Williamson Herald Editor, Mindy Tate with Cliff Barnes, Director of the JL Clay Center

What are you doing to celebrate the fourth of July?

I always think of hamburgers, barbeque, corn on the cob, blueberry pie and lemonade. But this year I am thinking about a lot more than what will be on the table.

Today I went to the Fourth of July picnic with the JL Clay Senior Citizens Center in Franklin, TN.

It was a pretty important event. Attended by a wonderful group of citizens and veterans as well as city, county and State of Tennessee government officials.

The festivities began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a host of songs representing the various branches of our military. When each group was recognized in song, the veterans from those branches stood proudly.

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam with wife Chrissy

There was hardly a dry eye around. It was wonderful to see our neighbors and friends joining together to honor and celebrate this special time in our nation.

This really got me thinking about the different ways to look at Independence Day.

We at Family Staffing Solutions celebrate the independence of our clients. We are thrilled by their desire to stay at home and independent as long as they choose. Free choice is why our country was founded.

Let’s honor our loved ones as they enter this important stage in their lives. Help them celebrate their joy in making their own decisions. Independence Day can be celebrated every day of the year. Make it happen for someone you know.

Give us a call (1-866-383-5670) if you would like us to help you promote independence in the life of someone you love. We are a family at Family Staffing Solutions, and we can help yours!

They invited me to speak to them about Family Staffing and how we can help families decide when the right time is to have those difficult conversations such as: “Where should my mother and father live now that I have moved out of state?” and “I can’t cook because my kitchen is not suited to my needs,” As I told my Rotary friends, I am often asked, “ Is it safe for Mom or Dad to stay in their home?”

Many different groups are addressing these questions.  72% of all adults over 60 own their own homes so it is important that we find a way to help them stay there. The National Association of Homebuilders is even finding ways to help. They have a training program set up to address the needs of older homeowners. In group classes,  they teach contractors how to audit a home for potential issues concerning safety;  Where to place  handrails, how to build ramps and how to create a workable special-needs kitchen.  The National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Health have free literature they can send you that helps understand the aging processes, health conditions, nutrition, and etc.

One important question we are always asked is,  “Dad had a fall and I’m worried about him, can he stay in his home?” I am happy to give them a resounding,” Yes!”  With the right care providers, your loved ones can remain in their home as long as they want. A recent poll by AARP stated that 83% of seniors they interviewed stated emphatically that they wanted to remain in their home until their death.

The most important thing is that this allows our loved ones to remain in the driver’s seat, independent and making their own decisions. Don’t we want that for them?

Family Staffing Solutions has more than a decade of experience in helping people stay independent, in charge and in their own home.

I loved sharing that with the Rotarians. Their ideals are mine.

Think about it and give us a call.

Love,

Nancy

According to the Veterans’ Administration, there are available benefits of almost $20,000 per year to pay for personal care services and other needs. And the benefit is higher for a Veteran and spouse.  Isn’t that terrific news? A qualified veteran must have served at least 90 days in the military. A very common misconception is that pensions only go to those who served in wars overseas. In fact, the benefits are available to anyone other than those dishonorably discharged who served even one single day during a war, even if the service was stateside.

Regarding those seeking medical relief, there are 15 long-term conditions that are considered to be service-connected for our Veterans. Many are not aware of how they can find this information, let alone apply.

According to AARP, many Veterans think military pensions are only available to those who are considered “low-income”. The big surprise is how much Veterans are allowed to deduct from their income to meet the standard.

The Veterans’ Benefits Administration allows Veterans to subtract all care-related costs, including the costs of personal home care assistance, Medicare premiums and ongoing medical treatment costs. There are also considerable benefits available for surviving spouses and dependents under this program. Widowed spouses may be entitled even if they remarried. The staff of Family Staffing Solutions works closely with our clients to help them understand the application process so they can get it right the first time.

Our Veterans richly deserve their benefits. Please call the Family Staffing Solutions office toll free at 1-866-383-5670 for more information.

As always, I hope you’ve been helped by these Notes.

Be well,

Nancy

Pictured: Kyle Marshall Fagin and John Hickman

Less than one year ago, I remember saying to someone, “I hope I live to see one hundred.” The truth is that the mere idea of that sentence conjured up a scene in my mind. Me living, rather compromised, in a nursing home facility; attended to by a host of medical professionals, dressed in white. Having just four walls for company, it didn’t sound like a such an inviting idea. I also pictured that life at one hundred would probably be limited and decidedly full of many more challenges than joys.

Certainly this story would not be uncommon, but Kyle Marshall Fagin and John Hickman showed me that it doesn’t have to be that way.

I had the pleasure of making their acquaintance at the inaugural celebration of the Century Club in the Park Cities. Theirs is certainly an engaging story.

Born in 1906 and 1908 respectively, both gentleman were born in Ohio and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana. One graduated in 1928 and the other in 1930. They followed similar employment paths to Texas in association with the oil and gas industry. They both found themselves settling and raising families in Dallas only a few miles from each other. Noting their paths may have crossed at some time in their lives, they never got to know each other before the Century Club event.

As I watched them talking like college kids, reminiscing about the past and talking about their plans for the future, I was astounded by the amount of “life” they had in their lives. Even on this afternoon, they were making plans for tomorrow and tomorrow and the day after that.

It is possible to live in our life, each and every day. I made a resolution that afternoon at the Century Club to make the most joy out of my life possible.  One hundred doesn’t worry me anymore. In fact, I am looking forward to reaching that star. Though I know Family Staffing will be there if I need them for comfort and great company, I hope to be in my home, making decisions with my family of what each “next step” will be.

And by the way, why stop at one hundred years? John Hickman and Kyle Marshall Fagin are going strong at 102 and 104. God bless them.

National Institute of Health studies as well as others show that close friendships among our older generation will improve memory and physical function as well as overall health. Social relationships as we age, provide a way to ease the adjustment to and the acceptance of the inevitable changes that come with the process of living a long time.

Good friends can help with coping skills and with encouraging healthy living choices regarding food, smoking, medical care and exercise. A good friendship can be had on the other side of a phone call, a visit, a letter and even an email. There is great value in participating in a relationship. There area no hard statistics speaking to the number of specific hours needed to qualify one as a friend.  Consistency is important. Keep calling, writing, emailing, and visiting. Isn’t it great to be part of a great idea? This spring and summer, make a pledge to be a friend. What you gain will be at least as much as you give.

Experience the joy of being a blessing to someone.

Love,

Nancy

Pictured: Mary Lou Fife with Maddie Schultzman, Mary Catherine Huffines, Judy Fife Mead, and Lou Ann Raetz

To reach the age of one hundred years is an amazing achievement.  We ate lunch with ten of these friends. That was pretty great!

Not only was our time entertaining, we learned some interesting things as well. One woman, who is one hundred and four, came to Texas in a covered wagon. She said it was a more reliable form of transportation back then and was easier to drive than a car.  She was driving her own car until she was ninety-nine and was traveling to Brazil and the Philippines four times in that same decade.

We enjoyed visiting with two men who were both from Ohio, both had graduated from University of Illinois, Urbana and graduated from there just two months apart, one in 1928 and one in 1930. Although they didn’t know each other previously, they made plans to get together again for dinner before the luncheon had ended. Those of us privileged to share this day with them knew that we were very blessed. Keep your eyes open in Dallas for more information and some wonderful photos in the Park Cities News.

I thought about what one hundred years of age means and I realized that most importantly, I am only half-way through my journey. From some of the discussions I overheard, the next half has a lot of surprises and a lot of love, too.

Thank you for reading these notes

From,

Nancy

I can’t wait to see our honoree’s faces when we present them with a signed certificate from Representative Dan Branch and a gourmet lunch prepared by The Forum at Park Lane. The Park Cities news headed by our friend, Marj Waters will be providing publicity.

Family Staffing Solutions represented by Director, Amy Rutledge, will be providing our stellar personal care, and we are happy to share with these amazing Centenarians.

We are going to have a wonderful day, doing what we do best.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you. We love to answer your questions and can do so twenty-four hours a day.

These are your notes from,

Nancy

Those conversations led me to my New Year’s Resolutions.  My first resolution and perhaps the most important is to try to live in the moment of each day. To savor the moments. I also want to meet the challenges of 2010 with  measure and forethought. I would like to try to read more and connect with some old friends.  The last item on my list was to plan a family reunion. That will take some planning!

Family Staffing Solutions has made plans. Our new office in Shelbyville, Tennessee is licensed by the State of Tennessee and open for business as of January 1, 2010. We opened a new franchise office in Lewisville, Texas as well. We are moving forward with purpose and pleasure.

Did you make any resolutions for the new year?  There are studies that show that goal setting and the making of “plans” help to stimulate the brain and lead to better physical health, as well.

Are there questions you would like answered about personal care? Would you like to hear more about Family Staffing Solutions, Inc? You can write or email and share your thoughts. Let us hear from you.

Until next time, have a Happy New Year. These are your notes from Nancy.

This particular season of the year is about JOY. My heart was filled with joy as I read a newspaper story from the Dallas area, about a Nativity Play where the actors are in their seventies,  eighties and nineties-plus.  I laughed with glee reading about an engaging, ninety-five year-old woman named Gladys, who wore cardboard angel wings “against the back of her wheelchair.” There were “bathrobes, tinsel and recycled hospital  gowns” in abundance. The public was invited and I wished that I was there to watch the show.

As I pictured this event in my mind,  I realized that this small production spoke volumes about the joy these people bring and the joy they give to others . They obviously  have a huge amount of  “spirit” in their lives. No one told them they couldn’t participate as actors in a live performance. Age, health challenges and the place of residence didn’t stop this group from having JOY in their lives and sharing that Joy with others.

This is what we promote at Family Staffing Solutions, Inc. every day. We know it is not one’s age, it’s the LIFE in that age. We strive to bring joy and fullness into the lives of our clients.  We gain so many remarkable memories and are so inspired by the work that  we do.

May you perform on the stage of your life. Please share your memories and make new friends. Be safe, be healthy and most of all,

Be Joyful.

See you next year,

Nancy

How can we help our family members and friends to make sure this place is the most comforting and joyful residence possible? There are definitely things we can all do for our loved ones. We can communicate in clear words how we can assist them to make good choices for the future.  These choices can be as mundane as where to put furniture, or where to buy dinner,  to how, within their health and physical ability, they would like to spend the next fifty-something years.

People are living much longer and most in good health. Many seventieth and or eightieth birthdays are being spent on long-distance travel vacations to exotic locales. Others are buying cars and new houses or condominiums.  What does that tell you?  This says to me that the next half of my life can be as good if not better than the first fifty years.

Let’s help these wonderful citizens make the most and best of their lives. As someone wise once said, “The best is yet to come.” I believe that is true and I’m planning on it. How about you?

These notes from Nancy come with best wishes for a bright tomorrow.