Simplifying Senior Living

Hurricane Season is a stressful time for all Floridians.  Already this season we have seen significant wind and rain whipping through  Brevard  County, flooding roads and damaging property.  For seniors living in their own home, there is a short term option available when the weatherman starts talking about storm systems heading our way - respite care at a local assisted living facility.   Respite care is available at most assisted living facilities throughout the year, typically offering anywhere from a few days to a few weeks stay to seniors who are unable to be home alone for a short period of time, such as while recuperating from illness.   With respite and month-to-month contracts, assisted living facilities offer the perfect solution to seniors willing to leave their homes during a hurricane so that they can safely continue to enjoy good cooking, air conditioning, and the company of other seniors while the storms howl outside. Whil...

Theodore Roosevelt has been credited with saying, “People  won't care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  It’s common to find people who care in senior healthcare.  That’s nice.  You still want to know how much they know .  Senior services is a constantly growing industry and offers many enticing franchise opportunities and other businesses that have limited to no regulatory oversight.  Many people have seen dollar signs as they jump into the senior care industry after decades in a non-related field and suddenly entitle themselves “senior experts” and “senior advisors.”  When seeking financial or legal advice, your neighbor may have good intentions, your friend from church may have “gone through this before” with their own parent – yours is a very individualized journey – you want to find a licensed, seasoned professional in the field of your inquiry.  When handling these sensitive areas of your seni...

In 2012, I had the honor of attending a seminar featuring the late Dr. Dennis McCullough, author of  “My Mother, Your Mother:   Embracing ‘Slow Medicine,’ The Compassionate Approach to Caring for your Aging Loved Ones.”  I had previously read the book and, awed by his insight, bought copies for each member of my assisted living leadership team; several of whom joined me in attending the seminar.  His presentation was thoughtful, and brilliant, and inspiring - I became a total "fan girl" that day and floated away with a signed copy of his book which remains on my shelf with signed copies of books by Naomi Feil and Nicholas Sparks. Dr. Dennis McCullough most eloquently described individuals involved in the care of a senior as their “Circle of Concern.”  The Circle of Concern describes “balanced, mutually respectful, and supportive partnerships between doctors, nurses, and other health practitioner and elder patients, their families, close friends, neighb...