Caregiver Story: Tracy Hastings

*The following is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.

Welcome back to the program everyone, and we have a very special guest here, a lady by the name of Tracy Hastings, and this is the time of our our where we honor people that have made sacrifices. Many of you are heard our spots and certainly we had a veteran story last weekend. Well, this weekend we get to talk about people who are caregivers and Tracy Hastings is here. Tracy, welcome to the program. Thank you, Tracy. You’re from here. Tell me a little bit, just briefly, about you and we’re going to hit be calling your mom here in a minute, but just tell me a little bit about you. I turned fifty years old in September, and I am basically a stay at home grandma. I have nine grandchildren, my goodness, and I watch one of them five days a week and wow other will come and stay maybe four or five days at a time. So you’re caregiver to four kids, yes, yes, and yet your you nominated your mother, and yet look at all you do for your family. So obviously there’s a value system in your family that takes care of family. We do. I think she passed it down. Well, that’s awesome. So tell me a little bit about your mom, my mom. What’s her name? My mom’s name is Barbara and we call her super woman because she handles so many different things and she has so much on her plate and she is a landlord by day, a caregiver by day and night and she just manages to do it all. Wow. And so she, when you say a landlord, tell me about what she does in her job. She in Bery and Washington. She manages to apartment complexes and so she’s constantly taking calls, making maintenance request, showing apartments, cleaning. She cleans the apartments on her own. There’s no company on that right. She handles all of that for the owner. And then that in itself is very full time. Of course it is. And then tell me about what else she does. She takes care of my dad. My Dad has Louis Body dementia, he’s diabetic, he has heart issues and she is the full time caregiver for him also. Oh my gosh. So she needs some recognition and that’s why I’m here. That’s why we’re here. We are going to call her, aren’t we? Hey are, and we’re going to surprise her. So everyone. So our operations director, Josh, you can go ahead and make the phone call for Barbara. Hello, is this Barbara? Yes, it is. Well, Hello Barbara. My name is Suzanne Perkins Newman and I am the host of the Answers for Elders radio show here in Seattle. How are you today? Well, I’m well. Thank you. You are on the air. Did you know that? No, on the air. My goodness. Well, I’ll tell you something. You have an amazing daughter and she is sitting here with me, because I’ve heard all about your story and what an amazing woman you are. Oh, what’s the Guinness? First, which daughter is this? Your daughter, Tracy. She is here with me. Tracy, you want to say hi to your mom. Hi Mom, Tracy. Are you okay, Verney? Oh, I’m great. Okay. Well, yes, I yes, the gentleman said that that he was calling on behalf of my daughter. Falls your hooks. Something was wrong. My goodness, stakes, that was my fault. That’s exactly what I said. I am I want to let you know that we do a program every Saturday and and obviously today is your special day. We’re actually prerecording the program but one of the things that you’re going to learn about or about what we do and answers for elders is that we acknowledge people that have made special sacrifices to take care of their loved ones. And now I’m getting choked up because I heard a lot about your story and we just want to call and say a very special thank you for all you do and I’m going to turn it over to your daughter. Well, thank you so much it. Certainly appreciate it. Yes Mom. Hi, we I well, we I was talking with Susanne and we just wanted to let you know that you are super woman. Oh my goodness. Well, I wish I was well without the little body suit. We will get rid of that, but okay, you are a landlord and you are a caregiver and I was actually there on Saturday and I’ve been spending well, sometimes I go on the weekends and try to help with Dad, but you do everything well, honey, that’s just what we do when we when we have somebody that we love that needs our help. So and I do appreciate your help so much because you just brighten up this entire day when you’re here. So I appreciate what you do too. And you know, Barbara, I am interested in. You know, you work a more than full time job in managing to apartment buildings and that has to be overwhelming in itself. How do you work everything in? I’m just curious, like what what is your how do you do it? Well, I don’t know, I I don’t really I can’t really set a routine because so much of spontaneous with with my husband and and also with the work. But just need to really try to keep calm and prioritize things and do what’s very most important first and somehow the next thing you know it’s the end of the day and you get to rest if you get up and do it again, hmm. And it’s just it’s just a little bit. I have been, or I was a caregiver for my mom the last six years of her life and I know how absolutely overwhelming it can be in trying to work all the details in of, you know, making sacrifices for everyone else. And so, you know, one of the things that we try to do on this program is not only to give support to families that are going through caregiving, but also to acknowledge people like you, because you know, oftentimes, you know, you guys are the ones that are left in the shadows. You know, you’re trying to do everything for somebody else and sometimes it just takes a moment to say, you know, we really appreciate all the work that you do on behalf of the family. Well, and I appreciate that acknowledgement because you’re absolutely right. And and sometimes, you know, it’s easy to get your DAP or down and wonder what about me? But yeah, it is so nice to get this call as it’s just I’m just own prelate. Well, you know, a simple thank you sometimes means the world. And you know I have been visiting with your beautiful daughter here and she’s shared with me, you know, how she takes care of her you know, grandchildren, and so obviously there’s a really strong value system in your family about taking care of each other. Yes, absolutely we that’s what that’s why we are together as because we are family and family always comes first. Absolutely well, we agree with that wholeheartedly and you know, it’s like what we talked about. I know that for me, and this is just a little piece of my heart for you, Barbara, is the fact that when I took care of my mom, it was the hardest thing in the world. I ever did in my entire life, in my fifty five years of the you know, on the earth. But I have to say it was my greatest privilege to be there for her and I’m sure in many cases, as your husband’s caregiver, there’s there’s those two dynamics that go on. Is that true? Absolutely. I believe a hardest part for me is watching him flip. Yes it, because this isn’t going to last forever and so I want whatever time we have left together to be as high quality as possible. So you know, you have the wells and you have the ability. So so that’s what makes it happen. So what do you do for yourself to keep yourself sane? Well, I when they have the opportunity, I like to garden, get my hands in the dirt, to or tolerate in these in regard to on the versus apartment complex and and it’s a work in progress, but it’s coming along and have lots of Nice flowers and and plants and and I’m like mowing along because I like the fellow the fresh grass. Well, and then in the good news is that maybe we’re going to start to get some sunshine now on this beautiful day on a Saturday. I know I just got some silence from from the Garden Center sale, Community Garden Center sale, and so I’m actually forget them out this weekend. Well, you know what are. We are almost out of time, but Tracy is do you have any like one last word that you want to say to your mom before we sign off? One Word or just one last phrase? We have about thirty seconds. Mom, I just wanted it funny to tell you everything you do is amazing. Thank you, honey. I love my family so much and you. You’re so special. I love you. I love you too, honey. Thank you. Well, I’m very blessed to get to know you, guys and every day. Just know that we appreciate you. Barbara, thank you so much. This is going a real pleasure for me. All right, have a great weekend.