The World Travelers - A Caregiver Story (Copy)

Edna (Eddi) met Rick Fesler when they were working in the same office building. Eddi, an artist working in advertising, remembers walking into Rick’s office and seeing a huge map of the world above his desk. Little did she know they'd end up traveling the world together. 

Rick, a retired Commander in the U.S. Navy, started his post-military career as a banker. He was also an avid biker before bicycling became so popular and was even known as the "Biking Banker." Having a love for traveling, Rick decided to leave banking and enter the travel business, eventually starting his own agency.

Eddi and Rick married and together combined his love of sports with travel by specializing in trips to sporting events including the Masters Tournament, Kentucky Derby, Indianapolis 500 and Olympic Games. “He was an exciting person to be around,” Eddi explains, adding they had a wonderful life.

Over time, Eddi began to notice troubling changes in Rick's behavior, both physically and mentally. She was proactive about figuring out what was wrong and after months of testing, he was eventually diagnosed with a form of dementia that affects the frontal lobe of the brain, compromising reasoning, judgment, and mobility. Five years ago, their youngest daughter Tyra and son-in-law Peter suggested they move to Eagle to be near family as support needs to be increased. The bonus in this move was the opportunity to be a part of their grandson's life.  

Shortly after settling into their new life, Eddi reached out to Wendy Miller, President of Caregiver Connections. Rick began attending their Senior Spot, adult day program designed to increase socialization and stimulation for older adults with limitations while providing their caregiver with a break.

Eddi says there was a remarkable difference in Rick once he started attending The Senior Spot. He began to read again, became more animated and had a renewed interest in life. Caregiver Connections also matched Rick with an Activity Buddy, Karla Kerekes, who got him to play scrabble, took him to the library and engaged him in stimulating discussions over tea at Yetti’s. During COVID, Rick is continuing with The Senior Spot virtually and Eddi says she just loves hearing him enjoying himself with the virtual group.

Now, not only does Eddi have more time she can spend on herself, she has more peace-of-mind. As a result, she has been able to make up for lost time with her painting and loving every minute.