Success Stories

Hearing aids in, Mable, 92, answered her phone. Although her hearing is dulled with age, her mind remains sharp, her laughter quick. Today, Mable lives alone on Indy’s northwest side. She was married to her husband for 60-plus years when he passed in 2007, and she has one son, three grandchildren and a supportive extended…

For families, peace of mind means everything. Among the many resources CICOA provides, the knowledge and guidance of experienced professionals helps ease the journey for family caregivers like Andrea. Andrea’s mother, Silvera, 80, and aunt Betty, 83, live with her and her husband, Scott, in the Liberty Creek neighborhood on Indianapolis’ west side. Andrea, 52,…

For more than eight decades, Janice has made ends meet. It’s not always been easy, especially as a single mom. But last summer, Janice knew she could no longer could do it alone. At 82, she returned to Indianapolis from southern Indiana, where she had cared for a terminally ill son. Her social security check barely…

Roger never expected his daughter would one day become his caregiver, but then again, this former blackbelt and martial arts teacher never thought he’d need one. That was his job. He’s been the caregiver for family members over the years, and when his mom, Lena, 82, needed him because of her advancing Alzheimer’s disease, he…

For Nancy, 71, this Thanksgiving and Christmas will look different than in years past. She is facing the holiday season alone without Steve, her husband of 47 years, a career Army man who died in July. “That made me mad, because I was supposed to die first, not my husband,” Nancy fumed. “I’ve had three…

Mae has lived in the same home on Indianapolis’ northeast side for the last 50 years. While the 88-year-old grandmother is still able to cook and do some light housework, getting in and out of the shower was getting increasingly difficult. Mae admits she was afraid she might fall, but she can be a little…

Jewell always told her family she wanted to die at home. Her family promised her that she would not have to worry about that; they would take care of her at home as she aged. When the promise was made, her children had no idea she would develop dementia at the age of 60 and…

When Tamara France first met Sallie Preston five years ago, she felt sorry for the woman. At only 67, Sallie is blind in one eye and losing vision in her other eye. Her leg, three fingers and toes have been amputated. She has kidney disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes, neuropathy and MRSA. She had a…