It’s been quite a year, and we don’t know about you, but we can hardly believe the holidays are almost here. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more – they will be different for everyone this year, but particularly for those of us managing and coordinating care for loved ones.
Often, we use holiday visits as check-ins with our parents and grandparents. We figure out what has changed, what we can continue to manage long distance or within the constraints of our busy schedules, and what plan we might want to put in place for the future. We are sometimes surprised by what we find.
We may notice things aren’t quite as clean and tidy as we remembered. We might find spoiled or expired food in the refrigerator, or an abundance of frozen meals rather than fresh produce and meats. We could spot a dent in the car, or a ding in the garage door. Mom and Dad may seem much less active, and perhaps even a little depressed.
Under normal circumstances these developments are not uncommon. During these far from normal times, small signs and signals have become more prevalent. As an adult child noticing something amiss in our parents’ home, we actually have the ability to take action to remedy some of the more concerning problems, and in so doing, prevent issues from becoming worse.
Imagine this holiday season as a true opportunity to take note of home and health status; to open the dialogue with your family about what their long-term wishes are (aging in place at home or moving to another living environment); to bring in and meet with an expert to help you make a baseline assessment in order to coordinate some changes and improvements; to begin building a team of trusted partners who will help you and your family make informed, good decisions that fulfill your loved one’s wishes as much as possible.
When it comes to family, peace of mind can be hard to come by. As long as we’re imagining, imagine a world in which you have built your team of partners, advisors, and resources around a centralized hub – your team captain, if you will. The captain’s job is to instill confidence, build trust, develop relationships, and give you the peace of mind that is so difficult to find.
At Timesavers, through the power of grace and our constant growth, learning, and evolution, we believe we are your best choice to captain your family’s team. We understand your options; we know the community; we have relationships with a broad array of professionals, facilities, and service providers; and we have a reputation for integrity and commitment to the best interests of our clients.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it has taught us we cannot know what is coming. What we can know is that we have prepared our family as best as is possible for contingencies and emergencies. We can know we have planned and have chosen our team captain. We can know we have had open dialogue with the people we love. We can know we are working together to create a solid roadmap.
We cannot know everything, but we can know we are doing our best to nurture and protect the people we love.
-by Elizabeth Downing
About the Author: Elizabeth Downing is Director of Outreach for Timesavers Concierge, Caregiving & Chauffeur. A 1982 graduate of WKU, Elizabeth found her passion in advocating and providing care for older adults and those with special needs. Timesavers seeks to raise awareness of issues relating to aging and caring for aging loved ones, and works to provide the highest quality care available. Elizabeth has completed a Certificate in Care Management from Boston University, is a Teepa Snow PAC Certified Independent Consultant, and facilitates a family caregiver support group each month.
