candles and have
your dinner,’” Swensen said.
For Bailey, the key is to provide care from
the heart. You can’t do this job, she said, if
you’re only in it for a paycheck or only want
to do it halfway. She goes all-in with her patients
whether they like it or not, she joked.
That’s why the gala and the scholarship
were wonderful, but didn’t mean as much as
what happened days later when Lunt walked
needing only her assistance.
“I was just really excited,” she said, looking
across the table at Lunt. “It just goes to show
all the hard work that I advocate for that
gets done, it really is doing something when
they said it wouldn’t. It’s gratifying to know
we will get you back on your feet. It’ll take a
little time, but we’ll get there.”
Get Healthy.
Get Home.
724-836-2480
mygreensburgcarecenter.com
724-547-1890
myharmonhousecarecenter.com
Schedule a tour before surgery. Ask about a Respite stay for Mom or Dad while you recover.
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