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When Lawrence Hahn, 94, broke his neck in a fall two years ago, it was hard for him to get out, even for something as simple as a haircut.
After he fell, his daughter-in-law, Carol Hahn, tried every senior service agency she could find trying to find someone who would help Lawrence with his personal grooming, haircuts and -- his special indulgence -- pedicures. All in vain.
Hahn lives with Carol and his son, Bob, and unless he was in a visiting nurse program, there wasn't anyone to provide those services.
But then Carol spotted an ad for Anita's Mobile Barbering in the Herald under "Services."
"It was a godsend," she said. "I had tried everywhere."
And she said Lawrence thought a woman might be more gentle with his injured neck than a male barber.
Anita Layman has been specializing in caring for the hair and nails of homebound seniors and disabled clients for 32 years.
It wasn't the career she expected when she attended barber college when she was 18. After graduation, she began working in her aunt's Bakersfield, Calif., salon.
But a couple of years later, she began taking outside appointments and gradually phased them into a full-time business.
She said it started when her roommate, a certified nursing assistant, had a client who was confined to a wheelchair. With that and Bakersfield's scorching heat, it was difficult for him to leave his home.
"He was beginning to look like a hippie, and he had been a very prominent businessman in the area," Layman said. "He told her he'd rather die than go out to a barber in the heat. She came to me and said she'd pay anything, just please go out there after work or on my day off and take care of him."
Layman did.
"This man was so gracious. He acted like I was an angel straight from heaven," she said. "He could never thank me enough."
Layman wondered how many others needed similar services, so she ran an ad and her phone began ringing. When she moved to Colorado Springs, so did Anita's Mobile Barbering, as it did when she moved to the Tri-Cities nine years ago.
She has about 75 semi-regular clients and others she visits occasionally. "They call when their hair gets in their eyes or they notice their toenails need to be trimmed," she said.
Layman gives manicures and pedicures, trims hair and beards and gives permanents and shampoos.
"My clients are mostly men and women with shorter hair who choose ease of care over longer hair," she said.
Because many of her clients have health issues, Layman also trained as a certified nursing assistant so she could better help her clients.
For instance, Layman needs to be cautious doing diabetics' feet, using only files and no sharp instruments.
"If they accidentally get poked or cut in any way, they could develop a bad infection, which can lead to many other health issues, possibly amputation," she said.
Even nondiabetics can benefit from having pedicures. Layman inspects her clients' feet looking for ulcers and sores between their toes or on their soles. She also massages their feet and calves, which helps circulation.
"When she's done, I feel like a different person," Lawrence said. "When she's done with me, I feel like dancing."
Layman doesn't keep regular hours and schedules her appointments around her clients' needs. To reach her, call 396-0516.
Most of her clients are in the Tri-Cities, but she also travels to Benton City, West Richland and Finley. Charges range from $17 to $25 for haircuts and $45 to $60 for pedicures. She uses a sliding scale to cover her gas costs and time spent driving.
Layman said she'll never get rich because most of her customers are elderly and on a fixed income. But she feels rich spiritually.
"Dignity is such a big deal as we get older. We lose so many privileges, driving, caring for ourselves. How we look is something we should be able to hang onto," she said. "People feel so much better if they can look better, and they heal better too."
-- Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com
