Alive and Well strive to promote best recommended care services for seniors and their families
About Alive and Well
My passion to help the elderly began at home. After our Dad passed away, my eight brothers and sisters promised our Mother that we would never place her in a nursing home. Doing so would be unthinkable—like abandoning her in her time of need. So, we naively pledged to care for her ourselves until the very end. We assured Mom that she would be able to live out her remaining years at home with her family. We felt that nine children should have no problem taking over her care. We had no idea what that would entail...
As time went by, our Mother's mental and physical health decreased and her needs and care increased, we found ourselves unable to cope. Eventually, we were forced to admit that we couldn’t provide full-time hands-on care over the long term. We knew we had to look into hiring a caregiver or find a compassionate living facility but we had no idea where to start. We also did not know how we could pay for long-term care services.
Our story is not the exception. According to the CDC, caregiving can put a tremendous toll on families, with most patients requiring years of care. Most families do not have the time or the ability to care for their loved ones; with work, raising families and taking care of their own circumstances, this can be overwhelming.
My family cared for my mother for over 13 years. I was responsible for securing available resources. I felt that I had years of experience working in the senior community and that it would be easy. What I found, however, was that the undertaking was overwhelming. It took so much time to locate and research each company to ensure that our mother would be living in a caring environment. Throughout our process, I really wished for someone who had experience and knowledge to help me. When our mother eventually passed away, I was left with so much anxiety over the entire process. While she ended up spending her last 6 months in assisted living, we were able to ensure our Mother was safe and secure.
After our experience, I soon discovered that there are so many families experiencing similar situations to what my family went through. I learned so much in the process and I wanted to share my information so others could provide their loved ones with the best care possible.
For over 20 years I have worked in law enforcement as a certified Elderly Service Officer; overseeing senior programs such as wandering issues related to dementia and Alzheimers. I created a senior network organization with public and private agencies assisting area seniors. I conduct security inspections for homes and businesses and I also network with private senior care agencies. With this experience and the information I received during the care of my mother, I felt driven to help others. There are so many families who are in desperate need of eldercare assistance and I do not want any family to go through what my family had to go through. This is how Alive and Well began...
