A Note on Care: Companionship to Friendship

Home Care Referral Services in Wake Forest, NC

I’m not sure what started the habit, but for a long time I have enjoyed looking up different types of quotes– motivational, inspirational, wise, and even comical. I guess it fascinates me to see the core of what people believe, think, and even live by summed up in just a few words. This week I was reading a few quotes about friendship, and one in particular stuck out to me from the well-known C.S. Lewis. “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.”

I am a C.S. Lewis fan; I truly appreciate his creative mind along with his religious insight, and I tend to agree with and value his thoughts and opinions. This quote was no different; sure, a person could “live” without the valuable additive of friendship, but what kind of life would that be? Friends enhance our daily lives, and they bring joy to what may otherwise seem mundane. This quote got me thinking about many of the clients that the Griswold Home Care office refers caregivers to and how often times they have either moved away from or outlived a number of their friends. Here is yet another reason why referring a caregiver who matches the client’s preferences is so important; referred caregivers are providing non-medical care, but they are also providing the opportunity for conversation to flourish, reflection to occur, and even a new friendship to form. In the North Eastern Raleigh office, Mark Moore and I often hear stories from either caregivers, clients, or their loved ones about the bond that is formed between the referred caregiver and the client during the time of care. I have even heard about a referred caregiver going back over to the client’s house to spend extra time with her off of the clock. What started as companionship eventually evolved into a full-on friendship. We love to hear that those wonderful relationships form, and that’s why we make it a priority to take the clients’ referral requests very seriously.

Perhaps C.S. Lewis is right; friendship is unnecessary, but is sure does positively impact us and make a life worth living. The office staff members at Griswold Home Care in North Eastern Raleigh love to see clients enjoying companionship provided by referred caregivers, making new friendships, and receiving top-caliber care all in one visit.