Local Families Start the New Year With Heavy Hearts

Senior Helpers
Published: January 10th, 2012

Local Families Turn to New Quiz for Guidance with Aging Parents

January 10, 2012 // Franchising.com // You just returned home from holiday break with the horrifying realization that Mom or Dad needs help. You kept quiet in front of your parents, not to disrupt the good time, but when you get back home, settled into your routine, Mom’s forgetfulness or Dad’s clumsiness haunts you. You and your siblings don’t agree on the severity of the problem. You’re panicked. Unsure. How are you supposed to know if Mom or Dad needs help and to what degree?

That’s why Senior Helpers, one of the largest in-home senior care companies in the nation, has created the Senior Helpers' Stay At Home Score quiz. It’s a quick, eight question quiz adult children take to help determine whether their parents can live independently in their own home.

The quiz was created for Senior Helpers by Dr. John Bowling, a professor at Southern Oregon University and an expert on senior care and positive aging. After you take the quiz, you have a good indicator if Mom or Dad needs help.

“Aging parents may insist they’re well enough to live in their own homes even if they’re not,” says Dr. John Bowling, senior care and positive aging expert, and creator of the Senior Helpers' Stay At Home Score quiz. “I developed this quiz to give adult children a guideline to determine their parents’ needs, whether they are self-sufficient, if they can live at home with help from an in-home caregiver, or if it’s time to move them to a place where they can get round-the-clock care.”

Senior Helpers’ Stay At Home Score Quiz (www.stayathomescore.com)

(2 sample questions. There are 5 answers that range from Never to Always)

1. Support - My parent has easy access to a caring support system of family and friends that he/she can rely on for daily assistance with physical, financial, and emotional needs. These family members and friends can provide this support willingly, without compromising their own daily lives and schedules.
2. Mobility - My parent is very mobile and can walk indoors and outdoors easily, without falling. He/she can get into and out of bed, chairs, showers and tubs easily, and can climb stairs without slipping or pausing. He/she can safely operate an automobile and navigate city streets and highways.

This story affects so many in your community because of the growing population of seniors who will need help as they age.

DID YOU KNOW? *

• More than, 10,000 people will officially hit senior status each day of the New Year (2012).
• 1 in 8 adults in America is a senior.
• The U.S population will add one new senior every 13 seconds this year.
• About 10,000 Boomers will turn 65 every day.
• This phenomenon will continue, every second and every day, for the next 18 years.
• The senior population (65 and older) in 2030 is projected to be twice as large as in 2000, growing from 35 million to 72 million and representing nearly 20% of the total U.S. population.

*U.S. Census Data

We are happy to provide you interviews with families in your community who took the quiz and got the answers they needed about their aging parents. We will also provide interviews with local senior care experts. Please help us tell your community about the quiz at www.stayathomescore.com. Also, feel free to publish the quiz.

About Senior Helpers:

Senior Helpers connects professional caregivers with seniors who wish to live at home as opposed to a nursing or assisted living facility. The company has 300 franchises in 39 states and one in Canada offering a wide range of personal and companion care services to assist seniors living independently with a strong focus on quality of life for the client and peace of mind for their families. Senior Helpers strives to be the leading companion and personal care provider that offers dependable, consistent and affordable home care. For more information, please visit www.seniorhelpers.com.

About Stay At Home Score Quiz:

The national survey polled 335 Americans over age 55. Senior Helpers commissioned the Stay At Home Score Quiz, an eight question quiz adult children take to determine their parents’ independency and self-sufficiency. The quiz was developed for Senior Helpers by Dr. John Bowling, a professor at Southern Oregon University and an expert on senior care and positive aging. The purpose of the quiz is to determine whether aging parents can live in their own homes independently, can live in their own homes with help of a caregiver or if they need to move to a place with round the clock care. Visit www.stayathomescore.com.

Media Contacts:

Stacey Hilton
919.459.8163
shilton@seniorhelpers.com

Sue Yannello
919.459.8162
syannello@seniorhelpers.com