The following was written by Ed, for whose mother we have been providing in home senior care, Denver metro area, since August 2007. It’s comments like these that keep us charging ahead. Thanks Ed for taking the time.

“My mother has multiple sclerosis and requires extra help with some of her day-to-day activities. My sister and I do what we can to help Mom, but our work and home lives preclude us from doing as much as we’d like. Thus, it’s been important to have a trusted home care professional in the house with Mom. This is where Tom Barton and Barton Home Care come in.

At first, we had no idea what to look for in a home care agency. We initially hired another company based on the recommendation of one of Mom’s hospital case workers. Unfortunately, that company had a “scheduling conflict” and stranded Mom without the care she needed on her first day home from a long hospitalization. We asked the case worker for a second recommendation, and she gave us Tom Barton’s name. Tom immediately impressed me with his professionalism and his genuine concern for Mom’s well-being. We’ve been with Barton ever since. (I later called that case worker again, and told her that Barton was the company she should have recommended first!)

Tom prides himself on hiring only the best and the brightest home care workers. In the last two years, Mom has had only two main caregivers (not counting the rare vacation fill-in). The first caregiver was replaced only because she moved on to further her career. Tom obviously understands what others don’t seem to: Continuity of care is crucial to the comfort and trust of his clients. He obviously goes out of his way to ensure that his people are in this field because they want to be.

I think it’s fair to say that Barton is the main factor that has allowed Mom to stay in her own house, and at least delay the need for an assisted living facility. This has tremendous financial AND emotional value. Barton has relieved a lot of stress for my sister and me. More importantly, Mom not only has a caregiver that helps her maintain her household and personal needs, but a valued companion and friend as well. This means a lot to our entire family.

Based on all of this, I am happy to recommend Tom Barton and Barton Home Care. They care, and it shows.”

If you or someone you know is considering in home senior care, Denver metro area, please consider Barton Home Care.  You can contact Tom Barton directly at 303.660.5120 or info@bartonhomecare.com. He’ll be happy to answer  all of your questions and share his “Caring to Make a Difference” home care philosophy.

For more information on choosing the best Senior Care - Colorado, please check out our post: Senior Care Colorado - The Benefits of Professional Caregiving.

A few years ago we thought it would be a good idea for our dad, who is 87, to start keeping a journal of his life—an informal memoir of sorts. We didn’t know he would embrace the idea as he has. He is now on his second journal. It’s not in any particular sequence; when he remembers something he considers significant, he writes it down.

It seems that this retrospection and contemplation of the past is not unique to our father. It is part of a process called “Life Review,” a term coined over 50 years ago by Robert N. Butler, MD. It’s a rather universal course of elderly care and care for those who are terminally ill and can be manifested silently or orally, consciously or unconsciously. It is a personal process by which an individual assesses his or her life as it nears its conclusion. A variety of things can trigger this reflective process – midlife, the interest of family or friends, a turning point or career choice, or an impending death can all contribute to the process.

Butler describes life review as a normal developmental task of old age. Theoretically, it is experienced by all older adults, on a conscious or unconscious level. Unresolved conflicts are of particular importance in life review. They represent final opportunities for individuals to resolve and come to terms with life’s earlier conflicts.

Butler says that death can be accepted only through the resolution of those conflicts, atonement for past actions or inactions, and reconciliations with estranged family and friends. Life review helps people to make peace with the past. By recording one’s history, whether by the written or spoken word, a legacy can be provided to pass on to succeeding generations. The life review can be a natural healing process and important for elderly care in that it enables elders share their memories with empathic listeners and/or readers and it gives a sense of validation to their lives.

A number of life review and family history training manuals have been developed to help elders on their journey. The Hospice Foundation of America has a guide to help document memories called “A Guide for Recalling and Telling Your Life Story.” Using tools like this may help resolve conflicts and questions about the road or roads not taken.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manger
Barton Home Care

Dealing with dementia is all about the choices you make

There are at least two ways I can choose to feel when I go to visit my aunt, who is in the throes of the effects of dementia and residing in an Assisted Living Facility. I can be sad and depressed and on the verge of tears because it’s hard to recognize the person in front of me as my aunt. She was always very prim and proper with the same neat, short hairstyle forever and a very basic, plain style of dressing. The only flamboyancy I ever saw her express over the years was her purchase of a few convertible cars.

Another choice I have besides sadness is to look for a little humor in the person she has become. Gone is the neat hairstyle of the past, and in its place is a rather scary, unkempt Richard Lewis look. The plain, but color coordinated outfits have been replaced with some really bad clothing choices. The effects of dementia  causes her to ignore two closets filled with clothing and opts to wear basically the same thing every day—topped off with shoes with no socks. Her socks, and other items, disappear on a regular basis. The staff at the facility thinks she throws them out. Initially, I found myself getting upset about things that went missing. Now, I just replace them.

The effects of dementia is causing my aunt to steadily lose her vocabulary. I have learned it is best to ask questions that can be answered simply—yes or no if possible. She no longer turns the television in her room on, but recently while waiting to be called for an appointment in a doctor‘s office, she was watching the national news channel that was on. She expressed extreme dislike of the green Geiko Gecko character, and when she saw George W. Bush, she announced to everyone in the waiting room, “I know that guy.” I had to chuckle. There are blogs devoted to finding some humor in the daily lives of Alzheimer and Dementia patients. I find them to be an affirmation that there are choices we can make when dealing with dementia and our loved ones affected by the disease.

Gerri Tyber

Operations Manager, Barton Home Care