Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

You know, spring break can be a nice break if it is planned out. With having two kids in elementary school we always seem to have a tight schedule and be on the go here and there. Whether it be running my son to basketball or Cub Scouts or running my daughter to gymnastics or swimming, oh and don’t forget all the play dates with their friends…who’s house will they be at today and when do we need to pick them up?

You always feel like you are on the go and our house always seems like Grand Central Station. Spring break was a welcome vacation from all that.

We recently made a week long trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico over spring break with the kids. It was our first time going on this long distance of a trip and taking them out of the country, so we were always thinking of how things will go or ‘what if’ scenarios that might come up and detour our travel plans. But nothing major happened and it was a great time and experience for all of us.

However, the questions that came to my mind surrounding the kids and traveling are the same ones that could be asked and applied to our parents or someone else, anyone else for that matter that needs the supervision and care of another person.

I will say, it was enlightening and encouraging to see the number of people traveling in the care of others. I mean, not just people like us with kids but, elderly folks traveling and sight seeing on a charter of some kind with a group leader, a disabled person in a wheelchair being chauffeured around the hotel campus to and from the beach, young adults with someone on their arm directing them around the downtown streets through all the endless shops, and etc.

The point of this being the fact that people of all ages and of all places can be in need of personal care assistants. Whether in Mexico or Minnesota, our personal needs are the same.

One of the first steps you can take is to call upon a strong home care provider in your time of transition that can be there to answer your questions. It’s nice to know, Aspirience is here for you.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

It’s not news to anyone that Walgreens, the general neighborhood pharmacy acquired OptionCare last year, making the 20-year-old division of Walgreen Corporation available nationwide in nearly every state.

Walgreens-OptionCare provides home care medical equipment and supplies for families referred by physicians, clinics, county healthcare workers, hospitals or walk-ins.

Their equipment includes respiratory and infusion equipment and services, wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, canes, lifts, crutches and custom orders.

I was talking with the General Manager of a local Minnesota Walgreens and he said eighty percent of their business is custom orders: everything from compression hose for circulatory problems to adaptive equipment for eating to custom bathroom accessories.

Some of the stores offer people an opportunity to try out equipment before acquiring it. Just like buying a car, take it for a test drive if you like it, buy it.

Essentially, a customer comes in and says, ‘I’m bringing mom home from the hospital and I don’t know what I need.’ They inquire as to what their home situation is, the caregiver they are working with and the status of mom’s needs.

Until a person is in that situation, you literally have no idea what you might need. Now things have changed for better when you need medical supplies accompanied with home care services.

What does this mean for the home care services world?

This is a great partnership in the making for us to be able to provide a reliable source for medical supplies with convenient locations at affordable prices. It’s a complimentary match for both of us.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

Here’s an alarming fact I read: U.S. House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what’s often the government equivalent of junk mail: meeting announcements, tips on car care, sideline business offerings, committee interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging.

Can you believe that? $20 million dollars!

They sent nearly 116 million pieces of mail in all, many of them glossy productions filled with flattering photos, lists of the latest roads and bridges the lawmaker has brought home to the district and yes…tips on car care. Tips on car care?? I can get that from the channel 5 news in the morning when they update traffic.

A dozen House members spent more than $133,000 each to send 9.8 million pieces of mass mailings. Total cost on that? $1.8 million.

Of the 64 House members with at least $100,000 in taxpayer-funded mailing expenses, 42 were Republicans and 22 were Democrats. Not that it matters, this priviledge was abused either way you look at it.

In sharp contrast, 59 lawmakers, 35 Republicans and 24 Democrats, spent nothing on mass mailings. They tended to be the more experienced House members.

Here’s the Minnesota connection:

A former House representative spent $152,000 in taxpayer funded mailings last year, more than any other House member from Minnesota and 13^th of all House members in mailing expenses.

Here’s another Minnesota connection:

• $20 million will fund at least a half dozen nursing homes in the state for a year;
• It will fund home care for almost 750 clients in the state for a year;
• Lastly, the 45 smallest non-profit organizations in the state don’t even have budgets or income large enough to equate $20 million each.

With health care reform almost being forced upon us and no end in sight for more changes inevitably coming, even $20 million would go a long ways.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

It’s that time of year again when we all try to make a New Years Resolution. With the beginning of a new year, you get a fresh start, a blank page, a clean slate, a new beginning, whatever you might call it, it’s time to look at what your New Year’s resolution(s) might be.

First though, we should reflect upon last year and what we did do in 2007. Did the New Year’s resolutions you made for 2007 come true? Did you get accomplished everything you wanted to? Many of us can say, hardly, because it’s so tough to plan for next week, let alone next year.

As we embark on that new beginning the next step is to come up with some ideas. That might be the challenging part. It’s tough to know where you want to go if you’re sure what is possible.

Well, if you’re stuck for ideas take a look at this top ten list with some ideas I compiled from several surveys:

1. Spend more time with friends and family. Try sitting down together for a family meal one day a week. Leave the TV off and talk instead.

2. Get fit. You don’t need to join a gym to get fit. Skip the elevator and walk up the stairs instead.

3. Loose weight. Change your diet gradually, don’t give up everything you love straight away. Just make a small change every week.

4. Quit smoking. Get help, don’t do it on your own. Ask your friends and family for support.

5. Enjoy life more. Start taking in the good things…go for a walk with a family member and listen to nature’s sounds and view the scenery.

6. Quit Drinking. Don’t put yourself in situations you’ll find difficult. Same as quitting smoking, ask friends and family for support.

7. Get out of debt. Be honest with yourself and your partner. Get professional help if needed.

8. Learn something new. Try something new you’ve always wanted to do. I personally learned to snow ski last year and took more lessons this year. Ask a friend to come too.

9. Help others. Visit elderly neighbors or relatives who might be lonely for a chat. Sometimes just talking with someone brightens their day.

10.Get organized. Get a diary and start using it. Write down when important dates are or when bills are due. Prioritize tasks into smaller workable tasks so the job gets done better and faster.

In reviewing this list, if you do one resolution, it inevitably bleeds over into another resolution. Like spending more time with friends and family(#1 above), has hints of enjoying life more (#5 above) and helping others (#9 above). It appears to be a win/win deal.

Hopefully, this list will give some ideas of how to set successful resolutions for the new year.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

We’ve all grown up believing Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, where he and his reindeer rest up for the big trek come Christmas time. But some recent findings may put the seed of doubt into your mind.

People said there was this guy living somewhere up in the hills spreading Christmas cheer. Turns out this jolly old elf no longer lives up north, but just over the Minnesota line, in Wisconsin. He has a spread there, and one in Taylors Falls.

His name is Tom Scheib, a reindeer farmer. An ex-marine by training. He hasn’t shaved his white beard since the day he retired from the service. But all his rough edges soften quickly once you get the picture of him and his reindeer stock. Holiday cheer soon sets in.

I would imagine kid’s eyes getting as big as saucers seeing the wonder in the eyes when they got their first look at his reindeer pulling a sleigh on his farm and this jolly white bearded guy taking care of them. I would think it’s as close to the real deal as it gets.

I’m sure,he’s seen that sparkle in the eyes of countless children. Since the early 1980s, he’s hauled his beautiful beasts around Minnesota. He started at his home with four reindeer and a sleigh. He’d swing down through Duluth, lighting Christmas trees, giving sleigh rides, and spreading the Christmas spirit along the way. He’d head all the way over to Michigan then and round trip it back home.

He got the idea to make a living at raising reindeer when he was stationed in Norway. When he started Dancing Reindeer Farms, he was one of the first to bring Reindeer to the U.S. There are more in the business today, and he’s helped a lot of them get into the reindeer game. After all, Santa needs a lot of help come Christmas time.

Today, Scheib has just under 100 reindeer. Most are spread out across the country right now, doing Christmas business from New York to New Ulm. Scheib has reindeer leased out to the Bronx Zoo, which they use in their parades. He has reindeer at the Hershey plant in Pennsylvania. You’ll see his deer in movies, television ads, and your local holiday parade.

So, is Tom Scheib — blue-eyed, red-nosed, sporting a bushy white beard — in actuality Mr. Santa Claus? Is the beloved gift giver living right here in our midst?

Not sure but one thing is, Santa works a lot of magic in mysterious ways. This could be one.

It’s important to know, Aspirience Home Care wishes you happy holidays this season.