Everyone loves grandkids it seems. I have two wonderful granddaughters and they make me relive the best parts of parenting when I am with them. When I am eighty, my grandchildren will be in their twenties. I was reminded of this in February, 2011 when Rachel Bradford, our Home Support Manager heard from a young woman and her brother. They live in Saint John, New Brunswick and they are in their twenties. These young people were calling us because they wanted help caring for their grandmother who was coping with dementia and a lot of confusion. They had arranged their living space to accommodate their grand mother’s needs. She had her own room, they are all on the same floor, and there are gates at certain hallways and stairways to keep their grand mother safe. Downstairs the grand daughter has her own business working as an aesthetician.

When our Home Support Manager met the three of them she found out that these young people were determined to make adjustments in their lifestyles and schedules to keep their grandmother safe and in familiar surroundings.

Most elderly people want to stay in their own home as they age. Quality of life is a top priority and living at home is often the best choice. Many times the agenda of younger caregivers and professionals is to provide safety for their aging loved ones. This approach often brings about a move to a nursing home or a move to a relative, sometimes far away. Often the elderly want something different than those that are caring for them.

In this case, it seems to me that there is a perfect balance between staying at home and the safety of having people living together. We have been asked to provide in home care during some of the business hours and on the weekends. As always, we worked hard to find the perfect Home Support Workers to meet the needs of their grandmother and meet the needs of the busy grandchildren who care for her so well.

I am very impressed by those grandchildren.

Paul English
President
Kindred Home Care