I think back often when I was a child to the options available to families when personal assistance was needed for a loved one. During the years when I was in middle school and high school, our church youth group would gather at the church two hours early before night service, and we would carpool over to the “Old Folks Home” which we also referred to as “The Rest Home”. I have such vivid memories of the gentleman in his forties (back then I was confused as to what may have been wrong as he wasn’t “old”) that was always on the porch when we arrived each Sunday, continually flicking the same blue hairbrush back and forth between his thumb and middle finger, glowering at us as if we had arrived unexpectedly, interrupting his routine.
We would gather around the piano in the central social area and wait for residents to arrive, most of them very happy and eager for the social activity and to sing hymns of the past that each Sunday evening would bring comfort and happy memories. I always looked forward to the participation of one taller gentleman who, although he could not form words, had a wonderful bass voice and would warble out deep bass tones right along as we all held our paper copies of hymns and sang verse after verse. These memories are vivid and warm my heart.
But right along with these memories, I think back to the only options families had then, whether old or young, whether mentally challenged or in physical decline. There was home, hospital, state mental institution or the “rest home”.
It is wonderful to have so many options today at our fingertips for personal assistance or nursing care when that time comes for our loved ones. We have 55-plus communities where independent individuals over 55 can reside in a community with individuals with similar likes and activities, an active environment and establish relationships with those with which they have much in common.
There are Continuum of Care communities that are communities with multiple levels of health care services available on a single campus: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care and Skilled Nursing Care. Some smaller communities may only offer two levels of care for example: an assisted living community may also offer memory care but not skilled nursing. Assisted Living facilities, Memory Care facilities and Skilled Nursing Facilities can also be independent and stand-alone facilities and most are not a part of a Continuum of Care Community.
Personal Care Homes are private homes that are located within residential communities and have been turned into a small “home” that houses multiple individuals in a smaller residential setting rather than a larger assisted living community.
Personal Assistance Service and Private Home Health care is just that: having personal assistance with the activities of daily living or private nursing provided in the comfort of your own home and is an option that many families choose, rather than leaving their own home to relocate in a facility where care is provided. So many individuals say to me, “I want to stay home, in my own bed, around my own things and have assistance with living come to me”. What a beautiful option this is! With Premiere Care Solutions, personal assistance service and private nursing care can be customized specific to the individual and care provided in the comfort of their own home. including tailor-fitting the schedule and hours to meet the client’s needs. A holistic assessment is performed in collaboration with family and physician as requested or needed and a customized Care Plan and Care Team is created, including tailor-fitting the schedule and hours to meet the client’s needs. Frequent reassessments guarantee the care plan is adjusted as care needs change. From personal assistance to private nursing, home sweet home can be the place where individuals stay and thrive safely. There is truly no place like home!
Author: Laura Cook