This is why I recommend visiting them for longer periods of time, in order to evaluate several areas of daily living activities that might indicate what type of assistance they may or may not need.

• Are your parents in good health and enjoying themselves?
• Are they dealing with medication issues and able to keep prescriptions in order and take them as directed?
• Are the refrigerator and pantry well stocked with a variety fresh items?
• Are leftover foods put away properly?
• Is the kitchen, including cabinets and appliances, properly cleaned and maintained?
• Can your parents get their mail and newspapers each day?
• Are there notices for late payments or no payments that you can see or that they might discuss with you during your visit?
• Is the checkbook reconciled and bank account in order?
• How is their ability to maintain good personal hygiene?
• Are they comfortable using the shower or bath tub?
• Is clothing in order and do they have a well groomed appearance?

If you have concerns with one or more of these items, it is time to call Family Staffing Solutions, Inc or another personal care assistance company in your area (we have offices in Tennessee, Texas, and Indiana).

We, and other companies like ours, provide personal assistance care and specialize in the kinds of support you want for your parents. Since you cannot be with them all the time, we make sure someone is, should something unexpected happen. Remember: Making sure your parent(s) routine is running smoothly not only relieves their stress, but provides you with peace of mind.

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”.

As a caregiver working for a company, privately working with a family, or as the adult child caregiver for a family member, my suggestion is repack your “tool kit”, and plan to do exactly the same thing businesses do.

Acquiring these new tools will help you more effectively connect or coddle the person for whom you provide care.  Equally as important, they can help you grow as a person and expand your opportunities to value your work and yourself.

What an extraordinary time in your life and the life of your loved one. Aging is not a punishment for living. You can be a partner in a process that was ordained by our Maker, the designer of the universe, as you by default or by your own choice, provide personal care assistance to someone in these most  fragile and sometimes  compromised years of life. It is reason to celebrate yourself.

Often the story goes like this: I have brothers and sisters and they don’t  help at all! Why do I have to take care of our parents by myself?  Chances are you have heard that same expression of stress and angst within a family unit. It may be the situation in your family.

The first tool you want to put in your new “Tool Kit” is an “Attitude of Gratitude“.  I am serious.  The things you can learn, the values you can see demonstrated, the extraordinary sense of love and respect you can internalize for some one who may be close to “going home” in a real sense is one of those moments described in the line, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away”.

A minister friend of mine wrote these words this week describing the birth of his first child. “The gift of new life is an amazing thing!  For years, I have told people that the miracle of birth is one of the strongest arguments for the existence of God. I feel that way now more than ever.  It is simply amazing how much you can love a child, so much the moment she is born.  There are many things in life that will change the way we see the world, but nothing like the birth of a child. The love, the pride, the joy and the sense of responsibility is overwhelming.”

And so it is with a person on the other end of this divinely created cycle of life .

Your new “Tool Kit” now has the first tool you need: “An attitude of gratitude”.  It is the  joy and wonder of birth  translated and redefined to describe the joy and wonder of life for one who has aged.  You can be there when they  need your hand to comfort theirs. You can be there to comfort and hold them when they feel so bad. You can  give them a reassuring  hug to be treasured, just as they did with you (or their child) as a newborn. It is a gift waiting for you to open and celebrate.

Not only are most elderly people not living in nursing homes but the numbers of those who do live in a nursing home is actually declining.  In 2004, the number of seniors living in nursing care facilities plummeted from 6.8% to 4.2%. Experts on aging and medicine foresee that this downward trend will accelerate in the coming years.

There is evidence that even disability among older people is declining rapidly. The result is that between 94% to 96% of older family members live independently or with assistance either at home or in assisted living communities.

Our seniors are in better shape than earlier generations nutritionally, medically, and fitness-wise.  There are upwards of 140,000 people over 100 years of age in our country.  They are physically and intellectually fit and wonderfully engaged in life. You might be interested to know that there are approximately 82 incredible centenarians right where I live in Rutherford County, Tennessee.

That is why I designed Family Staffing Solutions, Inc. to be committed to the notion that “length of life” offers a whole new world of opportunity for seniors (and their adult children who want parents to live abundantly) to be consumers of items in every area of life, which promote their personal choice and independence.  Our company offers the type of support to allow seniors to age in place, remain engaged in church, civic, and recreational relationships. This  keeps their lives meaningful, and inspires them to look forward to celebrating more birthdays.

As an owner of a personal assistance care company and the adult child caregiver for my mother, there are special opportunities to see things with a bit of a different view. Caregivers, be they on a roster of a personal care company or as the adult child, do need A Tool Kit.

Previously, the thought was to recommend tools and strategies needed for your care giving adventure to maintain a good balance between personal  time, patience, and your health. These are definitely things you need in huge supply to stay effective as the daily requirements for providing care become more demanding.

The Tool Kit for consideration today offers an entirely new set of strategies and outcomes. In business, smart owners are always looking for new ways to coddle customers and increase a client base.  A philosophy in sales is that one needs six tools in a Tool Kit to create loyalty and build stronger, more profitable relationships. Guess what? As a caregiver, the same needs apply.

Here are the tools:

• Assess The Needs
• Communicate
• Bond
• Know Your Customer
• Offer Options and Opportunities
• Understand What The Goals Are

Join me next time for an in depth conversation about these six tools and the application possibilities for creating joy and personal reward for yourself as the person who is making the world a wonderful  place for an older loved one.

The greater your joy, the greater the opportunity  your family member will experience the immense wonder and peace of aging secure in the knowledge that you are there beside them with just what they need.

While our services are not covered by either of those sources, there are a number of insurance products that do cover personal assistance care, if provided by a licensed company.  Beyond the more obvious long term care policies which  cover “non medical” assistance care for clients requiring support with activities of daily living, you may find the following information helpful.

Keep in mind that long term care and specific insurance products involve a wide variety of services for people with prolonged physical illness, disability or cognitive disorders. Options for utility of this insurance product is growing all the time. Long term care is more than just nursing home care and does apply to clients who are in their own home. Your policy should be thoroughly examined for coverage opportunities and limits.

Other insurance products you can explore may be included in your automobile insurance. As a result of an accident, you may have coverage for personal care assistance while rehabilitating. Personal care services are also covered under some worker’s compensation settlements, and there are products available through specific governmental agencies for clients with disabilities while they are in institutions of higher education or Vocational Rehab.

If you have questions about elder care coverage solutions, please feel free to contact Family Staffing Solutions at 1-866-383-5670. We would be happy to discuss some of the resources we have found that aid our clients in funding their personal care solutions.

Our forefathers wrote a declaration about it, to ensure due process was provided to all—at least that was their intent 234 years ago, but who knows what the heck is happening now, right? But I digress…

With my father turning 77 and my mother turning 70 this year, I often reflect on both their wishes to remain as independent as possible, as long as possible. In my book, this means planning now. Working with them to decide where they are going to live.

For instance, I know my mother is interested in selling her house and moving closer to my sister and me. She doesn’t want to join a retirement community, so we will be looking for a house that is “manageable” for her. My father’s current wife is 20 years his junior, so I’m not as focused on him right now—though we will be having conversations about his long-term personal care.

The key to this all will be to figure out what will make them feel as though they are retaining their independence, while receiving assistance with those daily activities that can pose more of a challenge as we age.

Engaging in creative interior decorating to make sure household items are in easy reach, and doing some remodeling to make living space more comfortable are just as important as arranging for comprehensive personal care. Keeping an up-to-date copy of my parents’ “Put It In Writing” organizer is also a priority.

I guess what it comes down to is this: Independence is all up to each of us. How we plan now determines what happens later—whether our elder years, as well as those of our parents and loved ones, will be cause for fireworks and celebration…or not.

Cheers to a happy, independent life for all!

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!

Personal care companies, like Family Staffing Solutions, Inc. , provide service to clients based on non-medical protocols.  Our home company is licensed by the State of Tennessee (with our other office locations licensed by their respective states), and we comply with an exact definition of assistance that we may provide as it relates to non-medical requirements.

It is  a plus when our caregivers have  skilled backgrounds and experiences in medical  facilities, but those don’t necessarily determine the total quality of an excellent caregiver. In this business great caregivers often do not have a skilled background, but their experiences with other families for whom they have worked and the training they receive from our company make them exceptional.

Our staff development training is ongoing throughout the year, and rewarded at year end for completion and correctness.  Monthly material  covers a variety of “how to”  issues that enhance  skills with seniors. Fall prevention and safety, universal precautions, and depression are just a few of the subjects our caregivers study.  All of our material is professionally developed for Family Staffing Solutions caregivers to ensure they follow best practices in all situations.

It has been said that there are only four kinds of people: Those who have been a caregiver, those who are a caregiver, those who will be a caregiver, and those who will need care.  Wherever you are in one of these groups, we hope you will put Family Staffing Solutions of on the top of your list of resources when a great caregiver is the solution you need. Even if we don’t have offices in your area (we’re working on it!) we’ll be happy to help you find the best solution we can.

This has lead me into a lot of interesting Summer party conversations as of late, and I thought it might be timely to share some of what’s been discussed, with you.

When you get over 40, it seems like chatting goes to a much deeper level than when you’re in your 20s, bragging about your newest insights or latest intellectual discoveries. Spirituality, health, outrageous teenager behavior, and aging parents replace topics of romantic conquests, extreme party hopping, and the latest band you saw, for sure.

And so, over a delicious plate of roasted corn and watermelon, the topic of elder care sprang up between a few of us ladies who were lunching recently.

Though I’ll spare you all the details, I will say this: There’s a whole lot of guilt surrounding the topic of what the “right thing” is to do for your aging parent(s).

One woman felt stuck in a no-win situation because her mother refused to stop caring for her father by herself, a man who clearly needs to be moved to assisted living. So, after she works a full 40+ hours and makes sure her husband and children are cared for, she jumps in her car and drives to her parent’s house to help. Exhausted and overwhelmed is better for her than “forcing” her mother to make some tough choices.

Another woman feels a sense of growing panic closing in on her as she realizes her mother is going to need her help in the very near future. She and her mother have never been close, but since her father passed on, she knows she can’t ignore the situation with her mother anymore, and needs to do something, now.

Then there’s me. A 40+ mom with a 3 1/2 year old. Between working and looking for more work, my husband and daughter, and the other activities that fill up my/our day, the thought of being able to give my mother the care giving and attention she deserves when the time comes, weighs a bit heavy on my shoulders.

Sound familiar? All is not as hopeless, though. What ultimately came out of the conversation were some great resources and information that we all can use to turn challenges into triumphs.

I shared about the necessity of having a Put it In Writing for each aging family member and a Family Staffing Solutions care plan, as well as the importance of building a community like we are doing with our blog here (and Facebook and Twitter). I also recommended The Daughter Trap as excellent reading for personal support and transitioning into your level of care giving.

Another solution I put out there is that if there isn’t a Family Staffing Solutions office in your aging parent’s home town, you might want to look into opening your own.

The point is, no matter what your situation might be, the best thing you can do to release stress and guilt around caring for your aging parents is to plan ahead.