Fergus Falls Journal
Link to article in the Fergus Falls Journal
Guest column by Deb Taylor
Festive holiday gatherings with family are a great way to spread good cheer and create warm memories. For seniors, family reminiscing helps them remain emotionally engaged. Family interactions are especially beneficial for older adults with dementia and memory loss. The sights, sounds, and smells of the holidays often trigger happy memories of past happy times.
Holiday family time also is a perfect opportunity to evaluate the health, safety and well-being of older adults who are still living independently in their own home. And if the senior has a caregiver, it’s a good time to assess their well-being, too. Caregiving is an unrelenting responsibility, often wearing down the devoted helper.
Look around their house to see if they require help with the more physical household chores like window washing, snow removal, or minor repairs. If the senior lives alone, the holiday visit is the opportunity to look for any signs of self-neglect. Are they caring for themselves, maintaining hygiene and preparing balanced meals? There may be signs of declining mobility, mental confusion or other health issues that require expert support.
Often seniors and caregivers are so overwhelmed by daily household and care obligations they need help identifying local resources to help them manage the house and their care, find transportation, identify the best healthcare plans for their situation, or ease their medical debt.
Nonprofit Senior Community Services and its 300 partnering agencies provide a constellation of appropriate and affordable services to help seniors and caregivers maintain independence with dignity.
An easy way to help
If you’re looking for a helpful gift idea for a senior this holiday season, or anytime during the year, consider a gift of household services from the new nonprofit HOME SHOP program.
Family and friends can go online at http://seniorcommunity.org/programs/h-o-m-e/and purchase low-cost light housekeeping and handyman packages through HOME SHOP, an extension of the Household & Outside Maintenance for Elderly (HOME) Program. The services help struggling and low-income seniors remain in their own homes, and provide a respite for caregivers who may need a break from providing constant care.
HOME SHOP provides services through a network of dedicated staff and vetted independent contractors. The growing demand for HOME SHOP services is fueled by increased longevity among frail older adults, and more retiring baby boomers.
Gift-givers can select from a variety of low-cost household services for people 60 and older, including:
• Housekeeping services: vacuuming, dusting, sweeping/mopping floors, cleaning kitchen and bathrooms, and changing bed linens.
• Handyman services: changing light bulbs, installing grab bars, fixing leaky faucets, repairing running toilets, installing new faucet and light fixtures, checking carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, changing furnace filters, and hanging wall decorations and mirrors.
For vulnerable seniors living independently, most of their care and support is provided by family and friends. A little help can go a long way in making these later years a special time, during the holidays and all year long.
And that’s good news, as we lead the way to Reimagine Aging for Minnesotans.
Deb Taylor is CEO of Senior Community Services (www.seniorcommunity.org) and its Reimagine Aging Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for older adults and helps seniors and caregivers maintain their independence through free or low-cost services.
