May 17, 2016 2:33:00 PM

Promoting Independence: Addressing Mental Health at Home

Growing up in Germany, Hubertine was eight years old during World War II. When she and her family moved to the United States in the 1950s, she began to forget the horrors that she saw during that time. After a while, she forgot almost everything. It wasn’t until a few years ago that the memories started to come back.A fire at her neighbor’s house one morning triggered PTSD symptoms and the memories came flooding back. “I saw bombs. I saw people die.”

Hubertine was already using physical therapists from VNA of Ohio who were helping her recover from a previous fall. Her therapists recommended that she work with a nurse, Sherry, from VNA’s mental health team.

“She [Sherry] listens to me, which helps me a lot,” Hubertine said. “She never hurries me. She never pushes me. She understands and gives me suggestions. We have a little bit of a chat, then she goes out the door and then everything is fine.

I feel like they saved my life. Otherwise, I don’t know where I would have wound up.”