Bringing Joy, Comfort, and Care to Your Loved Ones

“My dad’s a great guy: honest, caring, a hard worker and good parent all his life. He’s also now coping with severe arthritis and a disposition that makes him as stubbornly independent as a barn full of billygoats. He’s had rough words for various caretakers until he met Misha Alkiyal about a year ago. Since then, he’s been full of praise for her and, in general, a happier person.

That’s because she walks a careful line between being a caretaker and a companion. She cares about him, but she also cares for him. Her daily calls to make sure he’s OK always cheer him, and when I’ve visited New Jersey and offered to take over some of her duties – driving him to a doctor’s appointment, shopping for food – he always says, “Oh no, Misha does that.”

She has been especially helpful in three ways. First, she guides him gently toward things that are good for him, such as salads. (He hates to put green things in his mouth.) Second, she helps him solve what seem like crises, arranging for him to buy a hot water heater through monthly payments on his energy bill when he feared he couldn’t afford one. Third, she’ll volunteer to tackle a chore he might be embarrassed to suggest, such as cleaning a kitchen floor.

Dad can feed and dress and bathe himself. He’s mobile on a walker, though he rarely if ever drives. He’s sharp enough to pay his bills and take his medications. But he relies on her a little more as time goes by, and he knows she’ll be there in an emergency. I know it, too, as she has leaped into action when I’ve heard about a problem from a relative or a care facility.

In short, I trust her with my tough old father, who’s precious to me. I’m sure, if my dad wrote recommendations, he’d echo my sentiments.”

“Misha is kind and patient. She truly cares about helping people with her whole heart. It is so refreshing to see and we are so thankful.”