Climbing a different kind of mountain
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ugust 30, 2020, was a day to mark in the books for the CareTEAM at SYNERGY HomeCare of Portland and their client, Bruce. The Portland team threw their first social distancing party to celebrate Bruce, as he was presented with the prestigious Mazama’s Leuthold Award.
As a Mazama climbing organization member, Bruce is one of fewer than 20 people to be honored with this award since 1894 when the organization was founded. The Leuthold Award is the highest honor to be bestowed upon a climb leader by the Mazama Climbing Committee. Recipients must have successfully led official Mazama climbs of all 16 major Northwest peaks and selflessly contributed countless hours supporting the Mazama’s mission and preservation activities.
As an accomplished climber who lives for his time climbing and hiking, Bruce has been tackling a new kind of mountain this past year. The former veterinarianturned-software developer suffered two severe strokes at the end of last year. The neurological trauma left him with impairments, both physical and cognitive.
additional concern for Bruce and his family, knowing that his immune system is highly compromised. Going to weekly therapy and doctor’s appointments could be risky. The staff at Providence St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, OR, where Bruce was treated, recommended that Bruce’s family reach out to SYNERGY HomeCare of Portland to help care for Bruce at home. Cynthia Karel and Laurie Harness, who provide leadership for the agency, explain, “Because it is the Portland office’s regular practice to form small, dedicated CareTEAMs for each client, we were uniquely positioned when COVID-19 hit, to implement a continuum of care for Bruce and all our clients, using the same CareTEAM members each day, to help ensure the health and safety of our clients and staff.” Agency owner Bill Merriman concurs that the
His family, who resides on the east coast, was concerned about his ability to stay in his home and manage daily tasks due to the cognitive damage he sustained. They were also concerned about him having to navigate the stairs, as he was now a high fall risk. Most concerning was his limited ability to communicate verbally in the event of an emergency. Additionally, right after Bruce was released to come home, COVID-19 hit. The pandemic became an
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