When Becky first hired us, the goal seemed simple: companionship. She was worried about her mom, Sarah, spending eight hours a day anchored to the glow of the television. The task was "spend time with Sarah." However, the Intent was to restore Sarah’s sense of agency and connection to the real world. If I simply sat next to Sarah and watched The Price is Right, I’d be fulfilling the task but failing the mission. I noticed Sarah didn't just watch TV; she used it as background noise because the house felt too quiet - Instead of asking her to "turn off the TV"  I brought in a vintage botanical puzzle. I didn't say, "Let's do this." I started sorting the edge pieces myself. Within ten minutes, the effect kicked in—Sarah’s natural curiosity took over. She muted the volume to tell me about the hydrangeas she used to grow in her 40s. By the end of the second month, the TV wasn't the centerpiece of the afternoon; it was an afterthought. We had moved from passive coexistence to active engagement. They worked with me so that they could reclaim the version of their mother that existed before the screen became her primary companion.

Our takeaway was - Success wasn't measured by the hours the TV was off, but by the volume of the stories she was finally telling again.