Celebrating Grandparents

September 8, 2013 is officially designated as Grandparents Day. National Grandparents Day is an annual observance in the United States that honors grandparents and other seniors, and seeks to strengthen relationships between the generations. National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife and mother of 15 children from Fayette County, West Virginia. In 1970 she began her championship for a special day designated to honor the wisdom and guidance of grandparents. She hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage that only their grandparents could provide.  

The United States Congress passed the legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents' Day and, on August 3, 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation. The statute cites the day's purpose: "...to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer".

McQuade’s lifelong advocacy for seniors not only led to the creation of National Grandparents Day, it also put her on a path to national prominence as a leader on senior issues and gave her the opportunity to present her views to three U.S. presidents (Eisenhower, Nixon and Carter).

Excerpt from the National Grandparents Day Proclamation:

“As we seek to strengthen the enduring values of the family, it is appropriate that we honor our grandparents."

“Grandparents are our continuing tie to the near-past, to the events and beliefs and experiences that so strongly affect our lives and the world around us. Whether they are our own or surrogate grandparents who fill some of the gaps in our mobile society, our senior generation also provides our society a link to our national heritage and traditions.”

What are your plans for commemorating this special day?

Bath Time for Brogan

My dog Brogan is not generally fond of baths...although he seems to enjoy water at all other times (as long as soap is not involved). His favorite past time is fetching toys thrown into the river.

Today I coaxed him into the bathroom to get his weekly bath and noticed that he seemed scared when he got into the tub.  I realized that he did not have good footing in the bathtub and was slipping. His slipping caused him to feel unsafe and I could see him start to panic. It dawned on me that the previous place we lived in had a textured bathtub bottom, and the slippery surface was what was causing him distress.

I paused the bath and searched the house and found a mat to put in the bath for him to stand on. He immediately relaxed and was no longer scared. How had I overlooked this simple accommodation over the past few months?

It got me to thinking about how easy it can be to overlook simple solutions to everyday problems that we humans face. There are many areas in our lives that can be slightly adjusted and adapted that can make daily life safer and more efficient.

What small changes in your environment can you make that can make a big difference in simplifying and enhancing your life?

Life Tree in the Bend Bulletin 8/30/13

Senior concierge service a growing demand

By Mac McLean / The Bulletin / @agingbeat

Published Aug 30, 2013 at 05:00AM / Updated Nov 19, 2013 at 12:31AM

Raising a teenager when you’re in your mid-50s is tough.

But when you add caring for a parent who recently suffered a stroke into the mix - a situation one of Wendy McInnis-Hall’s clients recently encountered - the stress can get overwhelming. Things like paying bills, running errands and picking up medication can fall through the cracks.

McInnis-Hall hopes her new business, Life Tree Personal Services, LLC, can help relieve some of the burden faced by baby boomers in this dual caregiver role and by seniors who want to continue living at home.

“People may not realize some of the things they need help with,” said McInnis-Hall, who started her senior concierge business two months ago. Before opening this business, she spent 12 years working with people who have developmental disabilities in Crook County and in Bend.

Even though she’s relatively new at the game, McInnis-Hall already has a list of about eight clients who she helps on a monthly basis or as needed. She helps these clients by running errands, picking up their medication, taking care of their grocery shopping and performing other tasks.

She also spends time with seniors so their loved ones can get a break, comes up with ways to make sure people take their medication properly, and ensures their bills get paid on time.

McInnis-Hall’s business and other senior concierge service businesses have been sprouting up across the country lately and are just one of a few ways people are working to meet a huge demand for services that will be created as the country’s 77 million baby boomers get older.

“It’s a huge market for our industry,” said Katharine Giovanni, founder of the International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association, a North Carolina-based association that represents more than 200 concierge businesses around the globe.

Giovanni said the sheer number of boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — makes them a great population for her industry to serve as they age. Boomers want to continue leading particularly active lives that have a lot of tasks to manage, they want to stay in their homes as long as possible, and they had some of their children relatively late in life, she said.

“These people are going to need our services because their children are now strapped for time and now have their own careers and families to manage,” Giovanni said. She says most of the personal concierge services in her organization cater to seniors as well as people who are younger than them.

“There’s definitely been an increase (in the number of these businesses),” said Pat Brengman, president of the National Concierge Association, a Minneapolis-based organization that represents almost 500 corporate, residential and leisure concierge businesses in the country.

Brengman said that while she’s heard a lot of talk about senior concierge services, it’s still too soon to tell exactly how many such services exist because the business model is so new.

She sees these services as being the next logical step for the concierge services industry that has made its way from luxury hotels and resorts to convention centers, corporate office buildings, and most recently into people’s homes, hospitals and other health care facilities.

“There’s definitely a need for them,” she said.

Offering the same advice she gives to people who are shopping for a traditional concierge service, Brengman said it’s important to consider the person’s references and how long they have been working in the field. But she also said this last quality can be a little difficult to assess because most senior concierge services are just getting started right now and it may be hard to find one that’s had a lot of time in the game.

Finding help

According to a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office, the number of people who are 65 or older is expected to increase until seniors make up 20 percent of the U.S. population by 2050. Three different types of businesses and groups are springing up to help seniors stay at home and give their caregivers some relief:

• Senior concierge services

An offshoot of the traditional concierge industry, senior concierge services help people with tasks — such as running errands, groceries and paying bills — that their clients may be too busy or unable to perform by themselves.

• Virtual villages

Virtual villages are community-based membership organizations for seniors who live at home and independently volunteer to help each other perform tasks such as going to the doctor, minor home repairs and wateringplants.

• Home-care services

These businesses send for-profit or state-supported home-care workers to a person’s home to provide them with companionship, help them take care of tasks such as running errands and preparing meals, and to help them perform certain activities of daily life, such as using the bathroom or taking medications.

New Technologies - Helping Seniors Stay Connected and Increase Independence!

It’s remarkable how much has changed and how quickly! Technologies that would have seemed like science fiction fantasies to seniors when they were children are now being used by many seniors today to make their lives safer, healthier and more enjoyable.

 Helpful technologies can range from smart phone/ tablet applications that allow a grandparent to have live chats with their grand children to sophisticated technologies that track an individual’s every day movements and medication dispensers that can report to family when their loved one forgets to take a pill.

Using these technologies should always be done thoughtfully with the goal of helping seniors or persons with disabilities to live with dignity and independence.

iPad

An iPad is a great gift for a senior. These new tablets are lightweight, have big screens and are relatively easy to use.
http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Some useful tablet applications for seniors:

 Skype (free): Skype is for face-to-face video conferencing. Seniors can chat with grandchildren and other loved ones anywhere in the world. 

 iBooks (free): iBooks turns an iPad into an eBook reader. Font size and brightness can be easily adjusted for seniors with vision problems.

Magnifying Glass (free): This app turns an iPad into a digital magnifying glass.

Goodreads (free): A book lovers dream. Users can read reviews of books they are considering reading, rate and write reviews of books they've read, keep a log of books read, and receive recommendations about books that match their interests.

Nintendo Wii

Another fun technology that seniors are using is the Nintendo Wii. This high tech video game system uses motion sensitive controllers that doctors have begun recommending for use in rehabilitation for recovering from strokes, broken bones and recent surgeries. “Wihabilitation” guides user’s body movements with fun games that are similar to traditional rehabilitation therapies. Using a Wii is a fun supplement to traditional therapies that can help improve balance, strength and motor skills.  
http://www.nintendo.com/wii/what-is-wii/

Additional technologies exist for individuals who have significant disabilities or cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s. They can help family members keep an eye out for seniors who are living alone and help individuals living independently feel more secure and less isolated.

Grand Care Systems

GrandCare is a complete communication, cognition and monitoring technology. GrandCare consists of a series of wireless activity (door, temp, motion, bed, etc.) that can alert care providers and family members to potential problems.

http://www.grandcare.com/

 BeClose

BeClose is another technological program that uses discreet wireless sensors placed in the home, including a wearable alert button. BeClose tracks your loved one's daily routine. Family members can check on their loved ones using a private, secure web page. And, if there are any disruptions to daily life,alerts are sent out in real time by phone, email or text message.

http://beclose.com 

 In summary, there are many new technologies available to help seniors and people with disabilities live more fulfilling, independent lives and provide assurance and monitoring to family members who cannot always be there.

In addition to using new technologies, adding a senior concierge to provide wellness checks, run errands and be an on call resource can greatly enhance independence and prevent isolation.

Call Life Tree #inBend, Oregon or visit us on the web at www.lifetreepersonalservice.com to learn more!

Thriving in a "Full Nest"

The AARP estimates that 1 in 8 American adults are currently raising a child and supporting one or both parents at the same time. If you are a member of this "Sandwich Generation" who is supporting a multigenerational family, you face unique challenges in caring for your loved ones.  

 

Most seniors want to stay living in their own homes and retain their independence as long as possible. Hiring an experienced Senior Concierge can provide assistance to seniors and empower them to live with dignity and integrity.

 

A Senior Concierge can relieve family caregivers by providing welfare checks and companionship, help with home management, errands, pet care, reminder services and much more. A concierge can also provide services to you to relieve some of the pressures that you face.

 

Life Tree Personal Service has an experienced personal service team in Bend, Oregon who are dedicated to relieving your pressure and ensuring your senior family member lives a quality life of independence, health and happiness. Your loved one will also have a local concierge available to assist with needs that arise. Sometimes, minor adaptations to the home environment and scheduled concierge assistance can made a huge difference in helping your loved ones maintain independence.

 

*All concierge providers undergo a thorough background check.

 Additional steps to take when caring for an aging parent

-Increase your knowledge about resources of support and help

-Ensure that you know what legal, financial and medical decisions your loved one wants.

-Know where your limitations are.

-Seek support from your spouse, siblings, friends and work.

-Find support groups.

-Discover technological solutions to everyday problems.

-Make time for yourself!

Resources for Seniors in Bend, Oregon:

Senior and People with Disabilities Program (SPD)

CentralOregon Council on Aging

Specific Programs Include:

 

            Dial A Ride

           

            Meals on Wheels

          

           Bend Senior Center

            

            2013 Bend Senior Center Schedule of Events

            

Senior Nutrition Education:

 

AARP Caregiver Resource Center

 

Consumer Protection for Seniors

Give the Gift of Time, with a Gift Certificate!

Give the Gift of Time, with a Gift Certificate!

Are you looking for a unique gift that your loved one or employee will treasure and not soon forget?

Are you looking for a gift for someone that "has everything"?

 Do you know someone who...

          * needs help planning an event?

          * is new parent?

          * recovering from an injury or illness?

          *could use help with household organization?

          * is going through a transition and could use assistance?

Consider giving them the Gift of Time!

Life Tree Personal Service and Home Watch LLC, can create a personalized gift certificate for your special person that will allow them to have more time to do the things that mean the most and relieve some of the stress that  accumulates  from daily life.

Consider having flowers, a bottle of wine and a Life Tree gift certificate, personally delivered to your loved one. 

The gift of time is a special, unique gift that will be cherished by the one who receives it! 

You can purchase a gift certificate on line at www.lifetreepersonalservice.com or by calling (541) 480-7601

By purchasing a gift certificate from this Life Tree Personal Service and Home Watch LLC, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions:

1. Gift Certificate purchase are non-refundable and have no cash value.
2. Gift Certificates are non-transferable and must be redeemed by the party listed on the gift certificate at time of purchase.
3. Gift Certificates are not valid if redeemed after the expiration period, which is 90 days after the date of purchase.

4. One week notice required for scheduling services.

5. One hour minimum per request

6. Offer good Monday - Friday 9am-6pm.

Out with the old...

My husband Patrick and I wanted to move closer to downtown Bend, Oregon. We were finally able to do so  last December. We sold the home that we had lived in for many years and moved into a much smaller, compact place.

With diligence, we packed up our beloved treasures that we had acquired over the years and moved them with us to our new home. As we unpacked, I realized quickly that many of the things that suited us so well in our old home, just did not fit into the  new layout of where we live now.

The kitchen for instance, is much smaller and I had to use the counter space very wisely (which left no room for my cookie jar collection). The shelves in the new kitchen extend all the way to the ceiling, unlike my former kitchen which had space to display my worldly treasures.

It has been 6 months, and these things are stored in the garage taking up valuable space!

So, we are at a juncture where we need to choose whether to hold on to these things for some unknown future day when we may be able use them; or to cull out the things that we know will not be used and donate then to a thrift store. (I always donate to the Opportunity Foundation of Central Oregon.)

I ponder as to whether letting go of the old could help simplify my life and create an opening for what suits me best in the here and now.

Why is it so difficult to let go of things that no longer suit us or our lifestyle?

Is it the items we will miss or rather the memories and events that are associated with them? 

This month, I am committed to going through my boxes and purging things from the past that no longer serve me.

Wish me luck :)

Wendy