Hug a Senior today!

Have you ever been away from your family or spouse for a long time and you just couldn't wait to see them again and get "hugs" from each one?  Can you imagine not having someone to hug you or to hold your hand?  Too often our older loved ones long for touch.  They may not have had that warm hug or touch for a long time - even when there are people around.  We get busy and may forget that the need for human touch is a fundamental need of all humans.  Without touch we can experience greiving as we do in a death.  Depression may be an expression of the need for simple things such as touch, hugs and a sweet kiss.

Find a Senior - any senior!  The neighbor next door, the older person at church, the older person in your own home......  Hug a Senior today!

TGIF

Another week - another exciting adventure into home care.  I have been making supervisory visits to check on our employees to make sure they feel supported and also to see that they look good.  That means wearing clean - neat uniform and their name badge.  I was very pleased when I arrived "un-announced" at a client's home, to see our employees looking so professional and taking such good of our clients.  Today my staffing supervisor continued to make more supervisory visits.  Uh, oh...... she found one of our employees working at a local hospital wearing a t-shirt and no name badge. Shame - shame - shame....  However!  The client was very well looked after and loves her caregiver despite not looking professional.  It is a constant challenge to get some employees to understand the importance of always looking great.
    But we must compliment the caregivers that made us proud.  Tonja, Buber, Mary and Clorisa.  They are not only doing a superb job in taking care of our clients - They look great!!  Gift cards are going out to them as a thank-you!
   

Christy, owner Home Options, Inc.

It's been a while since sharing news.  We are starting 2012 in an exciting way.  We added to our staff a new community relations person, Starlet Rosser.  She along with Larry Wimberly are out all week telling businesses about the wonderful work Home Options does with Seniors.  Star and Larry are a "Hoot" to be with.  They both have funny dynamic personalities and  in our town of Birmingham - they are known by sooo many!

Home Options has started a new program of Hospice training for all employees.  We call it Hospice Care Enrichment Classes.  Each month a different Hospice company gives presentations to our employees to help them provide better care when working with patients on Hospice Care.  The really neat over-flow benefit is that it helps in all types of Caregiving.  In December, EverCare Hospice gave 2 great days of classes and all Home Options employees attended.  This month AlaCare Hospice presented classes.  Both companies presentations were by social workers and nurses, but we had an extra surprise this month when the chaplins from AlaCare also gave talks.  Our employees began to tell stories about clients or family they had lost and it was a very emotional experience as we grieved over loved ones now gone.  And yes, our clients we consider "loved" ones as we grow to love them like family.  Our employees (caregivers) are so compassionate and caring.  I am truly proud of them all.  We look forward to another class in February.

She turns 93 this Sunday. Today she kissed me goodbye as she got in her car and in the rain she drove to get groceries. There is no keeping her home! She is vibrant- full if life! So I prayed as she drove away for safety on the wet roads.
She called me later to let me know she was back home.
A life well lived is a great inspiration to others to play the game of life wisely. Health and happiness must be worked on and developed in life much as one does in exercising and eating right. I like the example this 93 year old is to everyone. We all look at her and hope to so well when we are her age.

Its a typical day. Payroll completed and now there is time to review our cases. Most every employee wasn't to there assignments. They are wonderful. Being a caregiver comes from months or years of experience and a deep love for people.
Today we listened to complaints of misconduct about 2 employees that we know love older peope and other clients think they are very good employees. Managing the client, the facility, pleasing the family and knowing they must abide by Home options policies can ba a real challenge. But we've been doing this for 14 years so we know how to effectively work with the retirement village and our employees. Our goal? To provide the very best non-medical care around. we will see the clients in the morning. It's that personal visit that show we care.