A recently widowed husband looks to assistive technology to fill a gap.
A gentleman in his mid-70s, recently widowed and with a heart procedure on the horizon, needs to be supported and have peace of mind now that he is living alone for the first time in over fifty years and is waiting for the surgery he requires. He wanted to implement a solution that would alert emergency medical responders, his loved ones, and a few neighbors that if he experienced heart issues, that would lead to him falling, experiencing a heart attack, or otherwise. He also wanted to make some of his daily activities less burdensome, such as brewing a pot of coffee and turning certain lights in the house on and off without being required to flip a switch. The client had recently purchased an Apple Watch and was a longtime user of Amazon Alexa. This allowed us to leverage his existing technology to develop a plan to address his needs. We configured his Apple Watch for fall detection and enabled it to alert emergency services, his adult children, and a neighbor, providing them with his location. We leveraged his Amazon Alexa by installing several smart plugs to certain lights around the house and in the coffee machine, allowing him to brew coffee and control the lights with voice commands. We also installed dusk-to-dawn lightbulbs on his front porch so emergency responders could quickly identify the house's location when it was dark. The client has all the peace of mind he needs as he awaits his heart procedure and feels supported, as do his children and neighbors.
A family has urgent fall risk concerns with a loved one who has dementia, and they don’t know what their long-term needs will be.
A family contacted me because their father had dementia, and they were concerned about the fall risks in the home. The father and mother lived in the same house they'd lived in for 40-plus years. They wanted to continue living in it for as long as possible but weren’t sure yet if they wanted to move to Assisted Living in the next couple of years or whether they would like to make home modifications that would allow them to move the master suite to the main floor. Still, the family was very concerned that the home presented some fall risks that needed to be addressed immediately, given the father's cognitive decline, loss of balance, and intent to navigate the house the way he always had. They knew someone would get hurt and injured if they didn't change their home. First, they contracted me to conduct a Home Inspection. The father's journey with dementia required me to delicately balance including the husband in our meetings so that he felt like he was in charge and being collaborated with while also separately meeting with the wife and the adult children to make decisions that were in the best interest of everyone. I prepared a report that categorized my recommendations into things that should be addressed now, soon, and someday, prioritizing short-term and long-term needs. Then they engaged me to help manage the urgent modifications with my preferred resources and vendors. Logistically I worked with them to schedule any work being done at home while the father wasn't at the house so that it wouldn't cause him any stress or anxiety, which provided the opportunity to be respectful to the father while also walking a fine line between knowing that he wasn't capable of making decisions. The goal of the home was to make it safe, functional, and comfortable, while the plan with the father was to keep him calm, safe, and loved. After the project, we implemented several modifications and solutions that would support the husband and wife to continue living in the home for now and plan for the next steps as his needs evolved, all while managing the father's relationship with dignity, respect, and care.
A couple has decided to move to an assisted living home in two years but needs a few updates to live safely for their remaining time in the home.
The husband and wife couple had already decided which assisted living home they would move to, and when they contacted me, they had targeted a move date for some time, approximately two years later. Both could advocate for themselves but were aware they would benefit from some solutions to support them for their remaining time in the house. First, they contracted me to conduct a Home Inspection. I identified the minimum number of things that needed to happen to keep them safe and comfortable for their remaining time in the home. Then they engaged me to help them manage a handful of home modifications with my preferred resources and vendors, and they could handle the other home modifications on their own with their preferred resources. One of the things I managed on their behalf was installing two handrails along the stairs to their primary entrance. The client has expressed that the handrails have been 'life-changing' as they provided them with the support they need to safely navigate the stairs and give them peace of mind that they don't have to worry about falling and getting injured.
A single retired gentleman searches for the right assisted living home.
A single, independent, retired gentleman who is healthy, in his early 80s, and able to advocate for himself knew that the time was coming for when he will want to move out of his home to an assisted living home and was in the process of evaluating the options that are currently available to him in the market to determine the best place for him. He reached out to me to contract me as his Trusted Advisor. He had shared his plans to move out of his home with his adult children who live out of town, but he wanted a professional who understood the local footprint and would help him navigate this decision through the lens of aging in place. I attended multiple appointments with him at various assisted living homes that he was interested in, I supported him in meetings with the sales representatives to ensure that his selection would meet his needs, and I provided several solutions that he could leverage to ensure he could live out his remaining days in his current home safely, independently, functionally, and comfortably.
My parents needed an outdoor living area during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
When the Pandemic arrived in 2020, it instantly changed my parents’ access to caregiving resources and social stimulation and caused my dad to experience caregiver fatigue. To remedy these issues, I developed a concept for an outdoor living area to repurpose their carport into a covered, open-air living space and a section of their backyard as a seating area for people to gather. These spaces would enable them to host friends for socialization and caregivers to be with my mom, providing support and relief for my dad, rain or shine. Because of my mom’s cognitive decline, we needed to include her in our planning meetings so that she could feel like she was in charge and being collaborated with, but in reality, decisions were being made without her. We knew her sense of style well enough to have it represented in the project and made sure to incorporate her favorite colors and plants. She was also at a point with her symptoms of confusion, fear, and anxiety that having her present at the house while the project was being worked on wasn’t an option. We were able to leverage a network of friends and family to pick her up for lunch or a joy ride around town to solve this problem. The final project for the outdoor living spaces included a functional carport area with a fully stocked refrigerator and freezer, a potting bench that we repurposed into an outdoor kitchenette, and a rug with two patio bistro tables. We installed ceiling fans and floor fans to keep everyone comfortable during warmer weather and mini tabletop heaters to keep people warm during the cooler months. Next to the refrigerator was a welcome hutch with paper towels, disposable face masks, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and a chalkboard with 'house rules.' The backyard sitting space included a chiminea set into a newly landscaped seating area with socially distanced seating options. This project was a game changer for my parents, our entire family, and their friends. The outdoor living areas were used to safely gather, socialize, and enjoy each other's company. For my parents, it provided stimulation and respite.
