Meet Debra Kostiw – Owner of Home Helpers
Experiencing her mother’s failing health made Debra Kostiw realize how important it is for frail elders to have supportive, caring companions. Friends and family can do only so much, as Kostiw painfully learned. Now, owner of the Rochester office of … Continue reading →
Where to Find Help for the Elderly and Caregivers Part 3: Living Well Companion Care
Sometimes a little help here and there makes it possible for the elderly to remain at home rather than move into a facility. I spoke with Mary Terwilliger, Executive Director of Living Well Companion Care, about this service line of … Continue reading →
Ten Tips for Communicating with People with Dementia
I raised my voice, as if I my friend could understand me better if I turned up the volume. Turns out, there are far better ways to communicate with the confused and demented, as I learned from a presentation sponsored … Continue reading →
Melodies and Memories
Hearing the first two lines of “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas and Papas takes me back to the Poor House, a popular watering hole when I was a nursing student in Syracuse. The song’s beginning phrases about brown leaves floating … Continue reading →
Where to Find Help for Seniors and Caregivers Part 2
This blog continues the discussion about elder services provided by Catholic Family Center. Again, I am indebted to Virginia Clark, Associate Director, Aging and Adult Services, and for the photos provided by CFC’s Katherine Grant for their help. STAR PROGRAM … Continue reading →
Where to Find Help for the Elderly and Caregivers Part 1
In my work as a community health nurse for Monroe County, I quickly learned caregivers and their care receivers are inseparable. Helping one helps the other. I also learned Monroe County is rich in resources for the elderly. So much … Continue reading →
You shall not…
At work, they called me “Queen of the SOAP notes.” This was before computers took over hospital units and nurses and doctors actually used pen and paper to communicate. I thought SOAP notes were pretty neat. S… What symptom … Continue reading →
Your Great Commission
Somewhere on your TV band every Christmas, you will find It’s a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. Since 1946, the story of a man ready to jump the bridge because he felt his life was a … Continue reading →
Long Hard Road
LONG HARD ROAD My Grandparents, Mom, and me I was 15 the Easter my grandfather suffered a stroke. He was a big man, and my Grandmother was petite. I called her “Little Grandma.” I remember Grandpa lying in his bed … Continue reading →