True friendship grows from senior helping seniors

For caregiver Wilson, it’s more than a job — it’s family. She’s grown so close to clients Bill and Ruth Renner that she and her husband joined them for dinner out to celebrate the Renners’ 71st wedding anniversary.

Credit: Phil Skinner

Credit: Phil Skinner

“I keep telling their daughter in Michigan how much I love her parents,” Wilson said. “I’ll take a picture of them when they’re not looking and send it to her. They’re usually walking hand in hand.”

A journey to caregiving

Boggs had just returned from her honeymoon when she got the early morning call — her mother wasn’t well. Doctors performed surgery to clear two clogged arteries and a five-way heart bypass. She also battled COPD, facing years of hospital stays and rehab visits.

“We were just in and out of the hospital and in and out of rehab for 15 years,” said Boggs, who raised her two children during this time.

When her mother passed in 2014, Boggs felt “a nudge that God wanted me to do something in this space because I just have a knack for helping people,” she said.

Credit: Phil Skinner

Credit: Phil Skinner

Seven years later, she launched a Seniors Helping Seniors franchise, assisting clients in Hall, Forsyth, Walton and Barrow counties. She pairs caregivers who are active seniors with clients who are less active seniors, shortening the generation gap between them and increasing the chances they will have more in common. They can be friends, Boggs said.

“Our mission is to help people stay in their homes as long as possible with dignity and respect while giving peace of mind to those juggling their own lives while caring for an aging parent, all the while showing Christ through us,” she said.

Credit: Phil Skinner

Credit: Phil Skinner

Her team provides companionship, personal care, meal prep and transportation. She started the business in June of 2022 and employs 100 caregivers to assist 200 clients two to three days a week. Most clients pay privately, though some qualify for financial assistance if they are in the military or have long-term insurance.

It’s a booming industry. The National Association for Home Care and Hospice estimates that 4.5 million direct care workers nationwide support clients in private homes, residential care homes, nursing facilities, and hospitals. That number is expected to grow by 1.1 million by 2028.

Finding purpose in care

Wilson’s journey began when her mother suffered a brain hemorrhage, leading to six years of dementia and a final year bedridden. As a mother of six, Wilson cared for her mom in her home with hospice support. Her dad also lived with her.

Inspired by hospice workers, she pursued a certified nursing assistant (CNA) license. One day, a guest speaker in her CNA class shared her personal story, which struck a chord with Wilson.

Credit: Phil Skinner

Credit: Phil Skinner

“I raised my hand and said, ‘Can you hire me today?’” Wilson recalled.

Boggs — who was that speaker — did that and hired Wilson in August 2022, two months after her company launched. She paired Wilson first with an artist and then with the Renners, who are now 94 and 93 and live in Gainesville.

“Tina has a great intuition for matching people,” Wilson said. “When I met the Renners, I really loved them.”

Bill Renner said the feeling is mutual.

“We’ve adopted her,” he said, smiling.

The couple has moved 41 times — 31 during his military career and 10 since retiring.

“We’ve had a great life,” Ruth Renner said.

The couple has many memories of their life and travels, as well as two special ones with Wilson.

When she was writing her first children’s book, they were her biggest cheerleaders. They were with her when she opened the first box of books that her publisher had sent her. They were even her first sale.

“It was one of the sweetest moments of my life, sharing that with them,” Wilson said.

Then came the anniversary dinner. Wilson and her husband picked up the Renners and celebrated with them.

“I was so thankful they were willing to do that for us, and she wasn’t getting paid for that,” Ruth Renner said.

Wilson said she has learned so much from the sharp-minded couple — moderation, staying active, gardening, feeding the birds, and welcoming neighbors.

“But the greatest lesson I’ve learned with the Renners,” she said, “is that different generations have much to learn from one another. Life is better together.”