Diane Saari, Kingsford, MI and Donna Aberly, Crystal Falls, MI. Both women have been DCWs for over 20 years. They entered the field to supplement their husband’s income with some “extra money” and have no plans to quit because “It makes us happy.” In their early 70s, they still provide a full range of care from companionship to heavy lifting. They face diverse situations, never really knowing what they are walking into, but have learned to take things in stride.
They each have stories of clients who threatened them, accidently set their clothes or the house on fire, unjustly accused them of theft, had heart attacks while in their care, or died and left them grieving. In all cases, they stress that it is their job to stay calm and it helps to have a lifetime of experience. Donna says, “First thing, you don’t panic. You just do what you have to do, and afterwards, if you have to panic, you panic. Stay calm. For me it just comes naturally.”
Providing support in the U.P. brings its own challenges: geographic distances between clients, no public transportation, and massive amounts of snow. Both Diane and Donna take pride in saying that they have always made it to every client, regardless of the weather. “We have a few stretches that during the winter many times that highway will be closed because of the wind. The drifts. You find other ways.” Diane once walked 5 miles through the snow to be with a client who lived on “a wicked little hill” on a country road. She shrugged it off by saying, “I have good boots.”