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”.

For her 90th birthday, Bonnie Townsend of Port Charlotte, FL chose to celebrate the occasion by skydiving for the first time.

To me, these are the stories I like to see about aging. Ones that promote the natural process of life as something to celebrate to the very end.

My favorite quote from Bonnie’s experience is when she said that she now knew she wanted to go to heaven. What inspiration from a great spirit of joy!

Bonnie’s not the only amazing elder to take to the skies. In 2007, this 90-year-old Australian grandmother also took a maiden dive. I wonder what it is about hitting 90 that makes some people jump out of a plane. Could it be the exhilaration and freedom? Hm. I guess I’ll have to wait until I turn 90 to find out!

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.

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?

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.

So, though I do have my pickling cap on, I’ve also pulled out some of my favorite recipes that loved ones of all ages can enjoy. The first comes from Becci Bookner’s “Cooks Who Care”. I love this little kitchen companion. The recipes are so quick and easy to pull together that it’s virtually impossible not to whip up something good to eat. Check it out in the Bookstore.

Another fave from my own recipe stash is:

Lastly, how about a refreshing Summer drink that is packed full of nutrients and great for hydrating as well as calming stomach upset:

I hope you enjoy keeping cool with these recipes. Oh, and if you have some of your own to share, I hope you will—I’ve got plenty of cucumbers to experiment with!

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!