November 12, 2012 // Franchising.com // The holiday season may be one of the few times local families get together and realize their elderly loved ones are in deep trouble and need immediate help. Adult children who don’t live nearby often come home to holiday heartbreak with deteriorating relatives they aren’t prepared to handle. So this holiday, the family might gather around the kitchen table – not only for turkey and treats, but also for a talk—a big talk—that maps out a plan to care for aging relatives.
That’s why Senior Helpers, one of the largest in-home senior care companies with caregivers in our city, advises families with the “10 Holiday Warning Signs Seniors Need Help.”
“This Thanksgiving and Christmas, thousands of adult children will be shocked to come home to elderly relatives who are lethargic and forgetful. They’ll see a messy house, bills piling up, the joy of the season clouded with the realization that elderly relatives are struggling and can’t make it alone,” says Peter Ross, CEO and co-founder of Senior Helpers, one of the largest in-home senior care companies with offices in our city with highly trained caregivers specializing in dementia and Alzheimer’s care. “This is the time to map out a care plan for aging relatives and that plan should include hiring caregivers who can help ease the burden for families.”
Two years ago at Christmas, Truly Bracken and her brother came home to Charlotte, North Carolina and realized their 83-year-old mother Margaret shouldn’t be staying home alone anymore. During the holiday visit, on a normal stroll outside, Margaret lost her balance and fell.
“Mother didn’t trip on anything. She just lost her balance and took a bad fall,” says Truly. “Luckily she didn’t break any bones, but seeing her fall prompted a family discussion about mother’s care.”
Truly and her brother both live far away, so they brought in a Senior Helpers caregiver to stay with their mom all day, 7 days a week.
“It’s a huge relief knowing the caregivers are with Mother because they’re so knowledgeable and caring,” says Truly. “Mother feels like they’re friends.”
“When family members get together, it’s great to finally recognize and see firsthand that their elderly loved ones may have a problem,” says Ross. “But conflict often surfaces when family members have to agree on a solution, especially when the senior has dementia or Alzheimer’s and family members don’t know how to handle it. That’s why Senior Helpers offers a Holiday Family Meeting Guide to discuss the major sticking points. As part of that plan, we strongly encourage the family to hire a trained caregiver to get elderly loved ones the proper care. Our 10 Holiday Warning Signs and Holiday Family Meeting Guide initiatives are both part of our dementia and Alzheimer’s program called the Senior Gems®.”
We can provide local senior care experts and possibly a local family to tell this story. It’s a great piece to put in the can for the holidays when you have limited staff.
*Source: The Council on Aging
To learn more about how to care for your senior loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s through the Senior Gems® program, please visit our website at www.seniorhelpers.com. There you can also request a complimentary Senior Gems® DVD.
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 nearly 300 franchises in 40 states and one Canadian province 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: http://www.seniorhelpers.com/
Senior Gems® is a revolutionary program to help family members and professional caregivers properly care for their aging loved ones through each stage of dementia. Teepa Snow began developing her Gem Levels in 2006. In 2011, the Senior Gems® program was created with her guidance and assistance. This program puts Senior Helpers at the forefront of individual and in-home dementia-specialized care giving as they offer all of their in-home companions and caregivers the opportunity to become dementia care certified through the training program.
Stacey Hilton
shilton@seniorhelpers.com
919.459.8163
Sue Yannello
yannello@seniorhelpers.com
919.459.8162
Senior Helpers® is the nation's premier provider of in-home senior services ranging from specialized care for those with diseases to personal and companion care to help individuals looking for a little assistance with daily activities.