Personalized Care

Karen uses Interactive Caregiving with all of her clients. She has one client with severe arthritis who has great difficulty handling daily tasks. The client still wants to be active and involved with duties around the house so Karen works with her on the laundry. The client expressed that she wished she could help out, so Karen encourages her to load the laundry in the washing machine. This may sound like a small deal to some people, but it means everything to this client to be able to do this. Karen then transfers the laundry to the dryer and folds the clothes. 

It is a team effort and the client is able to maintain her sense of independence. Most people (care providers) would probably take care of the laundry themselves without giving it a second thought but as a Comfort Keeper, Karen understands that this simple act of encouragement and participation makes a difference in the outlook the client has about herself and her independence.

Karen has another client that needed to move into a new apartment. Moving at any age can be stressful but even more so when a person has limited capabilities. Karen talked to the client to find out what she could do to make this move easier. Karen was able to help the client by putting in shelf paper in the cabinets and assisting the client in unpacking. Karen showed great respect for the client’s personal items and was able to work with the client to ensure that her items were placed where she wanted them…as if her client was putting them away herself. She gave great comfort to the client and worked according to the client’s wants and needs.

Karen also uses Interactive Caregiving with her client with MS. Karen understands how critical her client’s service dog is to her independence. She respects the relationship between dog and client and treats both with respect. By doing this and understanding the importance of this aid in her client’s life she displays how Interactive Caring can expand beyond the client.

Comfort Keepers has offices in Petoskey and Traverse City and serves seniors throughout all of Northern Michigan. If you would like more information about how we can help your loved one, call us toll free at 866-929-9044

Spring Has Arrived!

Hello Friends!  We love the month of May!

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, a time to elevate stroke in the mindset of your family, friends and neighbors.  Simple prevention and treatment education can help reduce stroke incidence.  Do you know what the warning signs are?  Would you know how to recognize a stroke and what to do?  Explore the Signs and symptoms page at www.stroke.org for a wealth of practical information and be ready to take action.

May 13 is Mother’s Day!  Did you know that there is a web site dedicated to celebrating Mother’s Day all year long?  Check out www.mothersdaycentral.com for all things related, including a list of the top TV sitcom mothers of all time.

May is the month when Spring truly arrives!  It has been said that the month of May was named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth.  Her name is related to a Latin word that means increase or growth.  That certainly is evident in the gardens, fields and forests of northern Michigan.  So in the spirit of Spring, one last web site to share is one we love because it encourages us to reach out, grow and enrich the lives of deserving seniors by making wishes come true.  Take a look at http://www.seniorwish.org/index.html for ideas.

Pictured above is  88 year old Bee White who won a "Wish of a Lifetime" contest.  Her wish, a hot air balloon ride! 

Comfort Keepers has offices in Petoskey and Traverse City and serves seniors throughout all of Northern Michigan. If you would like more information about how we can help your loved one, call us toll free at 866-929-9044