Mrs. Mary Afrookteh (center) receives flowers from her caregiver, Kelly Berge (right), and Stephanie Nilson, Community Relations Director for Right-at- Home, In-Home Care & Assistance.

Mary was born in Lossiemouth, Scotland (home of the Loch Ness Monster). While her Mom was visiting her grandmother, Mary was born. Six weeks later, they returned to their home in Brooklyn, NY. Since Mary was born in Scotland, she has dual citizenship. She has enjoyed going back to visit her homeland over the years.

Mary met her husband while interning as a dietician at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, where he worked as an Associate Professor of Surgery. Following her internship, she got a job at the Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue. “I got to meet all kinds of people,” said Mary. “I remember meeting Dodge MacArthur and Ronald Reagan, who was governor of California at the time.”

After marrying, Mary and Dr. Afrookteh went on to have four children and now have five grandchildren. The couple moved to Catonsville, Md., in 1962 when Dr. Afrookteh was offered a heart surgeon position at the University of MD. Years later, Dr. Afrookteh opened his own practice in Catonsville.

When Mary and her family realized she needed some extra help to remain in her home, they turned to Right at Home. Mary chose the company based largely on the recommendation of her trusted financial advisor, Carol Chaney. Carol has known and worked with the owner of Right at Home, Carole Luber, for many years and knows the importance of referring clients to trustworthy providers.

“Carol said they were top-notch and very involved with all of their clients,” explained Mary. “My daughter, also Carol, an attorney, felt comfortable after interviewing the owner, and my son, Ali, a doctor, was also familiar with the company.”

After over a year of using Right at Home, Mary has only positive feedback. “My caregiver, Kelly, has been like my daughter. We are joined at the hip, and I couldn’t get along without her,” Mary said. “She knows all my likes and dislikes.”

Ultimately, Mary is thrilled that she has been able to remain in her family home. She explained, “I don’t want to live with strangers. I have everything I want right here, including my kitties, Mo and Garfield”.

Recently, Elenor found herself shaking, lightheaded, dizzy, cold and nauseated. She slowly made it to the bathroom. While in the bathroom, she fainted and fell. When she fell, she hit her head on the closet door under the sink. When Elenor came to, she pressed her Lifeline button that she wears as a pendant around her neck. She recalls, “I immediately felt calmer and my panic was gone.”

Elenor continues, “In a few minutes, paramedics were in the apartment and soon after I was taken to the hospital.” At the hospital, she was relieved when she found that her son was already there to meet her. Elenor’s doctor was also immediately notified by Lifeline. The doctor was briefed on her condition and summoned to the hospital right away.

Despite her initial reluctance to use a personal emergency response device, Elenor now truly understands their importance. She states simply, “I didn’t want the Lifeline alarm, but it saved my life!”

In retrospect, she realizes that her emergency situation could have ended much differently. “I might have passed out again, and it could have been many hours later before my son realized I didn’t answer the phone and something was wrong,” Elenor says. She concludes, “If you think that you do not need the alarm button, you are wrong!”

Elenor is now living back at home. She is secure in the knowledge that her Lifeline is just a button push away. Elenor is also confident that she will remain in her own home, living independently, for some time to come.