by Pamela Laney

I’ve always known that my husband Aaron was a caring person. Most of his working life had been in service to others, and he always spoke so fondly of his days working in group homes for disabled adults. I don’t think I fully understood what kind of person my husband truly is until the day that Aaron and I moved in together.

I was helping him unpack his boxes, and out of one box I pulled out a pair of old, blue canvas shoes, too small to be his. They looked like they could have belonged to a girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old. I asked Aaron about the shoes.

He smiled, and told me about the special lady they belonged to: a resident in one of the group homes he had managed. She was of adult age, but because of her special needs, she had never grown to adult size. She was also non-verbal. She never spoke. Her body eventually succumbed to her condition and soon enough, it was her time to pass. On her deathbed, she finally spoke. She called out, “Aaron.”

I asked Aaron why he thought the only word she had ever spoken was his name. He looked at me thoughtfully and then after a while said, “You know, I think she stopped talking because no one was really listening. Even though she didn’t ever say anything, I tried my best to understand her. She taught me to listen with my heart.”

He kept her shoes- as his anchor and touchstone to his personal and professional values.

Today, Aaron and I run a home care agency, providing in-home care to seniors in San Diego. It was actually my idea to call the company “Aaron” Home Care. My husband, being a modest guy, wasn’t so sure, but I insisted. For me, it’s a reminder of those little blue shoes, and Aaron’s philosophy of bringing dignity and connection to the lives of those he cares for.

It’s this philosophy that we pass on to our staff and caregivers: professionalism, empathy, compassion, dignity, and connection. If you’re looking for home care in San Diego that delivers all of these things and more, think of Aaron.