The Spirit of Griswold, Its Franchisees: Lesley Mills

This is our second installment in this week’s series, which has been shining the spotlight on some of our inspirational franchisees and the impressive work they’ve done and continue to do for their communities.

Introducing: Lesley Mills. 

Advocate for Senior Rights

Lesley, an Englishwoman by birth and one of the first women to attend Yale as an undergraduate, is the Director of six Connecticut Griswold Home Care offices. She was drawn to Griswold in 1993 after caring for her grandfather in his home. Since then, she has become a fierce advocate for the rights of the elderly and is well known in the legislative halls of Hartford and Washington.

With the assistance of one of her live-in caregivers, Lesley takes care of her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s five years ago. She has been published by a range of publications and has been the keynote speaker nationally and internationally for state medical societies, state hospital associations and the World Health Organization.

Advocate for Aspiring Writers

Lesley hosted Tea for Two, a public affairs radio show on CBS-owned WQUN, for 10 years and formed the LifeTales foundation, which funds and trains aspiring writers who document oral histories and write short stories. The Yale School of Nursing even renamed their Creative Writing Awards based on nurses’ journals in her honor!

Advocate for Women in Business

As the former Connecticut president of the National Association of Women Business Owners and a current board member of The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and The Universal Health Care Foundation -- not to mention the recipient of a flurry of awards and honors -- Lesley is an inspiration for every woman (and man, for that matter) who wants to dream big and make those dreams a reality.

But incredible accomplishments and prestigious positions aside, Lesley is the perfect example of success driven by compassion. It’s glaringly obvious that senior rights and quality, affordable home care for the elderly are close to her heart, and her heart is always in the driver’s seat for every goal she sets and challenge she takes. 

Thank you Lesley for all that you do each and every day to build and bolster your community and the communities you touch.

Our next post shines the spotlight of our appreciation, regognition and respect on Bobby Crider, who is taking big steps for suicide prevention -- literally. Check back soon or subscribe to read his story!

The Spirit of Griswold, Its Franchisees: Brian & Cheryl Rice

Welcome back to the Griswold Blog. We promised you a few inspiring stories about some of our franchisees, so we won’t make you wait any longer. Our first feature is on Brian and Cheryl Rice, who have been Co-Directors of the Lake/Geauga Office of Griswold Home Care for 10 years.

Brian and Cheryl currently live in Painesville, OH, have one daughter who recently graduated from college (congratulations!) and are both very active in their church and community.

THAT WAS THEN…

Brian had been in banking for over 20 years. He worked as a Branch Sales Manager and Mortgage Loan Underwriter before giving into his frustrations and leaving the industry, emotionally drained from his experience with the “profits before people” mentality. His wife Cheryl was working part-time as a writer for a small community newspaper, where she and her talents were both underpaid and underappreciated.

…AND THEN

The liberating notion of self-employment was very appealing to Brian and Cheryl. However, they were always deliberate when making major life changes and financial decisions, so becoming business owners was certainly not a “no-brainer” for them.

Cheryl did a good deal of research and found a continually growing demand for non-medical home care. It goes without saying that an industry in high demand is particularly appealing to budding entrepreneurs, so the couple promptly began discussions with two home care providers -- one of them being Griswold.

While the initial company wanted to wrap things up in a few weeks, Griswold took two to three months to learn about Brian and Cheryl as individuals before evaluating them as prospective Directors. This made the Rices feel more comfortable about the important decision at hand and confident that Griswold was the right choice.

THIS IS NOW

In January 2003, Cheryl began the office in their home while Brian continued his job at the bank. On July 3 of that year, he left the security of his stable career to join Cheryl full time in the home office. They experienced a few cash flow problems and many sleepless nights in the beginning, but they say it was these struggles that made the success more gratifying.

“The constant guidance and encouragement we received from our corporate office was critical in the early years,” says Brian. “Knowing they had complete confidence in our success made all the difference in the world as we began the long process of building relationships with referral sources.”

In 2009, the Rices assisted a couple that had experienced physical and financial abuse from a close relative. Through Griswold’s Special Care foundation, they were able to secure funding to keep the couple living at home until they qualified for Medicaid. They also worked closely with Case Managers from the Lake County Council on Aging and the Cleveland Area Agency on Aging. In 2010, Brian and Cheryl’s franchise became the only home care office in all of Greater Cleveland to receive an Independent Living Award from the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging (WRAAA).

Brian has also been working with Meals on Wheels since 2004, and he regularly encourages his office staff to help drive. They now deliver Meals on Wheels in three cities, and the local Council on Aging recently designated Brian as the Honorary Chairperson for the 7^th Annual March for Meals -- a yearly fundraising effort that raises awareness for the issue of senior hunger and recruits volunteers to make home meal delivery possible.

Brian and Cheryl have extended their compassionate service and support to a myriad of other charities, including Cleveland Foodbank, Cleveland Harvest for Hunger, Project Hope for the Homeless, Karpos Homeless Meal Ministry and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Thank You

Although these words cannot possibly portray the colossal gratitude and respect we have for you, we at Griswold’s corporate office want to extend a simple Thank You for the amazing things you have done and continue to do for your community.

Brian and Cheryl, it’s people like you -- and your contagious passion for compassion -- who inject Griswold Home Care with the spirit it needs to make quality and affordable home care a reality.

Of course, there are countless individuals doing incredible things as franchise Care Directors. Unfortunately, we can’t mention them all, but subscribe or check back soon for another shining franchise story featuring Lesley Mills!

ALS Awareness: “There’s An App For That”

Yes, it’s true. There are apps designed for people with communication impeding disabilities -- from sufferers of traumatic brain injuries and children with autism to elderly stroke victims and those with advanced ALS. 

These apps help people who have lost the ability to speak, or whose speaking skills have severely degenerated, to regain the ability to communicate. One option that has received a lot of positive feedback and reviews is Voice4U. This is a communication app that can be downloaded to any iPhone, iPad or iTouch, as well as Android systems and the Kindle Fire and NOOK tablets. With the ability to assign pictures to audible words and phrases, and even customize the voice and icon options, your loved one will feel less hindered by the communication barrier that comes with ALS.

Voice4U is currently aiding children and adults of all ages in 30 countries, and it even won the Android Application Awards (A3) Contest Grand Prize. The app’s website has extremely helpful video tutorials that explain how to make the most out of this technology according to your specific purposes and needs. 

The Greater Philadelphia chapter of the ALS Association (ALSA) implemented an innovative assistive technology program in 1993. Head to the Augmentative Communication section of ALSA's website to learn more about the assistive technology, like electronic communication aids and speech generating devices (SGD), available for those with ALS. 

In our last post, we said we’d provide a tool for you, the family caregiver, as well. So here it is: Lotsa Helping Hands. This is a tool for the caregiver who’s feeling overwhelmed or simply wants a way to organize and ease the many responsibilities that come with providing in-home care. It allows you to create a free, private community website -- with interactive calendars, announcement features and meal communication tools -- to organize family and friends in times of need. Lotsa Helping Hands partners with a myriad of nonprofit organizations, including the MDA, so you also gain access to lotsa educational resources and programs.

While you can use Lotsa Helping Hands just for its personal website purposes, you should also tap into its blog, webinars, newsletters, directories and demos. These resources provide tips, information and references for everything from support groups to respite care.

Your loved one with ALS deserves as much relief that you can provide, but you deserve some relief as well. Take advantage of the tools that were created to ease your strain and provide you with peace of mind. 

Thanks for reading along with us this week. We hope you’ve gained some awareness and insight into ALS and how to provide some relief for both your loved one and yourself. Whether you have close ties to ALS through a family member or friend, or you're simply interested in doing all you can to fight this disease, dedicate the month of May to increasing ALS awareness. If you'll be near Washington D.C. next Sunday, join ALSA from May 13-15th for the 2012 National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference*. ALSA is the only organization that has a Public Policy Conference with an exclusive focus on ALS. Click the link to watch a video about the event or purchase photos from the 2011 Conference!

*Registration for the event is now closed, but you may register at the Conference Registration Desk at the JW Marriott Hotel, starting at 9:00 am on Sunday, May 13. 

Check back on Monday for our next series, which will feature some inspirational stories from Griswold franchisees! 

ALS Awareness: Treat Immobility With Wireless

Welcome back to the Griswold Blog. This post is about providing some much needed and much deserved relief for your loved one with ALS. 

Medications will help treat the symptoms, but there are things you can do to improve your loved one’s lifestyle outside of physical pain relief and assisted living. Consider investing in products that make immobility less aggravating, such as a wireless door chime to alert someone to come into the room, a wireless remote that makes it possible to turn any plug-in appliance on and off from anywhere in the room and a wireless intercom that eases communication throughout the house. There are even 3-station intercoms, which allow for private conversation between two channels. You can order these products online from assistive product providers, like Patterson Medical. Most electronics stores, like Radio Shack, offer these products as well.

There are also some amazing companies that are dedicated to designing and manufacturing mobility aids for people with neurological conditions, like walkers and canes with laser technology. Many of these companies go beyond ordinary service expectations. For example, In-Step Mobility Products, Inc. will ship a walker to your loved one to try for two weeks, and they’ll even bill your insurance or Medicare for you. This company was started when a son designed a walker for his mother, who was diagnosed with a neurological disorder that left her unable to walk and severely depressed. That walker returned her independence and dignity. The company hopes to spread this lifestyle enhancement to sufferers around the world.

Even doing something small, like fastening large safety pins to zippers to create an easy pull tab, can make a big difference for someone with ALS. 

If you’re ever unsure of how to help your loved one with ALS, head to the ALS Association's website -- and pay special attention to the section for patients of ALS and their caregivers, which provides a wealth of resources and advice for friends and family. From support groups and educational seminars to products that aid in daily living and information on research/clinical trials, this is a great source for knowledge, connection with others who can relate and, most importantly, some peace of mind. 

We hope the tips in this post provide some relief for both you and your loved one. Check back on Friday for two technological tools designed for your loved one with ALS and their caregivers. 

ALS Awareness: The Bullet Point Basics

Last week, we discussed Parkinson’s disease and the ways to relieve an elderly loved one’s symptoms. This week on the Griswold Blog, we’re going to be following a similar format, but with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Organizations working to fight ALS, including the ALS Association and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, have dedicated the month of May to raising ALS awareness by hosting activities and seminars across the country. So we’re going to follow suit -- on a smaller scale, of course -- and help raise your ALS awareness with our next three blog posts.

First, the bullet point basics:

• ALS is precipitated by the gradual death of nerve cells that control muscle movement, which in turn causes muscles to progressively weaken and waste away.
• The cause of ALS is unknown, but researchers are studying several possibilities, including gene mutation, chemical imbalance, autoimmune responses and the mishandling of proteins within nerve cells. 
• One in 10 cases of ALS is inherited, with the rest appearing to occur randomly.
• ALS usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 60.
• Early signs and symptoms include difficulty lifting the front part of the foot and toes (“footdrop”); weakness in the hands, legs, feet and ankles; clumsiness; slurring of speech; trouble swallowing; muscle cramps and twitching in the arms, shoulders and tongue.
• Usually beginning in the hands or feet, the disease then spreads to the rest of the body and weakens muscles until they’re completely paralyzed. Eventually, people with ALS are rendered unable to chew, swallow, speak and breathe on their own.
• ALS is also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, honoring the famous baseball player who was diagnosed with it in 1939.

ALS is a severely incapacitating and fatal disease. If you have a friend or family member with ALS, you understand and vicariously experience the pain and frustration that comes with it. So instead of dwelling on the debilitating details, we’re going to provide some hope and relief with ways to support your loved one. 

Check back later this week or subscribe to the Griswold blog for advice on how to provide relief for your loved one with ALS. 

Parkinson’s Awareness: Movement Promotes Positivity & Strength

This is the last post in our Parkinson’s Awareness series. Our previous post provided ways to control and relieve nausea by eating and drinking certain things frequently throughout the day, especially before bed and at rising. This post is about the exercises and movement techniques your loved one can do to ease muscle pain by building strength, endurance and flexibility.

Many people with Parkinson’s report that exercise makes them feel stronger and more in control of their bodies. In addition to relieving some physical symptoms, research suggests that exercise has a positive impact on independence, quality of life, personal outlook and mood in people with Parkinson’s. 

But first, always check with you doctor before starting any type of exercise regimen. The doctor will know the best types and the most helpful duration and intensity of exercises for your loved one’s specific situation. He or she may also be able to recommend a physical therapist or other professional to help relieve muscle pain. 

Exercises that stretch and lengthen the limbs through their full range of motion are the best way to get started. Here are some ideas:

• Face Yoga

Stretching and stimulating muscles in the face helps relieve tension throughout the entire body. Why? We tend to hold tension in our foreheads and jaws, so when we release this tension, the rest of the body follows suit. To stimulate and strengthen the facial muscles, tongue and jaw, have your loved one stretch the mouth by opening it wide, making funny faces in the mirror and lengthening the tongue in all directions. Chewing food vigorously also does the trick. 

Face yoga -- made popular by the stick-your-tongue-out, facially energizing lion pose -- is becoming extremely popular in both yogi and non-yogi populations. Not only does it release tension and provide an exercise you can do at your desk, but many yoga experts also swear it reduces wrinkles, creases and lines caused by aging and stress. Check out this Livestrong article on yoga for the face.

Try the lion pose yourself -- perhaps in a room alone at first if you’re self-conscious. You’ll notice a jovial release of stress and tension instantly.

• Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic therapy, with the help of an instructor and aquatic fitness equipment, is highly recommended for individuals with Parkinson’s. Buoyancy and resistance are the key players here.

Compared to the harsh impact of land exercises, the buoyancy of water greatly reduces strain to joints. This, in turn, allows for greater mobility.

Buoyancy also provides support and reassured balance for weak muscles. Since the fear of falling is greatly reduced in water, movement is less guarded and your loved one will likely feel a greater sense of confidence, liberation and desire to participate. This self-assurance in the water will translate to a more positive outlook out of the water. 

Because water provides more resistance than air, gentler movements yield a greater return. And because your loved one is surrounded by water during aquatic therapy, this resistance produces a total-body workout with a great deal less exertion than land exercises. Furthermore, the multi-directional resistance enhances body awareness, which helps with posture and movement out of the water.

The benefits of water aerobics are pretty extensive for anyone -- just standing in a pool improves posture –but especially for the elderly … and especially for individuals limited by the physically debilitating effects Parkinson’s disease. 

While exercise will not reverse the effects of Parkinson’s, the strength and sense of control it provides will improve your loved one’s quality of life, mood and perception of self.

Check back soon or subscribe to the Griswold Blog for next week’s series on a ALS Awareness. 

Parkinson’s Awareness: Proper Nutrition Promotes Wellness

Welcome back to the Griswold Blog. This post will continue our commemoration of Parkinson’s Awareness with nutritional tips for Parkinson’s sufferers. 

First of all, it’s crucial for your loved one to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Eating well not only improves energy levels, which deteriorate with Parkinson’s, but also helps medications work more effectively. For healthy eating tips for the elderly, check out this previous blog post that honors National Nutrition Month. Our blog post on elderly heart health also contains extensive advice for ensuring a well-balanced diet -- crucial for anyone in older age, but especially for those with health conditions and diseases.

But there are nutritional tips specific to Parkinson’s, too.

While there is no known cure, there are medications that are used to help treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Unfortunately, these medications often induce nausea and vomiting. Here are some tips to control and relieve the nausea*:

• Cool, sweetened, non-acidic drinks.

Ice-cold, nonalcoholic drinks relax the stomach, but the effect is increased if the drink is slightly sweetened with sugar, artificial sweetener or honey. If your loved one resists the sweetener idea, water is the best bet. Also, make sure he or she stays away from acidic drinks, like soda or orange, grapefruit and tomato juices. Drink beverages in between meals instead of during them, especially if reduced appetite is a problem. And always remind your loved one to drink slowly.

• Stay away from the grease.

Fried foods like cheeseburgers, hamburgers, onion rings and French fries are hard to process for the stomach and can trigger or extend and intensify episodes of nausea.

• Small snacks eaten early, often and before bed.

Nausea often hits in the morning, so encourage your loved one to eat a few crackers before getting out of bed to help prevent discomfort before it starts. Consider keeping a box of crackers within reach from his or her bed. To go a step further in proactively preventing nausea, suggest that your loved one eat a high-protein snack, like a slice of cheese or lean meat, before going to bed. Having something solid in the stomach while resting helps stave morning queasiness. This also applies to small, bland snacks --or smaller, more frequent meals -- throughout the day. And, like with drinking, remind your loved one to eat slowly and not to mix hot and cold substances.

Note: The smell of hot or warm foods often induces nausea, so meals and snacks at cold or room temperatures are best.

• Rest after eating.

Activity after eating may upset the stomach even more, so encourage your loved one to take it easy after snacks and meals. Keeping the head elevated helps calm the stomach. Encourage your loved one not to brush his or her teeth after eating, as the toothpaste may make nausea worse.

If nausea continues, consult your loved one’s doctor for additional methods to ease the stomach.

Food isn’t the only thing that can help ease your loved one’s discomfort. Check back soon or subscribe to get exercise and movement tips to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson’s. 

Parkinson’s Awareness: Understanding Promotes Relief

Before we say goodbye to April’s showers to usher in May’s flowers, we want to take this week to honor Parkinson’s Awareness. Technically, April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, but it’s never the wrong time to shed some light on such a debilitating and progressive disease. As we at Griswold always say, with knowledge and awareness comes power -- in this case, it’s the power to help relieve the draining symptoms of Parkinson’s and make your loved one’s life as comfortable as possible.  

Here’s a quick background on Parkinson’s disease:

• Parkinson’s is a disorder of the brain that causes shaking (called “tremors”) of the hands, arms and/or legs and difficulty with walking, coordination and movement in general.
• The disease occurs when the brain’s nerve cells that make dopamine, the chemical that helps control muscle movement, are destroyed. This leads to loss of muscle function.
• The exact reason these brain cells begin eroding is unknown.
• Tremors, the most common sign of the disease, are usually the first symptom.* As it progresses, the disease affects all body muscles, leading to trouble swallowing or constipation in early stages. In the later stages, the person may experience blank expression, trouble speaking and a decline in mental ability (dementia).
• Parkinson’s usually develops between the ages of 50 and 60, but symptoms may start earlier. It affects both men and women.
• It is one of the most common nervous system disorders of the elderly.

* Although, not everyone with Parkinson’s experiences tremors and not everyone with tremors has Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s is a “whole body” disease, progressively rendering muscles incapable of basic functioning and eventually attacking the brain and mental abilities. The difficulty of watching this unpleasant pairing of physical and mental deterioration in your loved one is impossible to articulate. So we won’t waste time trying to do so.

Instead, we’ll work toward the positive, which is making your loved one as comfortable as possible. Check back soon -- or subscribe to get Griswold Blog posts sent straight to your inbox -- for nutritional tips for Parkinson’s sufferers. 

Preventing The Elderly Trip And Fall: Home Hazards

We’re glad you’re joining us! It’s Friday, the last day of the week, so let’s kick off the weekend with one last trip-and-fall risk factor and the ways to decrease the risk for your loved one.

HAZARDS IN THE HOME

One-third of all falls in the elderly happen because of hazard-induced accidents in the home. This means tripping over objects on the floor or falling due to poor lighting, loose rugs, poorly mounted/inadequately located/lack of grab bars or unsteady furniture. 

PREVENTIVIVE MEASURES

In all living areas, avoid throw rugs and secure any loose carpet edges with nonskid tape. Make sure the floor is devoid of clutter and nightlights or motion-sensitive lighting are maintained throughout the home.

Like we said in our last post, adding contrasting color strips to stairs aids in weakened depth perception and implementing grab bars and handrails helps with depreciated balance. Emergency numbers should be listed in large print by each phone. It’s also smart to consider installing an electronic emergency response system, like LifeAlert -- not only as a safety measure for your loved one, but also as a source of serenity for you. 

The hazard hotspots in the home are the kitchen and the bathroom. Check out our previous blog posts on elderly bathroom safety and kitchen caution to reduce the risks of falling and other accidents in these rooms. 

We hope you found this series on fall prevention helpful. May you and your loved one have a safe and fall-free weekend! Subscribe or check back on Monday for the kickoff to our next series on Parkinson’s Disease Awareness.

Preventing The Elderly Trip And Fall: Impaired Eyesight

Welcome back to the Griswold Blog. This week, we’re giving you the facts on falling for the elderly. This post is about impaired eyesight, which you may have guessed from the clue in the closing of our last post. 

But first, here are some more quick facts to convey the gravity of fall prevention: Among those 60 and older, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death. Falls are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma. Common fall-related injuries, like lacerations, hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries, lower standard of living and increase risk of an earlier death. 

We know those were some pretty dismal details, which is why awareness of the risk factors and preventative measures is crucial. So let’s look at the facts. 

POOR VISION

Age-related vision conditions, like cataracts and glaucoma, weaken depth perception, visual acuity and peripheral vision, while increasing sensitivity to glare. This degeneration of visual cues makes it much harder to not only get around, both inside and outside the home, but also to anticipate and self-correct an impending fall.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

It’s crucial for your loved one to get regular checkups with the ophthalmologist. The only way to help detect glaucoma before irreversible damage occurs is to keep up with eye care! After age 60, comprehensive eye exams should happen every year.

Poor vision often comes with age regardless of glaucoma, so make sure that if your loved one uses eyeglasses, they’re kept clean and smudge-free. Consider implementing balance aids, like grab bars and handrails, with defining color contrasts to the home. Contrasting color strips can also be applied to steps to help with decreased depth perception.

While vision naturally declines with age, it doesn’t have to get in the way of your loved one’s independence. 

Check back on Friday or subscribe for our last post on elderly fall prevention, which will delve into environmental hazards inside the home.