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 HOME CAREtoday
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Our Back-To-School Issue
| September/October 2010
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Dear Friend:
As you can tell by the pencil, I've always loved this time of year. What about you?
The warm Atlanta weather is starting to cool a bit. Children are heading back-to-school for a new year of learning. A season of gorgeous leaves turning to gold and red beckons. Soon, before you know it, there will be football games galore to watch, hayrides to take, spiced cider to sip, pumpkins to carve and sweaters to pull over your head to stay cozy.
This year, we've officially made the program what it's been all along -- "A youth based collection to warm Atlanta's seniors." (Thanks go to metro Atlanta Schools who have begun collecting sweaters for home bound seniors!) You can read all about it in this month's issue.
Since home is where the heart is, it's important to take care of it, right? Fall is a great time to employ a few preventive measures before the weather gets cold. So, we're offering up a few tips for your healthy home below.
And finally, Derrick Merchant, our chief administrator at AHCS has advice on how to make the most of home care. (Hint. Just like home maintenance, it involves a little bit of planning.)
In closing, I hope this issue helps prepare you for a health, happy Autumn 2010. And may you enjoy the rest of your summer fun!
Be well,
Sharna Fulton
Director of Marketing
Alternative Home Care for Seniors (AHCS)
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 For the best home care experience, create a care plan
By Derrick Merchant
Being able to stay in our own home as we age is preferred by many. For
those who's loved ones may want home care in the future, a little
planning goes a long way. By preparing ahead for home care, you'll have a
better understanding of what to expect which will benefit your overall
home care experience.
To create a care plan, consider the following:
1) Discuss the personal care needs of the patient along with his or her dietary or medication requirements.
2) To make your home care dollars stretch, decide with the family how
many hours per day will be necessary to have help. Take the following
into consideration:
* Does the patient live by his or her self?
* If yes do they need assistance after bed time?
* Are there any family members who will be Click here to continue reading:
Derrick Merchant is Co-owner and Chief Admininistrator of Alternative
Home Care for Seniors (AHCS)
He has more than 20 years experience in the
home care industry and writes about Senior Issues for Examiner.com |
Our "3rd Annual Sweaters for Seniors" promises to be the best yet thanks to metro Atlanta schools
It's hard to believe it's been two years since we started our community service program, Sweaters For Seniors.
With the help of local businesses, organizations and schools, we've collected more than 1,000 sweaters for Gwinnett County Senior Services since 2008.
Since many of those sweaters came through school donations, we've decided to officially make "Sweaters" a youth-based collection to warm Atlanta's seniors." It's our hope that this will allow the program to grow and spread throughout metro Atlanta! AHCS has coordinated with DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett County's senior service agencies. The goal is for proceeds from our partner schools to go directly to the county in which each school resides.
Go Comets! J.C. Magill Elementary in Gwinnett County signs on as our flagship school!
 To encourage
participation, a cardboard thermometer attached to the box will keep
students and staff updated as to how many sweaters have been collected
through October 15. In addition to bringing in sweaters, students
may purchase a paper "Pin-Up" Sweater for 1.00 each to color, paint or design. All proceeds from the sale of these Pin-Ups will go to
Gwinnett County Senior Services.
"I think this will be a
great program to teach our students about giving to seniors," said
Collins. One of Magill's
values shown on its website is: To develop positive, collaborative
relationships that incorporate the diverse perspectives of students,
teachers and the surrounding community through shared learning
experiences. "Helping out 'Sweaters For Seniors' certainly fits into
this vision," adds Collins.
The Galloway School to support Senior Citizen Services and Atlanta Meals on Wheels
It was 2006 when Maria Spartis saw AHCS (Derrick and Sharna) on CBS Atlanta's Better Mornings talking about "Sweaters for Seniors." A few weeks later, Spartis' 3rd grade class at the Galloway School had collected more than 300 sweaters for the program.
Photo courtesy of the Galloway School  | We are thrilled our alliance with this wonderful private school will continue this year with the help of Missy Hirsh, Assistant to the College Counselor
Because Galloway is located in Fulton County, their collections will go to Senior Citizen Services of Metro Atlanta. According to Steven Hargrove, Director of Events and Marketing for SCS, the sweater gifts will accompany Meals on Wheels Atlanta on Thanksgiving day, 2010.  Senior Connections in DeKalb County also has a highly impressive Meals On Wheels Operation that caters to DeKalb County's seniors and beyond. We are hopeful at this writing that a leading school system in DeKalb will partner with us shortly to benefit DeKalb's seniors, too.
Calling all
Gwinnett, DeKalb and Fulton County schools! Join Sweaters For Seniors
and help us blanket Atlanta's seniors with warmth this winter.
The more schools
that are involved, the more we can blanket Atlanta's seniors. To get
schools excited about participating, a Sweaters For Seniors School
Activity Kit is now available. Please contact sharna@alternativeforseniors.com
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There's no place like a safe and well-kept home.
A "honey-do" list for fall maintenance.
1) Check all heat pumps, filters, furnaces or boilers.
2) Make sure there are working lights at the top and bottom of stairs.
3) Check all windows and door locks for proper operation.
4) Inspect any fireplaces and clean the flues to prevent built-up soot from igniting inside your chimney.
5) Check and clean dust from covers of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
6) Re-caulk any gaps between bathroom fixtures and flooring materials to prevent water from seeping into the sub-flooring.
7) Check weather stripping around doors and windows to keep cold air out and warm air in.
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Grow with us. AHCS is franchising.
If you're a compassionate entrepreneur looking for a new career and business opportunity in
Atlanta, Georgia or the Southeast, please contact Derrick Merchant for details. Likewise, if you
refer someone to us who becomes an AHCS franchisee, we will pay you a $1,000 referral fee.
770-736-7977 Derrick@alternative4seniors.com
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Home Care Today
is an e-news publication of Alternative Home Care for Seniors (AHCS). Each
monthly issue features quick-read information pertaining to seniors,
caregivers, our community involvement, etc. In addition, we proudly
feature a story on a senior service other than home care in each issue.
If you have an idea that benefits seniors, we'd like to know about it
for a possible future issue. To see archived e-newsletters, click here. All articles copyright Alternative Home Care for Seniors 2010. To request permission to reprint articles or content from past issues, please contact sharna.fulton@att.net
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