06/11/2025
‼️Trigger Warning: Sexual harassment, trauma‼️
On my Birthday, I went to see a new male client for a homecare visit. He called earlier in the week and said he was 75, in severe pain, and unable to leave his house. [He mentioned living with his wife, which made me feel more comfortable.] I felt bad for him—he sounded desperate for help.
But when I arrived, he was walking around the house fairly well, without any gait aid. And red flags started adding up quickly:
🚩 He referenced “videos of me dancing” online that made him feel comfortable inviting me into his home
🚩 He repeatedly asked if I felt comfortable and said he was nervous.
🚩 He lay down in his bedroom, told his wife to stay in the kitchen, and refused to give his Wi-Fi password.
🚩 He kept pulling at his pajama pants waistband, saying, “Don’t worry, you won’t see anything, I just need to relieve pressure.”
🚩 During exercises, he reached for my shoulder to “balance” several times despite me offering my hand
🚩 Twice he asked if I wanted to see him do the stairs to the basement
🚩 He was constantly positioning himself between me and the door
🚩 As I was finishing up, he said: “Would you feel comfortable taking a look down here?” — pointing into his pants.
I said no, packed up, and left.
He followed me to my car and pressed his face to the window.
I locked the door, drove away, called my husband, then called the police.
⸻
I’m sharing this because as a child, I experienced s*xual abuse. I stayed silent. I didn’t know how to speak up —
But now, as an adult, I know better. I know the only way to stop this cycle is to speak out.
And I’m not alone. Too many other women have shared similar stories with me.
Before anyone says, “You just need to be more careful,” let me be clear:
Women already live in hypervigilance.
We plan our exits. Share our locations.
This isn’t about women needing to do more.
This is about men needing to do better — and women feeling empowered to speak their truth.
We don’t owe anyone silence.
We don’t owe anyone comfort at the expense of our safety.
We are powerful in numbers.
Our truth is our strength.
And we are done carrying shame that was never ours. 💚