Episode 2: Larry's Story

For ten years, Larry and his wife Barbara were rarely apart.

After Barbara was unexpectedly hospitalized, Larry found himself facing his own health challenges alone for the very first time, searching for answers, support, and a way to stay connected to the person he loves most.

In this episode of The Bold Way Home, Larry shares his story in his own words, reflecting on family, resilience, aging, and the kindness of a care team that helped him navigate one of the hardest seasons of his life.

This is Larry's story.

The Bold Way Home is a documentary-style podcast sharing real stories of aging, care, resilience, and the power of community through the voices of older adults themselves.

Presented by BoldAge PACE, this podcast explores what becomes possible when older adults have access to coordinated healthcare, support, and community, helping them maintain their independence and continue living at home with dignity.

*all voices in The Bold Way Home are participants of BoldAge PACE at the time of the taping of these episodes and are not paid actors. 

To learn more about BoldAge PACE please visit www.boldagepace.com or call 855-801-2653. 

If you are a caregiver for an aging parent, friend or loved one, or looking for more support, BoldAge PACE might be the answer you are looking for. 

Follow BoldAge PACE on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube

If you are looking for a PACE program in your state visit npaonline.org to find a PACE program near you. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Welcome to The Bold Way Home. Stories of aging with care and dignity. Getting older doesn't mean wanting less out of life. If anything, it means wanting the right kind of support to help keep living the way you want to live. But for a lot of people, the path there isn't clear. These stories are about that journey. They're about the moments where things change, the challenges people face, and what it looks like to find care that actually meets you where you are. Bold Age Pace is one way that can happen. It's a program that brings health care, support, and community together to help older adults stay independent and at home. Through these stories, you'll hear what that really means in someone's life. This is Larry's Story.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

I had a wonderful mom and dad, and I had uh one sister and one brother. But my mom and dad, they passed away back in 99 and 2000. My dad taught me everything he knew how to teach me. And he said, son, he says, one of these days uh I'll I'll I'll be gone, you know, and you'll be on your own. And I told him, I said, no, I thought he'd be living forever, you know. Drove a farm tractor. I learned a lot on farm and I went to drive a truck and I drove trucks probably close to ten years. Two years ago, I was hard and gave it all up. My wife, her name is uh Barbara, and I had a motorcycle, and uh my friend told me to uh just take her ride on a motorcycle, she said, 'cause she never was on a motorcycle. And that's how we met. Took her ride on a motorcycle, and next thing I know, my brother's a preacher, and uh he married us. And we'd be we've been married ten uh ten years. The happiest ten years of my life. She's in the hospital. She had trouble walking. Her legs are bothering, and they took her to the hospital. But when they took her to Am that day, felt like a weight hit my heart. Nobody contacted me, told me where she was at and what they were doing. And matter of fact, I went down and seen her and I tried to talk to the nurses and doctors, and well, nurses and one of the thousand has been taken care of her, and they won't tell me nothing. What they're doing to her, or if she come along good, bad, they won't nobody talk to me. Even nurses won't. So I hope someday, I pray that someday it soon we'll be back together and we never was apart. Never. I mean, we always had a good life. She always took care of me.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

As Larry struggled with his wife being away in the hospital, he was also trying to manage his own health challenges alone for the first time. That's when he was introduced to Bold Age PACE in Evansville, Indiana, a program that provides health care, transportation, therapies, social programs, and support for older adults who want to continue living independently at home. With Barbara gone, it was the kind of support Larry deeply needed. A member of the Bold Age Pace team visited Larry at home and invited him to come to the center. What began as a simple introduction slowly became a place where Larry found support, routine, and people who genuinely cared about him.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

They told me that they would come and pick me up and take you home. I started uh therapy, I guess probably about two or three weeks ago. They helped me make sure I got I took my medicine because I take medicine uh once in the morning. They helped a bunch of my diabetes because I can walk better and help my life. Therapy helped me a bunch. I mean, they fed me good. Just a wonderful place.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

As weeks passed, Larry struggled deeply with being separated from Barbara. Hearing how much he missed her, the bold age pace team coordinated transportation and arranged a surprise visit so Larry could finally see his wife again during her recovery.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

I come in here about two weeks ago, and I was standing out there and wanted to wear glasses. She came told me, she says, We're going for a ride. Where are we going? So they told me to get in a bus, and she drove a car because she had another appointment someplace else. And that Friday parked the bus. I asked her, I said, Where are we going? You want to see your wife, didn't you? I said, Yes, definitely. And that's how I found out they uh pulled strings. She's awesome. Yeah, they helped me see her. I said, I love you. I love you with all my heart. And my wife is taking therapy. I said, Well, I took it. I took it, I took it here. You know, I told her, but she just she refused to take it. She said she didn't need it. I said, wait a minute. I said, if that therapy's gonna help you, therapy helped me. I said, don't turn it down. I said, I don't care what you see in life. Every little bit help you, your life, everybody. I'm praying every day for my wife to come home. Me and my wife never was to do a part since we've been married. And I said, somebody helped me here to get my me and my wife back together before it's too late. Life is short. They did help me a lot. Yeah, they're they're there to bat for me. I'm glad you invited me. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

Larry's story is a reminder that even during life's hardest moments, support and connection can make all the difference. Care is about more than medicine. It's about being seen, being supported, and having people beside you when you need them the most. If Larry's story moved you or if it made you think of someone in your life, share this episode with them. And if you or someone you love is looking for more support, you can visit boldagepace.com to learn more and see if it might be the right fit for you. Because we're all growing older, but we can still live bold.