by Sheila Linden, LMSW, with Rita Ruel
 |
| Sheila Linden, LMSW |
Note: In March 2010, Sheila Linden, LMSW, a licensed social
worker for 30 years, joined VNSNY CHOICE, a subsidiary of Visiting Nurse
Service of New York. Sheila was recently recognized among just
64 of VNSNY’s 18,000 staff members to receive an ESPRIT Award, the organization’s
highest honor. Chosen to speak at the awards ceremony, Sheila shared her
experiences helping VNSNY CHOICE members and others while volunteering at
Tottenville High School in Staten Island, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Here
is the text of her speech:
Even if Superstorm Sandy had never taken place, tonight I would have no
shortage of unique and inspirational stories to share about the VNSNY CHOICE
members I’ve had the privilege of working with during the past few years. Collaborating with such an exceptional group
of professionals, my VNSNY CHOICE colleagues, has made my experiences even more
rewarding… Here are just a couple of
examples:
Working with Sally, a brave, resilient 79-year-old member, we rid her
home of repeated bedbug infestations and -- more recently – I supported her as
she underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
Or, the case of 95-year-old Helen, whose dementia and episodes of
wandering had alienated her family – except for her grandson, John. John
loyally struggled to care for Helen, then broke down in tears and needed much
consolation when his grandmother finally moved to a nursing home with a
dementia unit, for her own safety.
I feel honored and humbled to be acknowledged by my dedicated
co-workers, and feel grateful for their indescribably warm, helpful
support. I have been a social worker for
three decades, but the past several years spent on the VNSNY CHOICE team in
Staten Island have made me wish that I joined this organization long ago.
Superstorm Sandy has been the latest, unforgettable chapter. After losing power in my own home in Staten
Island, I volunteered to help out at the evacuation center at Tottenville High
School. Among the evacuees there, I was
surprised to find my member, Dorothy, and her husband, Henry. Their home was so
damaged by flooding that its foundation cracked, and it was uninhabitable. Dorothy has multiple co-morbidities,
including dementia and hypertension. She has suffered a stroke, needs oxygen
24/7 due to chronic COPD, and is in a wheelchair. Until just a few months ago, her husband and
primary caregiver, Henry, was an adjunct professor of finance at NYU. Now he is
undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The Red Cross and clinicians at the evacuation center were managing to
keep Dorothy and Henry medically stable, in spite of the extraordinary
circumstances, but no immediate/safe plan was in place once the shelters began
to consolidate.
Once I found Dorothy and Henry, I checked in with them nearly every day.
Extensive rounds of negotiations began, with various agencies and facilities,
with the couple themselves, and with their sons in New Jersey and Staten
Island. One of their sons is disabled, and both were going through their own
problems in the wake of the hurricane. Several days went by, and the best
outcome I could obtain, to keep the couple from being transferred to yet
another evacuation center, was to get Dorothy admitted into a long-term care
facility. However, the couple refused to be separated, even temporarily! Just
when it looked as though moving Dorothy by herself could not be avoided, their
son Michael succeeded in getting them a new apartment in Staten Island. Since
then, I have made a number of visits to their new home, to ensure that their
needs are being met.
After all the destruction and pain that Hurricane Sandy has wrought in
our area, our city, and my Staten Island, I barely have words to say how
meaningful it has been to use my training and experience to help members like
Dorothy and Henry come through this ordeal safe, alive, and together. As you know, some other vulnerable people in
our community were not so lucky.
I will never forget the ordeal that I shared and the help I was able to
provide to Dorothy, Henry and their family – for in all our communities, there
are so often complicated, complex issues which impede upon a safe care
plan. This experience will surely stack
up among the most memorable experiences of my life.
