Olga Brunner Applauds Justice O’Connor's Caregiver Role

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Olga Brunner Applauds Justice O’Connor's Caregiver Role
By Thomas R. Cutler

Justice O’Conner's decision to step down from the high court to become a caregiver to her husband, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, is applauded by A Good Daughter's Olga Brunner.

A Good Daughter, Inc. (www.agooddaughter.com) is the leading caregiving organization in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Founder, Olga Brunner, recently commented on Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s decision to step down from the high court to become a caregiver to her husband, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

According to Brunner, “I respect Justice O’Connor’s role as a caregiver. Alzheimer’s is a disease which progresses through multiple stages requiring the maximum effort on the part of a caregiver to stay calm, be patient, and flexible, and try to work through the behaviors as they arise. Caregiving will require the justice’s full-time attention, continuing education, and the ability to seek out available resources to help her husband and herself as a caregiver.”

A Good Daughter, based in Margate, Florida is a professional care management firm. Brunner’s team comes into someone’s home, performs a professional assessment, and knows what needs to be done. According to Brunner, “Our care managers bring expertise in disciplines such as nursing, health care administration, counseling and therapy. We have experience related to aging and elder care issues.” As members in good standing of the national association, A Good Daughter carefully adheres to a pledge of ethics and standards of practice.

Caregivers require the experienced guides and valuable resources required for families of older adults, leading community support groups, and caregiver education in the community. Not all organizations in eldercare have experienced dementia professionals.

Brunner’s story:
“My particular caregiving role while caring for mom, afflicted with Alzheimer’s, was similar to Justice O’Connor’s because typically you will find that wives and daughters are the ones most likely to be caring for an Alzheimer’s patient at home. I was one of the 41% who attempted to work full-time until my mother’s wandering behavior made it impossible to pursue a career. I remember being at my desk and telephoning home every five minutes to make sure she was still inside the house. On those occasions when she would not come to the phone, I was a nervous wreck and lost the ability to focus at work. Several times, I’d come home and a kind neighbor would find her wandering and return her to our home. I also had to make that painful choice between care or career. It was a difficult decision, but one that I’m grateful to have been able to do for her.”

About the author:
Thomas R. Cutler

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