In sitting down to pen this blog today, the most predominant feeling is that of gratitude. Humble gratitude for the good of today, of this season, and especially for the good of what we do as the Better People Care team. So thank you, and we rest in these moments of gratitude: To God, who made Better People Care an…
My Grandmother’s headstone, resting in the High Butte Cemetery where the sun rises over Chimney Rock reads, “She loved life”. My Grandmother grew up in a sod house in the panhandle of Western Nebraska on land that her father and his three brothers homesteaded. I stand on this land now and wonder how they ever made sod “bricks” for their…
Two and a half weeks ago, Bob and his wife and I went for a walk in their neighborhood. It was a lovely Colorado day with sunny skies and clear air. We walked to their neighbor’s rock, which is Bob’s favorite spot to sit and rest. We all sat and rested and chatted a bit before heading home. Bob stopped…
In order to keep my car in its best shape, I trust the good folks at BG Automotive. I trust them because they know cars, they know my car, and they know how to keep it in good shape by preventing problems with proper maintenance. And when my car begins to rattle or sputter, I am confident that BG Automotive…
When the end of life grows closer, we often ponder the essence of life. Being closer to the end of life is a regular context within the work we do with folks who are older and often living with chronic health issues. And I wonder, could we (as a society) not be seeing the forest for the trees? Could it…
My friend Dottie. I’ve written about her before. She recently turned 97 years old and I was honored to be with her that day…when her family and beloved friends were not able to be with her because of Covid restrictions. The sad reality is that few residents of senior living facilities have regular visits from family and beloved friends. But…
My good friend Lola is 88 years old and has dementia. She says, “BUSY is the new 4-letter word.” Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, philosopher, and defender of Catholic Christianity in the 1600’s said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room.” 100% of my good friends with dementia, given a dementia-aware environment to enjoy,…
You may know that the Better People Care “tag line”, or motto, is: “Helping Older Folks Live Fully in Their Own Homes.” To be sure, sometimes “their own homes” refers to one of the senior facilities in which folks now live. But moreso, “their own homes” means the homes in which they live within the community. Homes they often live…
Colorado State Senator Joann Ginal and a purr-ito named Cheese I wish I had a way to show everyone what happens when you put a kitten, wrapped in their soft blanket “purr-ito”, into the arms of a person with dementia. You see, when we bring appropriate sensory and social stimulation into the day’s experience of someone with dementia, we give…
Last week, about twenty residents of a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Greeley, Colorado, held a protest against Covid restrictions on the sidewalks outside their facility. Their hand-made signs said things like, “Rather die of Covid than loneliness”, and “where are our rights as residents?”. The Governor of Colorado’s statement following this protest was “We absolutely understand how difficult it…
