At 84, Bob Kipila lives alone in his own home in Cedar Park. He admits he needs more help now.
“I feel good,” he said. “I am not very stable on my feet though. I fall a lot.”
This Christmas will be the first without his wife, Delores, who passed away.
“You see, we had 64 beautiful years of marriage,” Kipila explained. “That is a long haul. She made my life.
Jennifer Vrieze is with Senior Helpers, a local in-home caregiver. She is making sure Kipila has a dose of holiday cheer.
“People like me come in to take good care of them and make sure they get what they need done because it's really difficult,” Vrieze said.
Vrieze comes in twice a week to help with daily chores, run errands or talk.
“It's nice to know when I go to bed at night, that I know I have done something good and helped somebody,” said Vrieze.
“She's been a jewel since she's been here,” Kipila said. “The little things she's done makes a difference in the house.”
Even though Vrieze does not dress the part with a green hat and silly shoes, Kipila still calls her Santa's senior helper, and that is okay with her.
“Maybe somewhere deep down inside this human exterior you'll see a little bit of elf somewhere,” Vrieze said.
The cost for having someone come in to help care for an aging loved one varies on the situation, but ranges from $17 to $20 an hour. For more information about Senior Helpers you can call 512-388-4357 or go to www.seniorhelpers.com.
