Nothing says summertime like a tomato sandwich made with tomatoes fresh from the garden. But what about purple tomatoes? Sara Moore found out that purple tomatoes actually make very good sandwiches on a recent adventure.

“I work with a 93-year-old woman who is losing her vision and has to use a walker to get around, but she doesn’t let that stop her from getting out and enjoying life!” Sara says. “I call her my go-go girl. She likes to get gussied up, so helping her with her grooming includes picking out something pretty to wear and helping her get her dangly ear rings in. Then we get in a car and go for a drive.”

They go wherever the road takes them, sometimes with a plan and sometimes just driving around to see what they see. “One day this summer we were driving around Clemmons and saw a vegetable stand with a sign advertising red, pink and purple tomatoes. I said, ‘I’ve never had a purple tomato,’ and she said she hadn’t either, so of course we had to stop and get some. It just goes to show you’re never too old to try something new!”

Sara knows these outings are an important part of the overall care she can help give her client. “She wasn’t able to live alone at home anymore and came to live with her daughter,” Sara says. “I’m able to provide supportive care, such as helping her get around and do daily activities so that her daughter can work, but I feel my role is much more than that. I’m also there for companionship. What I love about my job is getting to know people. Every person is an individual, and I want to let them know that they’re valued. I love learning about the parts of their life that make them who they are today, and help them keep telling their story. I feel my role is to help my clients feel confident in who they are and what they have to share.”

Whether they’re driving around town, reading together at home or sitting at the breakfast table watching the birds and butterflies that come into the flower garden, Sara enjoys the time she spends with her client. “We laugh a lot together, and just have fun,” she says.

For the client’s family, knowing that Sara is there as a companion and caregiver is a source of comfort. “I enjoy what I do in my work with Piedmont Home Care and I know how important it is because I myself have been widowed twice. I cared for my husbands, and know the exhaustion that comes with being a caregiver. Sometimes you feel like you’re a battery and everything is plugged into you, drawing your energy out. I find happiness in the fact that I can help provide respite to someone in that situation,” Sara says.

Sara has been with Piedmont Home Care for three and a half years, but her experience goes well beyond that, having worked for other families and agencies for more than 12 years. “I love my job for two reasons,” Sara says. “For one, of course, it’s the relationship I have with the wonderful woman I stay with, and her family. But also, I have pride in the high standards and integrity of Piedmont Home Care. From the management on down, we work as a team, and I’m proud to get a chance to represent that out in the community.”