A Picture of a Life Well Lived!
Koy Butler, who is a good friend of ours, shared the following short story of his Grandmother (GrandJanie) on Facebook; along with a photo of her water skiing at age 89! We re-share it here with Koy’s permission. This lady obviously has made (and continues to make) a huge positive difference in every life she has touched. This is a picture of a life well-lived!
Last year at 98 she decided not to renew her driver’s license. This picture is from 10 years ago the last time she got up on water skis at age 89. Today she turns 99 years old and still Lives independently, takes care of all her own business and reminds us which cousin’s birthday is this month or next month. She still has the energy of the energizer bunny!! And takes care of everyone . Please help Her celebrate her 99th Birthday today!!
If Only There Were 2 of Me!
While not all of us will have a long and healthy life like GrandJanie, we do share one thing with her – we want to live independently and take care of our own business as long as possible. Some Seniors who lose capacity and need some assistance are fortunate enough to have local family members who can help them stay at home for a while longer.
Other Seniors don’t have local families available to help. They may have Adult Children who live and work in another state – or may even have Adult Children who live locally, but these Adult Children have busy jobs and families of their own. They want to be there for their parents, but just do not have the time to provide the care that their Loved One requires at this point in their life. One daughter told me recently, “I love my Mom, but I have to work. If there were 2 of me, one would be with her!”
Since it’s impossible to be in 2 places at once, some family members look for options when they are stretched thin or their Loved One needs more care than they can provide at home. Some Seniors are able to utilize the services of non-medical home care to stay at home a little longer where family is not available to help. However, in some cases, this is not a good fit – some Seniors need even more assistance, which may prompt their family to consider the facility care option.
Facility Care
Even though these Seniors may not be able to get the care that they need at home, some are reluctant to go to a Skilled Nursing Facility (aka Nursing Home). They may have heard stories from their friends about Nursing Homes and just do not want the stress of being in that environment. While some of these stories are true and some are exaggerated, it still causes some Seniors and their families to not want to consider this option. Other Seniors consider Assisted Living Facilities, but in situations where more care is needed, this may not be a good fit either. An Assisted Living Facility may not be able to provide the advanced care that a Senior may need.
Private Care Homes
Enter the world of Private Care. We will go into this in more detail in another edition, but we will cover the highlights here. Are you are wondering what GrandJanie (from above), Koy (her grandson), and Private Care Homes have in common? Koy owns a private care home in our area called “House of Three”. It’s called this for a good reason – there are only 3 residents in the whole house.
Koy provides care homes that are easily accessible and navigable by his residents and their families. He then brings in staff and 3 residents. These private care homes have the same small staff every day providing care for your Loved One. On the other hand, large facilities may have over 100 residents and a constantly changing parade of CNA’s, Nurses and other staff members! Koy has developed a system that’s literally like a family living at home.
As I stated earlier, Koy is a local friend. Unless you live in Arkansas, you won’t have a House of Three near you. However, you will probably have something similar. There is a desperate need for these facilities and a huge demand.
To see what is available near you, Google “private care home near me”. To get a look at what one of these homes looks like, here is a link to Koy’s website and Facebook page.
Website: http://www.houseofthree.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houseof3/
If you do happen to live in Arkansas, I’m sure that Koy would be happy to give you a tour. If he has a House of Three in your area with a room available, you may want to check it out!
Next Steps:
Does your Loved one needs more care than can be provided at home? You may want to see what private care homes are available in your area. For some this is a good option. If you have had experience with private care homes, please share your input in the comments below.
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Thank You for being a Caregiver for Your Loved One – you are making a huge difference in their life!
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