Visiting Angels help seniors

Establishing and maintaining independence is a universal desire beginning somewhere around the age of 2 when toddlers begin to express their true “I can do it myself” feelings.

That independent desire grows during the determined teen years, self-sufficient adult years and continues well into the senior years.  Regardless of age, we all seem to have that “I can do it myself” desire and while we certainly can do many things for ourselves, there does come a time, particularly in our older years, when we may need a bit of a helping hand.

Visiting Angels: Living Assistance Services offers the helping hand needed for the older generation of the community while at the same time understanding and respecting our human independent nature.

The first Visiting Angels agency was established in 1998 by Larry Meigs. It has since grown to 542 franchisees across the nation.  Each quality in-home assistance agency provides superior caregivers to independent clients who may need a little extra help in various areas while also providing tremendous peace of mind for family and friends.

Often older family members prefer to have their trusted siblings or adult children assist them with various chores and errands but are wise enough to recognize that loved ones are not always available for the task or perhaps not the best ones to fulfill the need due to their own obligations.

This is where Visiting Angels steps in.  The care giving agency matches the needs of clients with a trusted care provider who is dedicated to helping clients with errands, tasks and chores while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the clients preferred schedule, lifestyle and sense of independence.

Visiting Angels has no required long term obligations which means, clients can receive non-medical assistance ranging from a couple hours a day for a few weeks, every day of the week for many years, or simply an occasional day here and there when needed.  The agency also provides caretakers for elderly relatives who are only visiting for a short vacation or during the holidays and may need some sort of assistance during their stay.  The benefit of the brief, non-intrusive help often makes for a much smoother visit with family and friends.

Some of the services caretakers provide through Visiting Angels include: assistance with transportation and all other activities of daily living, hospital discharge assistance, prescription pick-up, doctor appointments, hair and nail appointments, grocery shopping and numerous other errands.

Stockton branch manager, Carol Allen, whose own mother is 94 years young and benefits from the service noted “having help from a qualified care provider allows clients to enjoy their independent lifestyle for as long as possible and also lets the clients adult children enjoy their visits together instead of being the one running all the errands and getting tired and grumpy.”

One added perk to having a caregiver help with needed tasks such as meal planning and preparation, hygiene care or light housekeeping is the natural bond and companionship that takes place when client and caregiver are together.   Visiting Angels care providers strive for a personal connection with their clients in order to help build trust and develop a mutual friendship.

The local agency which covers the San Joaquin County area offers a free in-home visit and assessment to better understand a client’s needs and to find them a perfect match with one of their care providers who are ready and willing to lend the “I can do it myself” older generation a helping hand.

For more information about Visiting Angels: Living Assistance Services visit www.visitingangels.com or call (209) 952.3585