Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

The fun of summer for all, not just kids, often brings the worry of summer care for parents.

During the summer, many are cared for by older siblings, neighborhood high schoolers, family members or summer nannies. But one question comes up, what is the “right” age that children can be left alone for a few hours, or the entire day? Once care is chosen, what preventative steps can parents take to ensure children are safe?

There is no Minnesota law that states at what exact age a child must be before he or she may be left home alone or left under the care of another child. There are general laws, however, that require adequate and appropriate supervision of children. Each case depends on the maturity of the child or caregiver, their experience in this field and the environment they might be left in.

The general law indicates the following guidelines:

- Children under age 8 should not be left alone for any period of time.

- Children ages 8, 9, and 10 can be left alone for traditional latch-key hours under certain circumstances. (before and after school)

- Children 11 to 14 may baby-sit with the expectation that an adult will return later in day.

- Children 15 and older may baby-sit for more than 24 hours.

Regardless of who is providing the care, here are 5 important things to make certain your care provider has at the ready:

1. Emergency Contact Information. All phone numbers for doctors, vets, relatives, etc.
2. Copy of insurance info & medical release form. This is important in an emergency so child care provider can get medical procedures started while waiting for parents to arrive.
3. Log book of some kind. Important so families and care provider are leaving important notes and info (meal plans, reminders of appointments, pick up times) in one central location to provide excellent communication of all activities. This serves as a nice review of the entire summer, too.
4. Grab and go kit. Prepare an easy-to-grab kit that contains important items such as: sun screen, bandages, first aid cream, extra set of clothes, etc. A small handled bag will make this easy to take to the park, beach, fishing or Valley Fair. This way, the day isn’t ruined because you do not have the tools for a simple fix.
5. Cash. Work together with your care provider and children to devise a weekly budget for important summer items such as: ice cream cones, movies, pool entrance fees, park fees, etc.

Ensuring these steps are followed is a great way to savor all the summer activities with peace of mind.

It’s important to know, Aspirience Home Care is there to help all ages enjoy the summer.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

No one can argue with the fact that today’s fathers are more “hands on” with their kids. With so many dual income families, fathers often have to share the workload of childrearing and household chores. So how are fathers faring in this brave new world of changing diapers and driving carpools? With Father’s Day weekend here what a better time to look into this topic.

From what I see, read and hear, the verdict is mixed on how well today’s dads measure up - about half of the public says they’re doing a worse job when compared with fathers a generation ago and the other half says they’re doing as well or even better.

A broad consensus holds that it is harder to be a father now than it was 20 or 30 years ago, and on this point men and women agree. Fully 59% of men and 62% of women say today’s dads have a tougher time of it according to many studies.

Only 12% of the public, say it easier to be a dad today, while roughly a quarter say it’s about the same as it was a generation ago. People generally feel the same about motherhood. From studies I have read, seven-in-ten adults say it’s harder to be a mom today than it was in the past, and only 11% see it as easier.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to evaluating today’s fathers, dads’ harshest critics turn out not to be women, but other dads.

For example, on how good a job fathers are doing raising their kids, women actually have a more benevolent view. A majority (56%) of women say today’s dads are doing as good a job or a better job raising their kids compared with fathers a generation ago, while four-in-ten say they are doing a worse job according to a recent study.

Men, however, take a more critical view - only 41% of men say today’s dads match or better the performance of the dads of the 1970s and ’80s, compared with a majority (55%) who say today’s dads are doing a worse job.

Notable among the biggest fans of today’s dads is a group of women who may well be the best qualified to evaluate them - working moms. They’re married to these men after all, and they function at the epicenter of the busy households where modern dads must pitch in at every turn.

Fully 72% of married moms who work at least part-time and are raising young children say dads are now doing as good a job or better than their counterparts did a generation ago - only 26% say they’re falling short.

Mom’s Still the Head of the Household

Dads may be working harder at home and getting more involved in their kids’ lives these days, but we won’t know for another 20 to 30 years, when today’s children are fully grown, whether their fathers have succeeded in knocking their mothers off the top of the family pedestal.

Surveys of adult children show that mom, not dad, is the parent that they feel closest to and the person they turn to for advice. In a 2005 Pew Research Center survey, 61% of adults with both parents still living said they have the most contact with their mother. Only 18% said they have the most contact with their father.

In that survey, respondents were more than twice as likely to say they would turn to their mom in times of crisis (17%) as opposed to their dad (6%). And while 87% said they are close to their mother, fewer (74%) said the same about their relationship with their father. In this regard, dads rank below the family pet, not good. On average, dog and cat owners feel closer to their pets than adult children feel to their fathers. Talk about humbling!

Still, this may be okay with dads, simply because their relationship with their kids is less central to their own happiness than it is for moms. Many wives might be surprised to know that when asked about the most important aspect of their personal happiness and fulfillment, men are more likely to point to their relationship with their wife than their relationship with their kids.

Just the opposite is true for women. They place more value on their relationship with their kids than they do on their relationship with their husband. If you think about it, it is really about the kids and not us parents. Bringing the kids up right way for the right reasons no matter what.

It’s important to know, Aspirience Home Care celebrates the victories of all parents everywhere on Father’s Day.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

PRESS RELEASE – Shakopee, Minnesota, June 11, 2007 – Aspirience Home Care Joins the Care Options Network of Home and Health Care Providers.

Care Options Network is a widely respected information and referral resource for senior care professionals in the Twin Cities area.

The Network is comprised of over 1,000 members of the senior health care and senior service provider industry. The Network staff collects and impartially formats vital care-specific data about senior care providers and services. The Network then distributes this information to the senior care industry, thereby helping find appropriate care, housing, products and services for over a quarter of a million seniors and their families each year.

Care Options Network is part of Volunteers of America of Minnesota, located in Golden Valley. However, Care Options Network is a member-supported program.

About Aspirience: Aspirience Home Care provides services to people of all ages who need help with activities of daily living and health-related functions through Personal Care Assistants (PCAs). We offer hourly, daily or weekly service, 365 days per year to children, young adults, middle age, seniors, the convalescing, disabled persons and anyone else who needs help with daily living activities. Unlike other home care providers, Aspirience Home Care does not limit its services to seniors. Anyone who needs help with routine activities of daily living in order to stay at home, we will help.

Our broad scope of services will allow you to stay independent and in control of your medical, social, spiritual, emotional and environmental well-being. To cover your overall health, Aspirience’s care model incorporates the following three components:

- Skilled Nursing Care Management

- Home Caregiving Services

- Healthcare Professionalism

Providing expert navigation to maximize your entitled benefits. We are here to meet your needs, and we understand that those needs may change. Therefore, you will never have to enter into a contract with us. We understand the fact that this business is built around ‘people’ and nothing else and we have been in the ‘people’ business for over 20 years.

It’s important to know, Aspirience home care can help you with your home care needs.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

This past week has been a turning point in our life. An unexpected turn that came sooner than our family expected. It has been one of many emotional, psychological and at times, physically challenging, ups and downs.

As some of you know, my Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease some years ago.

But, let me preface this chapter in our life with some history about Mom.

In the early stages of the disease, my Mom was always pretty self sufficient. She could do as she pleased with some care with the occasional forgetfulness of such as misplacing your car keys or other. You could be in discussion with her over any topic and she would ask whether she had told you something that she just told you?!? It was kind of perplexing and frustrating to the coherent of mind but, understandable to the goodwill of our human nature.

You know, it was a kind of peace, to know that is was only Alzheimer’s she was diagnosed with and not something else. There are so many different diseases that her forgetfulness could have lead to, it was a kind of peace to know it was a more common disease that more of the population had heard of. However, I wanted to research and teach myself more about this disease and glad I did.

She stayed at home with Dad for several enjoyable years during this time.

Though things worsened though Dad did a phenomenal job caring for her at home. Most days were good but, some were challenging. However, it was coming to the point, as it took its toll on him; she eventually was going to be put in a nursing home. Well, the day came when Dad called us three kids up and said the time was right to move her.

You know, it was a kind of peace, when she went into the nursing home. It was peace of mind for our family that she was being cared for 24/7 by professionals. It was also a form of peace that Dad would not have to worry about her certain type of care and well being at home without help.

At first, it was tough. I remember Dad having to give the nursing home instructions on how he wanted the care plan done for Mom over certain things such as her colostomy. That was consumer direction at its best. It was almost humorous to hear some of the stories of the nursing home taking care of Mom as they had never had to deal with a resident with a colostomy before. Oh, and don’t get Dad started on how hard they were on her clothes when they wash and dried them. We were buying her new outfits all the time. What a learning curve for both sides!

Mom stayed there for just over two years. Dad visited mom just about every day, too. The nursing home put on events for the residents all the time. Bingo, singers, musicians, ice cream socials (that dad always helped with), clown and magic acts, local Scouts coming by to sing Christmas carols, church was held at various times during the week, etc. The nursing home even had its own dog, employee ID badge attached to its collar and all. A gentle, caring yellow lab named Buckshot.

Needless to say, they kept the place active for the residents.

Last Thursday, May 31^st, I woke up at my usual time, grabbed a cup of coffee and went downstairs to my office. The phone rang about 6:00am and it was Dad telling us Mom had just passed away. The nursing home staff was helping her get comfortable in her bed just before this. She took a deep breath, grasped for air; they knew something had just happened. They called Dad and asked him to come down to the nursing home right away. She took her last breath as he entered her room a few minutes later. She died of a massive heart attack. People don’t die from Alzheimer’s; they die from complications from something else. Hers happened to be a heart attack.

You know, it was a kind of peace, when she passed away. Peace knowing that she is in a much, much better place today. Peace that our family can rest our hearts, minds and bodies knowing this, too.

It’s good to know, Aspirience Home Care can help you find that kind of peace with home care.

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