Meet Arthur Oshins
This Month's Spotlighted Memory Care Resident, with his wife, Joan
Arthur and Joan Oshins recently celebrated their 69 th wedding anniversary. “I love Artie, and I want what’s best for him, and at this stage of our lives, what’s best for Artie is to live in the Memory Care community,” said Joan. “I kept him home with me for as long as I could, but it suddenly became very apparent that living at home wasn’t safe for him anymore. Five years ago, Artie had quite a few tiny TIAs, and that’s when I noticed small memory loss. But he seemed to fully recover each time, so I didn’t think any big changes in our living situation were necessary. At the beginning of Covid, Artie fell three separate times. The last fall was the worst. We were standing in the kitchen, he fell and hit his head on the stove, and his injuries required a hospital stay. He had a concussion, so the hospital discharged him to rehab at Pomperaug Woods instead of sending him home. While in rehab, the memory loss became more pronounced, and the doctors determined that it wasn’t safe to have him live at home with me any longer. We transitioned him from rehab to Memory Care, and he’s lived comfortably there for four years. The Memory Care neighborhood is all kindness and love. Debby Crutchfield, the Memory Care Enrichment Coordinator, is the lifeblood of the Memory Care community. She truly loves all the residents and makes everyone feel comfortable and connected. She calls my husband King Arthur, and it makes me smile every time.”
Joan is also impressed with the rest of the Memory Care staff. “Every person on that staff knows us by name, and they have since day one,” said Joan. “They know each resident on such a personal level, and they use that knowledge to create an individual care plan that is unique to them. With dementia, there are good days and bad days, but I rest easy knowing Artie is cared for like family.”
Each year, Joan and her children bring Arthur home on Thanksgiving so they can all spend the holiday together. “He’s happy to be with everyone, but after a few hours with the great grandchildren running around, he wants to go back to the quiet calm of the Memory Care community,” said Joan. “I want him to find peace in this stage of his life, so I’m happy that he has found that there. He considers it ‘home.’ The staff takes the responsibility of care off me and my children, and that means a lot to me. I have three wonderful children, and they have always been there for Artie and me. I don’t ever want them to feel that we are a burden to them.”
Joan has very practical advice for anyone caring for a family member with memory loss. “Go to the neurologist and ask questions. Don’t let dementia isolate you or your family member,” she said. “Living in the Memory Care community is the best thing I can give Artie. The quality of care here is excellent, and they execute it with such compassion. It’s not the life I expected for us, but life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. Memory Care allows us both to have a life.
Pomperaug Woods is dedicated to making every day of your lives wonderful, Joan and Artie!
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