Becci Bookner

Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

Many times families or potential clients will call us and want to know what personal care assistance is and what they can expect from a Family Staffing Solutions, Inc. caregiver. This is how I like to sum up what we provide to our clients and why:

When advancing age or illness limits an individual’s ability to provide his or her own personal care, finding ways to stay independent and at home can be challenging. Family Staffing Solutions, Inc. specializes in providing a superior level of in-home assistance to seniors and individuals with short or long-term disabilities, as well as those recovering from surgery or rehabilitation.

Our trained caregivers can assist with personal care tasks like bathing, dressing, toileting, personal grooming, and hygiene. They can monitor ambulation for fall prevention, perform meal preparation, and take care of light housekeeping, which includes a variety of tasks that may be impossible for your older family member to accomplish by themselves.

You can count on us to do errands, give medication reminders, provide wonderful companionship, give emotional support, and even be on call for your family member’s doctor appointments. One of our reliable caregivers can provide transportation to church services, a day out to lunch with friends, or shopping at the mall.

We cover overnight stays in hospitals, to give family members respite.  We provide assistance to family members when downsizing or transitioning to an assisted living facility or health care center, to reduce stress during that emotional time.   We can even provide personal  assistance for a variety of other individualized services like organizing closets, polishing silver for the holidays, or technical support to a new computer/email user!

Family Staffing Solutions, Inc. is your best choice for personal assistance “2010 style”.

Photo: Andora Quinby from the Growing Bolder website

Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis occur in both sides of my family, which makes me prone to reviewing the latest preventative tips and treatments with more than just casual interest.

This family history is one reason I recently started the extreme workout routine P90X, as well as increased my noshing on calcium-rich foods like kale and collard greens.

Knowing your osteoporosis risk can definitely be a motivating factor in taking care of your body now for lifelong health—don’t you agree? Over the weekend, Becci forwarded me an email from Third Age, which contains a link to this osteoporosis risk assessment.

After taking the assessment myself, I decided to dig deeper. My further research revealed that it’s actually good to incorporate weight lifting and weight-baring exercises into your daily routine—even if you already have osteoporosis!

Then, I discovered inspiration over at the wonderful website Growing Bolder. This audio interview of Andora Quinby (recorded when she was 88 years old and the champion in her age division for dead-lifting 100 lbs) reminds me that it’s never too late to make our bodies stronger and more healthy.

As if the Universe wanted to make extra sure that the message got through, this morning, Good Morning America introduced us all to Ernestine Shepherd—the gorgeous weight-lifting grandmother who started in her 50s and still looks amazing at 74!

I don’t know about anyone else, but all this information makes me want to get up and move: What about you?

I don’t know about you, but I am up to my eyeballs in cucumbers from my garden. It’s fantastic!

Not only do I have my pickling cap on, but I also have pulled out some of my favorite recipes that loved ones of all ages can enjoy.

I know I wrote about keeping an eye on dehydration during this hot, hot Summer of 2010, and cucumbers are perfect for doing just that. Not only are they a high water food, they also promote connective tissue health and skin radiance. You can read more about these fabulously cool veggies on the World’s Healthiest Foods website. Read the rest of this entry »