Optimae Stories | Myrna and Jim
Watch Myrna and Jim’s story: https://youtu.be/yVGZNOd-zq4
When Myrna Mittler came down with COVID-19, pneumonia and sepsis all at the same time, the doctors weren’t sure if she was going to make it.
To the relief of everyone, especially her husband, Myrna battled through. After one week in intensive care, she spent another three weeks in recovery at the hospital, all in isolation.
One month later, Myrna was cleared to leave the hospital. The question was — where to next?
“We were looking for aftercare, and we had settled on a nursing home that we wanted to go to. Our insurance would not cover it,” explained Myrna’s husband, Jim. “So, the hospital helped us set up with Optimae in home health care. And we’re so thankful that we did because the care that she’s received — it’s just been phenomenal.”
Optimae Home Health Services provides skilled nursing, therapy and home health aides in central and southeastern Iowa. Without Optimae, Jim says he would have been solely responsible for Myrna’s care as she recovered from her illness.
“It was a breath of fresh air to be able to bring her home and be able to get the professional help that we needed, along with the loving care that [Optimae] provided,” Jim says.
Twice per week for two months, the Mittlers welcomed Optimae into their home in Washington, Iowa, where they’ve lived for nearly 50 years. Myrna says she appreciated that they always called before coming.
“We just left the back door open, and they’d just come on in,” she says. “That’s what we told them to do. It’s just like having family.”
And, as with family, goodbyes can be emotional. When Myrna’s nurse, Dawn, left after a final discharge visit, farewells included long hugs and warm words.
“I hated to see them go, you know?” Myrna says. “I mean, I’m glad I’m well, but I’m going to miss them. They were so neat. It was fun to have them here, and they knew what they were doing. And I would recommend Optimae to anybody. It just — I looked forward to it. They were just sweet and awesome.”
Myrna says it was hard to see her nurse from Optimae, Dawn, leave after her final visit.
“What was so unique about the care that she received is that — there’s professionalism, number one,” Jim explains. “You knew that you’re dealing with people that knew what they were doing. But there was a kindness and a warmth and sincerity about them that was very heartwarming. We never felt like she was just, for lack of a better term, a slab of meat that they had to take care of. They cared about her, her well-being.”
As a division of Optimae LifeServices, Optimae Home Health Services is able to provide a unique focus on mental and emotional health, nursing beyond physical ailments. Whether it was a nurse, occupational therapist or physical therapist, Jim and Myrna say visitors from Optimae always came with words of encouragement.
“They always helped her lift her spirits,” Jim says, especially noting Myrna’s physical therapist, Ron. “He was very patient. On the days she didn’t feel very well, he would alter the routine so she wouldn’t be so stressed by it. But the days that she could do all the exercises completely, he would take her up and down the stairs and take her outside for a walk and, you know, really pay attention to her. But there again, the concern and professionalism was wonderful.”
“And you know, when you don’t feel well, and you get somebody that’s grouchy or whatever, it doesn’t help,” Myrna adds. “And not one of them ever came in here in a bad mood. Never.”
Today, Myrna is enjoying her newfound health while she works on rebuilding her strength. If she ever needs help again, she says she would go back to Optimae.
“We were important to them,” she says.
Jim adds: “As Myrna’s primary care provider, it was such a relief to have Optimae come in and take a lot of the load off my shoulders as far as making sure that she was getting the care that she needed and that they were monitoring her and keeping an eye on her. So, it really helped me, too.”