Message from the President
Greetings friend, and welcome to the February Comfort Connection!
I recently read a heart-warming story that happened in 2017. A 92-year-old man was in trouble with no understanding of how to fix his problem. He tried to withdraw money at a bank in California, but his ID was expired. According to the bank’s policy, they could not give him money without proper ID. The man became very upset and started to cause a disturbance. With no care for the situation or this elderly gentleman, the personnel at the bank called the police.
When the police arrived, the officer did not do what the law required him to do. He could have hand cuffed him, fined him, or whatever else the law said he could do. Instead, he saw this man and his problem and decided to help him. He took him to the Department of Motor Vehicles and helped him renew his ID. Then he took him back to the bank where he was able to withdraw money just before closing.
The people at the bank could only see it one way. This man was a problem in their bank. The police, however, was able to see beyond the presenting problem and went the extra mile to help him. This is so beautiful. The problem is not always the problem.
I remember taking on a client, a lady in a personal care home, who was not eating. She also could not communicate what the problem was. It was not that she was not hungry. As we investigated the issue, we found out her dentures were hurting her. The problem is not always the problem, and sometimes it takes a good caregiver to solve the problem and then meet the need.
