February is National Black History Month, a time to honor some of the world’s most prominent African-Americans. When it comes to 24-hour home care for seniors, these eight Black caregivers played instrumental roles in improving lives.
Dr. Numa Pompilius Garfield Adams
His grandmother was a midwife with special knowledge of herbal medication, which helped inspire Dr. Garfield Adams to get a degree in chemistry before entering the field of medicine. Among his accomplishments is the fact that he became the first African-American Dean of Howard University in 1929.
In this new role, he changed the curriculum and increased wages to draw the best professors to the school of medicine. He fought to integrate Howard Medical School with Freedman’s Hospital to ensure quality care was available to everyone.
Dr. Patricia Era Bath
Eye health conditions are more prevalent as you age. Dr. Bath found that black people were twice as likely to have eye disease as others. She was integral in the design and creation of laser phacoemulsification, used in cataract surgery, and was one of the three founders of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness.
Dr. Roscoe Conkling Brown, Sr.
Dr. Conkling Brown, Sr. was a noted dentist and advocate for healthcare for African-Americans. He helped promote National Negro Health Week which came to an end in 1950 after it was determined such a success that the awareness campaign was no longer necessary. He also contributed to a regular journal covering specific health issues Black people faced.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Dr. Crumpler was the first African-American woman to become a doctor in the U.S. after having spent eight years in nursing. Her role in caring for freed slaves is just one of her many achievements. She also authored the Book of Medical Discourses, one of the first medical guides written by an African-American.
Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller
Dr. Fuller gained his medical degree in 1897, but it’s his work in Germany that makes him one of the biggest contributors to the world of geriatrics. He worked with Dr. Alzheimer and researched and wrote journals on the role of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles as important biomarkers of the disease.
Percy Julian
His grandparents were slaves, but Julian became a chemist who played a key role in many medications used by the elderly. He was instrumental in the development of a medication used for glaucoma. He also found a way to create corticosteroid medications from soybeans, leading the path to medications used regularly to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Carrie Meek
Carrie Meek’s grandparents were slaves and her parents were sharecroppers. While Florida didn’t allow Black students into grad schools, she went to Michigan and received a Master’s in Science in 1948.
She became a politician who advocated for senior citizens. As the first African-American woman elected to the Florida Senate, she established a bill to build thousands of affordable housing units within the state.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
Dr. Williams was the first cardiologist to perform the first successful open heart surgery in the U.S. His patient went home 51 days after the surgery was performed. He also established the first interracial hospital and was the first African-American to be named to the American College of Surgeons.
Make sure you celebrate everything you do, too. The role of a family caregiver isn’t easy, especially when your parent needs around-the-clock assistance. You have to put your own needs first, and 24-hour home care helps make that happen.
You need to take care of yourself to avoid burnout, anxiety, and even depression. Arrange 24-hour home care services to have professional caregivers take over while you take a break for self-care.
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2571621/pdf/jnma00264-0103.pdf
If you or an aging loved one are considering 24-Hour Home Care Services in Brockway PA please contact the caring staff at Quality Health Services. Call (814) 251-9044
Quality Health Services is a trusted non-medical senior home care provider in Punxsutawney, Bellefonte, Jefferson, Brockway, Brookville, Clearfield, St Marys, Emporium, Philipsburg, and Dubois PA area.
- Keeping Your Senior Safe from Falls This Winter - November 8, 2024
- Technology Devices That Enhance Senior Health - October 18, 2024
- How Companion Care at Home Supports Seniors with Life Transitions - October 7, 2024
