{"id":2656,"date":"2026-07-01T20:34:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T20:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=2656"},"modified":"2026-07-01T20:34:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T20:34:00","slug":"veterans-parkinsons-battle-highlights-hidden-lifeline-for-family-caregivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=2656","title":{"rendered":"Veteran\u2019s Parkinson\u2019s battle highlights hidden lifeline for family caregivers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

When Magnolia Smith first noticed something was off with her husband\u2019s walk, it sounded small \u2014 a subtle change in the way his foot hit the hallway floor.<\/p>

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\u201cHe came down the hallway like on his toe, and I said, \u2018James, why are you doing that?\u2019\u201d Magnolia recalled. \u201cHe said, \u2018I\u2019m not doing anything.\u2019 I said, \u2018Yes, you are.\u2019\u201d<\/p>

That quiet moment inside their home eventually led to a life-changing diagnosis for James Smith, a U.S. Army veteran and former artilleryman. In 2019, after Magnolia insisted he be evaluated at the Department of Veterans Affairs, doctors delivered the news: James had Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>

\u201cIt hit hard,\u201d Magnolia said. \u201cIt hit hard till he cried.\u201d<\/p>

Over the next several years, Parkinson\u2019s slowly stole James\u2019 mobility. A walking cane and upright devices were unsafe \u2014 he would push them too fast and fall. Eventually, a wheelchair, provided through the VA, became his only safe option.<\/p>

But as James\u2019 condition progressed, the weight of that diagnosis didn\u2019t fall on him alone. It landed squarely on Magnolia.<\/p>

Magnolia is clear about what the disease has meant inside their home. Lifting James in and out of bed. Helping him to the bathroom. Trying to navigate a bathtub he can no longer safely step into.<\/p>

\u201cWith that Parkinson, it makes his lower back hurt,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can\u2019t do that anymore. Only a shower now. A walk-in tub he could use\u2026 but stepping over like that is hard for him.\u201d<\/p>

Physically, it was more than she could handle alone.<\/p>

Like many spouses of aging veterans, Magnolia slid into the role of full-time caregiver long before she asked for help. She managed James\u2019 appointments. She pushed him to keep going back to the VA, even when he doubted whether they would do anything for him.<\/p>

\u201cHe said, \u2018Oh, they\u2019re not going to do anything,\u2019\u201d Magnolia said. \u201cI said, \u2018Yes, they are.\u2019 I kept going, and I kept going. They sent me letters, they wrote me, I took the appointments, and I kept taking him.\u201d<\/p>

The turning point came when Magnolia told the VA she could not carry the burden alone anymore.<\/p>

Through the VA, Magnolia was connected to Seniors Helping Seniors East Valley, a caregiving agency that contracts with the department to provide in-home support for veterans.<\/p>

The relief was immediate \u2014 even before anyone rang the doorbell.<\/p>

\u201cI exhaled on the phone,\u201d she said. \u201cThey told me they were going to give me somebody, and that relieved some of the stress. It went right down through my body.\u201d<\/p>

The woman who showed up \u2014 Estelita, whom James affectionately calls \u201cContessa\u201d \u2014 has now been with the couple for three years.<\/p>

\u201cWhen I come to work, I don\u2019t feel like going to work,\u201d Estelita said. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m a family here.\u201d<\/p>

She helps James with daily activities, offers emotional support and, critically, gives Magnolia space to rest.<\/p>

\u201cI feel like I am doing something for the veterans,\u201d Estelita said. \u201cNot just saying thank you for your service, but doing physical care and emotional support that they need.\u201d<\/p>

Behind that support is a deliberate strategy, say co-owners Sandy Dyk and Kerri Ann Ronquist, who run Seniors Helping Seniors East Valley.<\/p>

Both have spent decades in senior care. When they took over the East Valley franchise a little more than a year ago, it already had a contract with the VA and a small base of clients. They say their immediate focus was on veterans \u2014 a group they describe as \u201cunderserved\u201d and often overwhelmed.<\/p>

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\u201cThere\u2019s so much information,\u201d Dyk said. \u201cI\u2019m surprised to this day how much our veterans still are unaware of what they can receive.\u201d<\/p>

For many older veterans, just going online, finding forms, printing, filling them out and scanning them back can be a barrier. For others, physically getting to the VA for appointments \u2014 especially on a \u201cbad\u201d day \u2014 feels impossible.<\/p>

\u201cWe can help our veterans and loved ones fill out the paperwork, get a copy of the DD-214, even go to the eligibility office,\u201d Dyk said. \u201cPrior to that, trying to have a veteran who is physically disabled do all of that can be overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n

The VA offers three main types of in-home support through agencies like theirs: home health aide hours for hands-on care such as bathing and dressing; homemaker hours for light housekeeping, meal prep and transportation; and respite hours, which allow family caregivers to take a break while someone qualified stays with their loved one.<\/p>

In James\u2019 case, the agency provides hands-on care, homemaker support for Magnolia and respite hours that let her step out of the house, even if only for a few hours at a time.<\/p>

\u201cCaregiver breakdown is real,\u201d Ronquist said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen it so many times where the caregiver will pass before the one they\u2019re caring for, because they really are engaged 24\/7.\u201d<\/p>

To prevent that, the agency tries to keep care teams small and consistent, especially for veterans with many authorized hours.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s an invasion in many ways until they get to know each other,\u201d Ronquist said. \u201cThey deserve to build that relationship. Plus, [the spouse] doesn\u2019t have to explain to a new caregiver all the time what he likes and doesn\u2019t like. It just becomes part of the family.\u201d<\/p>

In the Smith household, that consistency has changed the rhythm of daily life. James remains at home, surrounded by family photos and a memory book filled with pictures celebrating Army days, his work life and a recent birthday party where a dozen local veterans rode in on motorcycles, flags flying, to honor him.<\/p>

\u201cIt was flabbergasting,\u201d Magnolia said, flipping through the album. \u201cThey gave me all joy\u2026 It was just beautiful.\u201d<\/p>

She calls the caregivers \u201cfamily.\u201d She calls the VA workers who helped connect her to them \u201ca 10 out of 10.\u201d<\/p>

And she has a message for other spouses of veterans who feel buried under the weight of caregiving and don\u2019t know such help exists.<\/p>

\u201cI just tell the ladies, stick with your husband,\u201d Magnolia said. \u201cCall the VA. Talk with the main person. Tell them you need help.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cDon\u2019t stop,\u201d she added. \u201cKeep going, keep talking to them, keep pushing for your husband. They did their job for the United States of America, so they need to do the job for us to carry you all on.\u201d<\/p>

For Magnolia, that means honoring the vows she spoke on her wedding day in 2013 \u2014 \u201cto love and to cherish, till death do us part\u201d \u2014 and having the support to keep James at home, where he wants to be.<\/p>

\u201cNo man likes to leave home,\u201d she said softly. \u201cIt means a lot to me that he can stay here. I can rest a while when he takes a nap. And he loves it.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Boy dies from rabies after waking up with bat on his mouth<\/a><\/p>

You can find out what caretaker benefits are available by visiting VA.gov.<\/p>\n

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