Below is the second of three reflections on the programs and ministries of Catholic Charities of Louisville.  Staff shared these reflections at a series of prayer services held by Catholic Charities during Lent.

By Jessica Robertson

Our LORD is the defender of the vulnerable.

He makes that so clear throughout Scripture.

And I consider it a privilege to sit among some of our most vulnerable elders.

Those in Long Term Care have lost so much of their independence physically, needing assistance with going to the bathroom, keeping their skin clean, and eating.

And as a Long Term Care Ombudsman I intend to protect them from losing their dignity that is given to them by our Creator.

When I walk into a nursing home room, I can never predict what I will encounter, but I remember that 86% of our residents never receive a visitor.  I am honored to reflect back to them their worth through my presence and my listening.

Last week, God sent me a gem as He often does in my work.  I sat with Mrs. G. She prefers that I remember her as the tomboy on her Daddy’s farm, and on this day we discussed her aching hips and pillow placement and the limits of pain medication.

Suddenly she sternly said, “Those kids.  Don’t holler at em! They’re trying, you know?  They really are.  Be gentle with ‘em.”

In that moment, I gained from the wisdom of her years.

Her clarity on life and what matters and how to love in those busy moments was a treasure that she shared with this harried mom of little boys, too easily consumed with her expectations for her sons to notice that they are in fact trying.

Each visit is unique.

Recently, I sat in a dark room with the blinds drawn and no lights on beside a woman who was paralyzed with fear and overwhelmed with her predicament.  The facility had placed her in an expensive unit without explanation, and now they were hounding her to pay a bill far beyond her means.  As I explained to her how our program works and how I was there to assist her in appealing this to the proper authorities to protect her from predatory practices, I watched her wringing hands settle and her eyes light up with a glimmer of hope.

When I was through with my description, she grinned and said, “That’s the best news I have heard yet!”  Then, we began our four-month journey of fighting for her financial freedom and the independence that she sought.

Yesterday, my visits were less word-filled.  I was in personal care memory care units behind the locked doors, checking to ensure that the care of individuals in this unit remains high quality, despite the inability these residents have to report abuse.  These men and women are slowly losing everything including their ability to talk.  So, I choose less words, which actually reminds me to smile more or offer a hand to hold for a moment.  We connect over our shared humanity; our vulnerable humanity.

I am grateful to echo His protective love through my advocacy for those who have lived long enough to earn the right to be called our elders.

Jessica Robertson, MSW is one of the Long Term Care Ombudsmans for Catholic Charities of Louisville.