“We started talking because we had similar situations,” remembers Liz Sabo, a resident of the third floor of Brickstone by St. John’s, an independent living community in Rochester, New York. “We lived on the same floor and could be a small support group for each other.”
Sabo and fellow resident Paul Gardella were next door neighbors when they met. At the time, they were also both serving as caregivers for a spouse living with dementia. “I would say that the third floor neighbors were basically a support group for us, too, because they invited us to little functions and had a little get together coffee and stuff like that,” said Gardella.
At Brickstone, neighbors naturally look out for one another—offering a sense of connection during an otherwise difficult time. “You move in, and even if you don’t participate in a lot of activities, you start to care about the people around you,” Liz said.
This is how Gardella and Sabo got to know each other, through the support system that grew organically with their neighbors. Their friendship grew even stronger once both of their spouses began living in the same skilled nursing home when their daily needs increased as their disease progressed.
Read Paul Gardella and Liz Sabo’s story to learn more about their caregiving journeys.
