United Way Time In Tennessee

 

This time of year is exciting because football season has started.  It is also an exciting time in East Tennessee because many United Ways have begun their annual campaigns.  The campaign kickoffs have great speakers that motivate people to be united in making an impact in the communities in which they live.  This can be done through advocating for, volunteering with, and donating to United Way.  I want to encourage everyone to become involved in their local United Way.  Through working together we can have a long lasting positive impact inEast Tennessee.

 Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service is a United Way agency. The funds that the agency receives from United Way allow us to offer sliding scale fees to the people that cannot afford to pay the full fee rates of SCHAS or other for profit agencies.  This is a much needed solution for our middle class clients that are on fixed incomes and do not qualify for government programs, but still need the services we provide to remain safely in their homes.  Thank you United Way for helping us keep our elders safe in their homes and go Tennessee Vols!

Summer Heat Wave

During the days of summer when the temperature is consistently over 90 degrees we need to remember our elderly citizens because they are vulnerable to the heat. If an elderly person you know lives in a home without an air conditioner there are several things that you can do to help ensure their safety. A fan will only circulate the hot air so during the hot portions of the day it would be beneficial to transport them to an air conditioned building such as a senior center. They also need to drink plenty of cool liquids to help regulate their body temperature and stay hydrated. They do not need to be in direct sunlight. Many of the elderly walk to the grocery store or other places so offering a ride can help.
Often the elderly want to be warm and do not realize that temperatures over 90 degrees in their home can be fatal. When visiting an elderly person you may notice that even though they have air conditioning they choose not to use it. Sometimes the person may want the home warmer because it feels good to him or her. Another reason the elderly do not use air conditioning is because of the fear of receiving an increased electric bill. Since many of them are on fixed budgets they worry about the cost of running the air conditioner. If you notice the temperature in a person’s home is hot you need to encourage the person to use the air conditioning. Utility companies try hard to work with the elderly to ensure they can afford to pay their bill.
In summary, you need to check on your elderly neighbors, encourage them to use their air conditioning if they have it, make sure they have plenty of cool liquids to drink, and transport them to places with air conditioning if they do not have it in their home.

Caring For A Loved One With Alzheimer’s

“Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always” is a quote from Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine. I think it is a great statement that can give strength to family caregivers that are taking care of loved ones that have dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Illinois Chapter has printed A Guide for Families of People with Dementia Living In Care Facilities. If you have a loved one in a care facility, please take the time to read this document. You will find encouraging words and ideas to ensure you loved one receives the best care possible. The article can be found  here . 

I hope this article helps some of you in caring for your love one.

A Week of Gratitude, Education, and White Lightening!

I would like to say thank you to all the people that helped make our fundraiser Ladies’ Night in Paradise a huge success.  The agency is blessed to have so many people that support it.  People are already marking their calendar for next year’s event.  We grossed over $18,000 in revenue, and this was a big help to the agency. 

 This has helped the agency to begin enrolling clients into the sliding scale fee services again.  It is our mission to help everyone that needs homemaker and personal care services, and I am glad to say we have survived some tough budget cuts and can now focus 100% on serving our clients.

 The Governor’s Summiton Aging proved to be an excellent event inNashville.  About 130 people that are leaders in programs for the elderly from across the state came together to discuss how to serve the people of the State of Tennessee better.  I learned so much about cutting edge programs that are being developed that offer great services for affordable prices, and I have already met with some people about how to make services in Knoxville and the surrounding communities stronger. 

The Board of Directors met today, and I am proud to say that SCHAS has an excellent group of people moving us forward.  Their vision is excellent, and they are mission minded people.

 The White Lightening Festival is in Claiborne Countythis weekend.  We are selling “I Survived the While Lightening Festival” shirts at this event.  So everyone come out and support the agency and get your shirt!

Hello!

Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service, Inc. (SCHAS) is excited to begin a blog as an outreach effort to help people who need care giving ideas and support while providing care to a loved one. This will also allow us to inform everyone about events that are on the horizon at the agency, and to share news regarding our population of senior citizens and persons with disabilities. It is my intent for this to be informative and helpful, while allowing us to continue our mission of improving the quality of life of our elders and persons with disabilities.

I look forward to reading your comments and getting feedback on how to make this blog relevant for those that read it. SCHAS is a leader in East Tennessee as an agency that provides caregivers to help with homemaker and personal care services for those that cannot perform activities of daily living by themselves. I believe this format is an excellent way to have a positive impact in the lives of the people living in our communities that need help to live with dignity and remain independent.