I don't know if I could live on my own without them. Each day an aide comes to help her in the morning and just before dinner. In the afternoon, a van picks Bazata up and takes her to the senior meals program in Sidney. Bazata, who said she never imagined she'd live so long, isn't ready to go to a nursing home. Bazata said she considers herself to be independent and wants to be on her own, but her family worries about her falling.
Aides offer assistance and conversation.
According to Pat Archambault, executive director of Letting Adults Remain in the Community, or LARC, in Sidney, personal care aides are part of a growing trend and allow people to stay in their homes as long as possible. And, because the demand for personal care aides far exceeds the number of trained aides, LARC has revived its training program, Archambault said. LARC hopes to offer the course at least twice a year. It varies from small homemaking tasks to incorporating personal care. Elizabeth Cole of Oxford, a recent graduate of the training program, said she took the course after visiting a friend who had a home health aide.