February is a busy time of year here at Senior Helpers! Traditionally, February and March see an increase in Seniors and their families asking for help. The running hypothesis as to why this is the case is because families over the Holiday Season realize that their loved one need a little more help around the house. So, our office is busy at work fielding inquiries, visiting Seniors and their families, and setting up care with our quality team of Caregivers.
There is no escaping COVID in the New Year. Our office has dealt with a spike in sick calls from our Caregivers and clients. On average, 20% of our Caregivers has been out from COVID since late December. Several of our clients have also paused care due to getting sick themselves.
This will be my 44th Christmas and likely to be most memorable. My wife’s family is travelling in from Reno and Texas. For the first time since I began private practice, I will be taking time off from work without any sense of guilt towards my partners, who would take the extra burden of Holiday call.
Benson is six years old and what my in-laws would call a “typical boy.” I would call him a particularly typical boy: He is physical (good and bad), strong willed (good and bad), loves ninjas and dinosaurs (all good there), and is always analyzing and testing his environment (good and bad). He is a velociraptor in Jurassic Park – always testing the fences. Not to say these are gender specific behaviors (I won’t go there), but when you contrast him with my daughter (pink unicorns and princess tea parties), his boyishness is undeniable.
It was about three years ago when I decided my life needed to change. As an East County anesthesiologist taking cardiac and obstetrics call several times a week for the better part of 13 years, I came across a priority shift -- I needed to be a present father. My son was entering preschool and my daughter was just a newborn. I wanted to be present as they grew up and realized that the long hours spent at the hospital was time spent away from them and my wife. So, against the advice of friends, colleagues, and most internet searches, I treaded my path towards owning a business with my wife, Cassia and friend, Maureen.
The Senior Helpers East San Diego family was honored to be out at Liberty Station | San Diego, California recently walking to help raise money for Parkinson’s research. It was a beautiful Saturday in Point Loma; we had a booth and were able to chat with and connect to lots of other folks out supporting this wonderful cause from all around the county.
Our very own Cassia Yi, APRN, MSN, CCRN, CNS, as well as Randy Bartosh, head of research for PBHS, joined the Healthcare Corner podcast to discuss Smarter Homecare and our innovative LIFE Profile assessment helping to keep seniors safe and healthy at HOME!
You can never go wrong with taking the time to enjoy a good book. Learn a few benefits of reading for seniors, along with a few recommended books.