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.

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.

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.

Though someone might wonder about the benefit of hosting such an event, I would bring up to him/her the statistic that, within the next few years, approximately 40% of the work force over the age of 30 will be caring for older adults in some capacity.

Faced with that reality, all employers should want to know about the advantage of offering information to their employees about a local solution for those dealing with older family members, don’t you agree?

According to one study, businesses in our country have lost between $11.4 billion and $29 billion or more in employee retention, absenteeism and productivity due to elder care giving.

Caring for older family members often impacts an employee’s ability to work and advance in their career.  11% of caregivers take a leave of absence.  Another 7% reduce their work hours and 10% take early retirement or quit their job.  Another study reports that only 23% of companies with 100 or more workers have formal programs in place to support caregivers.

At Family Staffing Solutions,  we make it possible for employees in our community to maintain the quality of their business life, while at the same time supporting and enhancing the quality of life for older family members. We screen, train, and support all of our caregivers to ensure the person who spends time with those beloved older family and friends are the best companions they can be.

Caring for an aging parent is one of the most important challenges all of us will face in our lifetimes. That is why Family Staffing Solutions is here to partner with your business and employees to assist in bringing balance and joy to this cycle of life for everyone.

Call our offices toll free at 1-866-383-5670 and one of our staff members would be happy to discuss scheduling an employee presentation or providing a care giving solution for you today!

I have to admit though that even after all this time, I’m still incredibly touched by the letters and emails I receive from this community I serve.

Like this one from Robyn: I feel very blessed to have contributed to her mother’s care and am excited that she gave me permission to share her story with you. Enjoy!

“My mother is a very energetic 83 year old.  She spends her day helping others. She takes them on errands, to doctor’s appointments, and to church.

My family went to visit her over a long weekend in October.  On the second day we were there, my mother became ill.  She had to be taken to the emergency room where they gave her a shot of morphine to ease her pain.  It is shocking to see a normally vibrant lady suddenly become debilitated.  My husband and daughter returned to Nashville, while I stayed in Pennsylvania with my mother.

This was such an eye opening experience for me, living 800 miles away, I had no idea who her doctors were, what medicines she needed to take or when.  My next thought was: What if this illness became worse, what her desires would be for the future? Where were all of her medical and insurance policies? Which bank does she use? As adult children we often shy away from asking these types of questions for fear we will appear nosy.

I had purchased “Put it in Writing” for my mom.  After opening her gift we began to go over the information in the book.  What a fabulous tool to use to initiate that difficult conversation.  Together, we went over her medicines, and answered all my questions. I was fortunate that my mother was now lucid and we could work together on this project.  Had we waited, my siblings and I would have had to wade through this on our own.

The comfort I had when I returned to my family in Nashville is immeasurable!  Now the entire family knows where the book is and we are certain that we know moms wishes and desires.

Today, many of us are beginning to tread those deep waters of becoming a caregiver, yet allowing our parents dignity and freedom as they age. This was a beautiful and wonderful way to share time with mom and learn so much about her life, both present and past.  This was a gift for both of us.”

Put It In Writing is available in our Bookstore, along with some other client and caregiver favorites.

While I never doubt the devotion, love, and best intentions that any person would have toward their aging parent or other elderly loved one, I know from experience that the demands of careers and other responsibilities often limit the amount of time and energy you have available for the personal care needs of older relatives. It is important to recognize that you may not always be there when they need you, and no one need suffer the guilt that sometimes occurs when you are unable to meet that expectation.

When you arrange with Family Staffing Solutions for in-home personal assistance care, good things happen. Experts agree that older family members who remain in their own home age more slowly, are happier, and enjoy a better quality of life.  They also live longer and have fewer medical expenses. By getting acquainted with a care company like Family Staffing Solutions, you can relax knowing that caring, professional in-home assistance is just a phone call away. You are free to make important decisions without emotional pressure and stress brought on by an emergency.

Family Staffing Solutions has staffed more than a 1,500,000 hours of quality personal care since 1999. Our management teams operate with the first hand knowledge of their own family experience with aging parents.  This experience gives each of them a special sense of relationship with our clients.  The Family Staffing Solutions’ caregivers are bonded and insured.  They are carefully screened and receive on-going “effective caregiver” training. Our goal is to match our best caregiver to the  individualized requests of your family. We believe that these are standards that every care company should achieve.

For those in our service areas who may have further questions or need for elder care assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Family Staffing Solutions. If an office is not in your area, I invite you to explore this additional resource: GeriCareFinder.com.