“I would be in bad shape without you.” At 87, Jay’s eyesight is declining due to macular degeneration—a condition that prompts many ElderHelp clients to seek support. It’s also why Jay decided to turn in his car keys. “It was my decision, and I was happy to do it,” Jay shares. “I want to keep everyone safe.”
Jay was referred to ElderHelp by the Center for the Blind. Although he’s been housebound for a few years, he enjoys the check-in calls and conversations from ElderHelp’s volunteers and staff. “I’m blown away by how nice your organization is,” he remarks. “Everyone is always so happy to listen.”
And Jay has great stories to tell. His San Diego roots run deep, having moved here as a child in 1946. He reminisces about working at Sea World when it first opened in 1964. “I was washing windows and carrying water buckets. Then I got promoted to working with penguins, dolphins, and eventually the killer whales. I had a gift ‘for talk,’ so they asked me to develop a few shows. Before I knew it, I was a Shamu show presenter. I loved being a part of the education program and sharing what I knew with the visitors.
Jay also tells us he loves ElderHelp. “I’m so enthusiastic about it, it’s hard to know where to begin. But I can tell you this: what I’ve learned about life is you have to take the good stuff and cast off the bad. ElderHelp has helped me do that.”