A friendly face along with a helping hand

By RICHARD L. BOCCIA

A Boardman senior finds reassurance with a visiting nurse.

YOUNGSTOWN — At 87, Mary Beck of Boardman knows the value of having someone she can count on for medical care in her home.

Though Beck said others her age don’t know where to get such help, she has used the services of the Visiting Nurse Association off and on for two years, starting with a bout of pneumonia. That’s when her doctor prescribed in-home care for six weeks.

“It gives me courage to say, ‘Somebody’s coming who’s interested in helping you,’” Beck said.

“They even work on Sundays,” she said of the nurses.

Beck just returned from a three-day visit to the hospital for diverticulitis, complicated by a urinary tract infection. When she got home, she was visited by Tammy Shells, a case manager from the Visiting Nurse Association of the Greater Youngstown Area whom Beck has become close to. Although Shells checks things such as temperature, blood pressure and weight, Beck said the support is more than just medical.

“Just the minute you see her walking through the door, I feel better,” Beck said.

Still, as a woman who’s tackled everything from starting a beauty shop in her house to doing all her own gardening — except the rototilling, which her sons take care of — Beck has grown accustomed to independence.

“I don’t like people doing for me,” she said.

Shells quickly agreed: “That’s for sure.”

Beck talks to her children every day, and said they’re there whenever she needs them. Still, there’s security of having someone from the medical field visit her home.

Shells, Beck and her daughter have spoken frankly about the grave risk of a fall. Beck’s daughter is a certified physician’s assistant in Westlake, Ohio.

“My daughter says, ‘Mom if you fall, you’re done,’” said Beck.

For her, breaking a hip is a very real danger, and one that a patient at Beck’s age might find impossible to recover from, said Shells.

Day to day, Shells helped Beck sort out Medicare Part D, which supplies Beck with a complicated regimen of prescriptions. Beck has been a controlled asthmatic for more than 20 years, adding to the complexity of her care. Filling out the forms incorrectly can cost patients.

“You’re looking at $150 for a prescription,” Shells said, if the coverage doesn’t kick in because of paperwork problems.

Beck sets aside time Saturday mornings, when she spends half an hour or more sorting her pills for the week with the help of written instructions and plastic pill planners with boxes for different times and days. Beck takes about 15 pills a day, which Shells said is average for many of her clients.

Sorting out the prescription coverage was a source of anxiety for Beck, but as a nurse with expertise in psychiatric care, Shells reassured Beck, suggesting meditation to help manage the stress. Shells also encourages patients like Beck to stay engaged in their hobbies and community involvement, like the church where Beck once volunteered, devising new recipes as she worked at pizza sales.

“Those are the things that are going to help her through difficult periods,” Shells said.

rboccia@vindy.com