Seventy-year-old Jan Berman is known for her giant heart.
"For 30 some years we had greyhounds. Janice loved her greyhounds," her partner Pat King says. "She was just a good person. All the neighbors loved Jan. She was just sweet. She cared for the people who worked for her. She loved her job. I could ask her anything. She always had an answer for anything."
But Alzheimer's robbed Berman of her ability to share her attributes. Today, she gets care seven days a week. King had several bad experiences trying to find good caregivers for Berman.
"They were terrible. They wouldn't show up. They didn't feel they owed you a call. I got to the point where I was so stressed out. I couldn't do it alone. I needed help," King says.
Then, she found Legacy Home Health Services of Milwaukee. King discovered employees with a commitment to compassion.
"This group has to be the best that I have seen. I've taken care of Jan for 5 years now. I went through a lot of different businesses," King says. "If you need help, call Legacy Home Health Services. They are fantastic. They will do anything for you."
King cannot say enough about the quality of care Berman gets from Legacy. Owner Shanelle Snowden, whose mother started the business, has firsthand experience with Alzheimer's patients. Her mother started showing symptoms of the brain disease at the age of 50, and passed away at 59.
"It was very hard on me to see her go through that and us having to witness that, not knowing what to do and not having the resources we have now," Snowden says. "It makes me want to give back. I know what this person is going through. I know what I can do differently to help them. That's what kind of pushes me forward."
Snowden motto is to offer clients like Berman as much quality of life as possible.
"It just makes me feel good inside to know that we have that impact on somebody. It's my passion to give back. Just to know that we could be of help to others is very meaningful to me," Snowden says. "A lot of people don't pay attention to the caregiver, and they just need that break. Going into the home with empathy and compassion takes so much off their plate."
Such humanity gives King relief knowing Berman is in good hands.
"I've been living with Janice for 39 years. I was not going to put her with someone who would not give her perfect care. As far as I'm concerned, this is the group to hire," King says. "They will give the perfect care."
And through Legacy Home Health Services, Snowden's mom lives on, thanks to the standards of excellence and love she passed on to her daughter.
"She always instilled in me to do the right thing," Snowden says with a smile. "Just knowing I'm helping people I can hear her saying, 'Good job! I'm proud of you!'"
