Daily Living Blog

20 Resources for Seniors

We’ve been connecting with amazing people, organizations and businesses recently. I am in awe of their knowledge, resources and compassionate desire to help and serve.

I wanted to feature some of them here. However, where to start? Kansas City only? Should I only list the Area Agencies on Aging? Maybe I should only highlight businesses? The possibilities are endless.

Thus, I’ve decided to try something different. I’ve narrowed down the list to 10 excellent resources that we have come to know through our networking on Twitter. Next, I’ve highlighted the top 10 resources that we regularly refer people to through Homecare Suppliers.

Our 10 Resources for Seniors found on Twitter
Their websites as well as their twitter user names are linked in blue.
1. Gilbert Guide – Gilbert Guide Senior Housing Guide & Resource for Senior Care Information.
2. Homecare Assistance – JMoskovitz – Provider of home-care, in-home living assistance, and eldercare services.
3. Caregiver Journey – Beth Parker-O’Brien – Researcher and Clinical Social Worker focusing on Alzheimer’s and related dementias as well as other older adult issues.
4. AgeWiseLiving – AgeWiseLiving Barbara Friesner
– Counseling and training for aging loved ones.
5. Aging In Place Technology – AgingTech Laurie Orlov – Aging Industry Trends Technology Watch, Research and Analysis
6. Age In Place – Aging_in_place – A place where Baby Boomers and seniors can get information on how to build their own aging in place plane. It is also a place caregivers, families and friends of aging people can come to get news and information about how to better care for their loved ones.
7. Inside Elder Care – InsideElderCare Ryan Malone – Comprehensive blog that focuses on “by families, for families” approach to elder care which teaches families how to make elder care a positive experience
8. All About Seniors – Allaboutseniors Missy Johnson – A senior resource directory for South Carolina – the publisher also has one for Charlotte, NC.
9. AFB Senior Site – AFBSite for seniors with eye conditions as well as other helpful information.
10. Baby Boomer Knowledge Center – BoomerBuzzNews – Informative Blog with information that is resourceful, wistful, impactful and engaging for the baby boomer generation.

While I restricted myself to only 10 from our Twitter friends – I highly recommend checking out what each have to say about living life unlimited.

Top 10 Most Often Referred Senior Resources by Homecare Suppliers

1. Area Agency on Aging – Each state should have an Area Agency on Aging and then it is broken down into regions. Each plans, develops and coordinates a network of services for family caregivers and older persons within their area.
2. Hospice – As the goal of hospice is to enable individuals to continue an alert, pain-free life and to manage other symptoms so that their last days may be spent with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones – we often are in touch with those when this becomes a reality.
3. Stroke Foundation – We have seen many families faced with the affects of a stroke. Often this results in the need for a stair lift or bath lift or other mobility assistance. It is important to not only understand the affects of a stroke but to know what kinds of resources are available to you in your area.
4. AARP – A membership organization leading positive social change and delivering value to people age 50 and over through information, advocacy and service.
5. H2U – The h2u program creates a strong local connection for its members by being part of a community hospital or health facility. Each location has a director on whom you can depend for information on organized h2u events, health screenings and educational classes, as well as access to physicians and care at your local hospital and some offer discount programs to members.
6. Alzheimer Foundation – The leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Local branches can provide support and assistance.
7. Elder Care – The Eldercare Locator is a great step for finding local agencies, in every U.S. community, that can help older persons and their families access home and community-based services like transportation, meals, home care, and caregiver support services
8. Heart Association – National organization, the America Heart Association, provides information to be heart healthy and live stronger, healthier lives.
9. VA Hospital – We direct people that are veterans to their local VA Hospital. This is especially vital when they need medical mobility products like bath lifts and stair lifts.
10. Local Medical Supply Company – We regularly get calls from all over the United States about medical supplies that we do not carry. We suggest checking local Yellow Pages or phone books under “medical supply”. Also, Yellow Pages has started listing products so check under the actual product that is needed like “stair lifts” or “oxygen”.

As I finished my list, I kept thinking of other organizations and resources that I would like to have shared. But, alas, I had to force myself to be limited to these 20. We do have a list of additional resources on our website.

It is our belief that there is information, resources and support to aid in Limitless Living. We encourage you to check all avenues via the internet, local agencies, the United Way as well as businesses related to your issues or concerns. And remember we are always just a phone call away.

Living Unlimited – Photo Series of Designs and Tools to Help

As we prepared for our Living Unlimited Awareness Program – we came across some wonderful photographs that show life unlimited – for ALL. Thought we’d share some with you. It would take weeks to share all the wonderful products and devices – so this blog post is focusing on stair lifts and vertical platform lifts in use now.

This first photograph is from Le Louvre Museum in Paris France. The cylinder stand in the middle of the stairs is a unique vertical lift.

Louvre Lift Up

Here is the lift before it has lifted the occupants up – it is the cylinder platform.

Lift Down

Found in Tokyo was this amazing Folding Lift

And on a sweet note – may we introduce you to Henry. Henry had a slight mobility issue as a young pup. His family created a custom lift to assist during his younger years. While Henry is strong enough to use the stairs now – he is still quite fond of his lift…

Henry Mobile

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Finally – For another day…

An Amazing Automobile

There are some awesome accessibility lifts and products throughout the world. One last item I wanted to feature is a European tour company that showed several pictures throughout Europe. They assist people with disabilities who want to travel throughout Europe. While we do not promote this company and have no relation with them – I did want to show you some of their great pictures from Europe. I happened upon this Flickr Photo Series Promotours.

Above all may we fully grasp that we can truly live life unlimited!!

The River – Pam Billings

Pam Billings, Director of Operations for Homecare Suppliers, wrote this recently and we decided to share it. As each of us encounter the storms of life that affect our daily living, our mobility, our ability to live without or in spite of limits – may there be a word of encouragement on the journey…

Recently a friend called to get information from me about living with Liver Disease. She has a friend whose Mother is dying of Liver Disease. My own dad died of Liver Disease. I wrote the following note to explain my perspective of the disease. This is the first time since my dad’s death that I have written anything about this.

Dear Jane*, (*name has been changed)

Having a parent sick is a roller coaster. You hardly have time to think beyond the care and situation of that loved one. Thoughts swirl – the status of the current situation, the doctor’s qualifications, the nurses’ care, next steps in the medical process, diagnosis, necessary absence from a job, child care, the expense… With all of the decisions that have to be made, you rarely have the opportunity to really contemplate life without this person. Liver Disease not only makes things fuzzy to the victim of it, but it also does so to the family. Liver disease is ugly.

A good analogy for me is a river. The river can be deceptive. The top may be calm and inviting. But what lurks below the water is dangerous and swift; it can surround, pull down, confuse, and eventually drown. When I think back to my dad, I just remember a three year battle of ER visits, hospital stays, and an array of doctors and nurses. Everything is very hazy.

Personally, this is my journey down the river with my dad:

It took over three years, once it was diagnosed. Who knows when the damage actually occurred – probably after all those years of working with photographic chemicals as a professional photographer. And then the condition was possibly further exasperated by his continuous over-use of Extra Strength Tylenol to control his ever increasing migraines that he had as a result of an undiagnosed damaged liver.

I have only three strong memories from that 3 year time frame.

1- A consultation with a neurologist. Her prognosis was ‘permanent brain damage’. That was about a year or more into the disease. Thank God that one did not happen.
–My mother realized that my father needed to have doctors that communicated better with one another. She found a practice that had many “specialists” under their umbrella: heart, diabetes, liver, neurologist, etc… They all got together to discuss his prognosis, his treatment, his diet and the medicine that he took. Mixing various prescriptions can be quite dangerous.

2 – A moment in the ER with my dad laying on a stretcher. He was not very coherent. I really wanted to address issues of forgiveness and eternity. I felt such an urge to tell him about God. I was too afraid to do any of that. So, I instead said something like “you are a good person; you have been a good Dad, and did your best with all of us, and God loves you.”
–Thankfully, God gave him another year and we were able to address those big issues when he was coherent. My husband and I were able to talk to my dad about God. I was able to express how much he meant to me. My siblings were able to spend time with him and verbalize forgiveness and love. Emotional healing came for all of us.

3 – A phone call: “Dad is sick again. We think he will be okay. We will keep you informed.” This was three years into the disease. It was a Thursday. I was on a camping vacation in Minnesota with spotty cell service. Friday there was no call. I assumed that all was well. We went on a paid boat and fishing expedition. I did not give him much thought. I assumed, this was another typical cycle of ER, Hospital and then home. Saturday a phone call: “Come home. Dad is in a coma. He is on life support.” 14 hours of driving – no sleep. From that moment on, I remember everything clearly. They turned off the life support on Sunday afternoon, and he stayed alive for almost 24 hours. However, he was in a coma that whole time. His passing was peaceful! 4 of his 5 children and wife watched him “Go Home”.
–Those last 5 days were not as stressful as they might have been – since my parents had made preparations for this day. My mom had set up herself and two of the children as Power of Attorney. They had signed documentation for a Trust, a will and a Living will prior to his death. They had purchased joint funeral plots and they’d been transparent about their wishes with all of the children.

Jane, I wanted to share my thoughts and story because you need validation for the things you are thinking; the frustration you are feeling; the guilt that you have. It is all normal. If I had to look back and reassess, my only wish is that someone would have said at the beginning, “Let me explain the journey of a failing liver… Get prepared. Talk through the best/worst case scenarios, the unresolved stuff, and what should be done when it is time to really ‘Go Home’.”

I know we were fortunate. My parents were able to make those end of life preparations. They had looked not just to the financial situations to assess, but also at the physical, legal, mental, emotional and even spiritual aspects of the circumstances of his disease and the prognosis of death at the end of the disease. All of us had gone through the physical and verbal motions of “when” and “what to do” regarding his death. Yet, even with all of that, nothing could totally have prepared us for the moment and later the pain of loss. I learned from this experience – you do not know when, but planning ahead, actually makes the end a little easier. When I look back, I only look at the good that came from the situation and have peace knowing that I will see him again.

There are amazing support groups to assist in caring for aging parents. There are also a plethora of resources to assist whatever the situation. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when caring for a loved-one that is dying.

1. Communicate with doctors, nurses, family and the loved one so that everyone is on the same page and thereby decreasing the opportunity for miscommunication or misunderstandings.
2. Discuss the wishes of the loved one. If possible, put a plan into place including all necessary legal documents such as DNR, Living Wills, and financial arrangements.
3. Be authentic and real. Share with your loved one how much you love them and talk to each other truthfully and honestly.
4. Remember – Be pragmatic yet compassionate and walk in patience.
5. Reach out to family, friends and the community for support for your loved one as well as yourself and your family.
6. Make sure to take time for yourself. Stepping back allows a fresh perspective and renewed understanding as you handle each day.
7. Find a Bereavement Support Group – Hospice, Hospitals, Churches and community organizations usually offer these.