Jan. 14, 2014

By Donna Beal, Executive Director
Mercy Care for the Adirondacks

Lake Placid—Jane Eagan and Bernie Clarke are friends.  They became friends when Jane requested assistance from Mercy Care for the Adirondacks to help her age in place more successfully.  Jane needed some help.  As she aged, she became visually impaired. 

Bernie is a Mercy Care Friendship Volunteer and began assisting Jane about five years ago, and they have been friends ever since. 

Jane and Bernie shared their friendship story with Mercy Sister Catherine Cummings, Director of Friendship Volunteer and Volunteer Parish Nurse Programs for Mercy Care for the Adirondacks. 

Sister Catherine sat down separately with Jane and Bernie to talk.

Jane began by saying, “I agree with my son who said to me, “How lucky I am to have a Mercy Care Friendship Volunteer.” 

“Bernie will do anything for me,” she said. “She helps me with things others can’t help with.  For example, she helps me communicate with my insurance company about health insurance.  She helps me remember all the questions I need to ask.

“I can’t read the newspaper, except the headline,” she said. “I save the articles I want to read, and Bernie reads them to me when she visits once a week.  Often times, Bernie and her husband, Carmine, look up programs or music I would enjoy on TV and let me know when and what channel to tune to.”

Jane continued, “Bernie comes every Wednesday and we go to the bank, to the library where I select books on CD, and run other errands.  Sometimes, we just ride around the Lake and around town where Bernie points out anything that’s new.  Bernie brings me the church bulletin, which we read before we go out.  I have gotten to know Bernie’s family and Bernie has gotten to know my family.”

When Sister Catherine sat down with Bernie, she asked her about the most effective way to help Jane. 
“It is important for Jane to remain in charge and make her own decisions,” Bernie said. “As an example, rather than select the books on tape for Jane, I read the jackets of several tapes so Jane can choose what she would like to have for that week.”

Bernie sees her role as helping Jane to “keep control of her life.”

“My Mercy Care Volunteer experience has been very positive and my friendship with Jane helps me to learn and grow—to think about someone else,” she said.

Mercy Care for the Adirondacks is recruiting new volunteers and has scheduled Friendship Volunteer Training Program training classes in Tupper Lake on Feb. 3 and Feb.10 and in Lake Placid on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24. The training sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Both mornings are required to complete the training). 
Mercy Care’s Friendship Volunteer Training Program is free of charge but pre-registration is required. 

Registration information is available from Sheila Schneck by calling 523-5583. 

Jane Egan, left, and Bernie Clarke - Mercy Care friends