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Serving Southwest Florida Since 2008

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Avow Hospice

Avow Hospice

Avow was founded in 1983 as Collier County’s original, nonprofit hospice. Today, Avow’s nonprofit companies provide palliative care consultations for adults facing chronic or serious illness, hospice care and bereavement support services for children and adults

Avow delivers a better quality of life by providing comfort, care, understanding and dignity to those who are seriously ill and their caregivers, as well as those mourning a loved one’s passing. We are a support system in our community, providing our  services to anyone who needs them, including those whose loved ones were not in our programs. We also support those who are suffering the illness or loss of a companion animal.

Avow’s promise is to help members of our community provide care at home and live at home during an illness or death, surrounded by the people, pets and things they love most. We are teachers and guides, offering our expertise and loving support but always respecting the beliefs, choices and wishes of those we serve.

We often make positive, life-altering changes in someone’s life in as little as a moment. Therefore, even if our time with a patient, family member or community resident is brief, we bring it our full attention and focus on resolution and healing.

Help for Those in Grief

Whether you’ve lost someone who utilized our hospice care or not, Avow welcomes the grieving with open arms.

The following grief support services are available to anyone in the community…

  • Grief and bereavement support through individual or group meetings and regular follow-up.
  • Support for children who will or have experienced the loss of a parent or other loved one.
  • Help planning a private memorial service, if desired.
  • Community memorial programs including Butterfly Releases and Avow RememberingSM  memorial services. Invite family and friends.   Click Here To Learn More (Check our calendar for the date of our next offering or call us.).

Support for the mind, body and spirit

Dealing with the symptoms of any painful or serious illness is difficult. Palliative care can help. Palliative care can be offered at the same time you’re receiving treatments for your illness. Its primary purpose is to relieve the pain and other symptoms you are experiencing and improve your quality of life.

Live your life more comfortably

Palliative care provides relief from distressing symptoms including pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, problems with sleep and many other symptoms. It can also help you deal with the side effects of the medical treatments you receive. Most important, palliative care can help improve the quality of your life.

Palliative care also provides support for you and your family and can improve communication between you and your health care providers.

It’s never too early to learn about the benefits of hospice care. It’s not just for people in the last days of their lives. The reality is that, in many cases, hospice care can actually help people live longer. In virtually every case, hospice care brings significant comfort, peace and dignity to patients who are fearful, vulnerable, confused or exhausted from curative medical treatments that have failed to stop the progress of their illness.

Hospice cares is for people who are terminally ill and have an estimated lifespan of six months or less. Hospice is for anyone, of any age, who has a life-limited illness.

Each hospice patient and family has a team working together that supplements, but does not replace, the care provided by families, staff at an adult living facility, and other full-time caregivers.

Caregiver Support Programs

Caring for someone with a serious illness can be very rewarding, but it can also be difficult and overwhelming. Avow is here to ease your mind and help you cope. We offer a variety of services including support groups, volunteer support and help finding resources in the community that can help you.

Avow’s caregiver support groups are open to anyone in the community; neither the caregiver nor the patient needs to be associated with Avow’s hospice services in any way. Attendees may be parents, spouses, children or friends of people suffering from cancer, dementia, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, frailty or any other condition. Attendees can participate at whatever level they feel comfortable. Group leaders also help caregivers find resources in the community for whatever types of assistance their loved ones may need. See the link at the bottom of the page to view monthly support group schedules.

https://avowcares.org

For more information, go to www.seniorhousingsolutions.net 

Seniors Blue Book

Seniors Blue Book

The Seniors Blue Book is Southwest Florida’s most comprehensive and reliable source to find and compare Senior Housing such as Retirement Communities, Assisted Living, Memory Care,  Skilled Nursing. Health at Home options like Home Health Care, Non-Medical Home Care, Hospice and Senior Resources.

Mission Statement

The mission of The Seniors Blue Book and SeniorsBlueBook.com is to provide seniors, caregivers and senior professionals a comprehensive source of services, senior housing options, resources and information that enrich the lives of our elder population while affording those businesses and individuals serving that population a unique medium to present their products and services

Our History

Seniors Blue Book 1The Seniors Blue Book was first published in 1983 by Clifton Chadwick. At the time Cliff was 69 years old and enjoying his retirement when his wife experienced a debilitating stroke. Cliff became her full-time caregiver, a job he cherished, but he was distraught that there was no place to turn for a comprehensive list of resources and services. It was from the love for his wife and commitment to his community that the Seniors Blue Book was born.
It wasn’t until fifteen years later in 1997, when Cliff was 83 years old, that Gil & Marion Hersch crossed paths with Cliff and the Seniors Blue Book. With a history in publishing and Gerontology Gil & Marion were very impressed with the publication Cliff had nurtured along and wanted to become a part of it. After Cliff was certain that Gil & Marion had enough integrity to take over the guide and keep intact the many free listings and helpful editorials that he had published, Gil & Marion took over the Seniors Blue Book and soon joined forces with their children Oliver & Samantha. SeniorsBlueBook.com was launched soon after their arrival in 1999.

Today

In 2009 Gil & Marion went into “semi-retirement” and the majority of the day-to-day operations are now controlled by Oliver. The Seniors Blue Book and SeniorsBlueBook.com has grown from a small 40 page publication serving one market into serving 27 markets throughout the United States. Our largest guide, South Metro Denver, is now over 300 pages. We print over 2.7 Million Senior Blue Books annually and SeniorsBlueBook.com receives over 500K page views annually. The Hersch family truly appreciates and values the opportunity we have had to work with and help the many communities we serve. We are looking forward to continued growth and providing this incredibly valuable resource to more communities in the future.

Senior & Caregiver’s Resource of Choice

The Seniors Blue Book and SeniorsBlueBook.com is the resource of choice in every market we serve. We are committed to providing the most complete and comprehensive resources available and are constantly working on compiling new information, expanding our distribution and enhancing existing categories. We list over 70 categories of information, most of which are free resources that support the community. We understand that there are many valuable services available, whether they are paying advertisers or not, and we are proud to support the communities we serve by listing all options available to our readers, not solely based on advertising. Seniors and Caregivers also love our senior activities calendar where they can find out about local events and activities, many of which are free, all of which are worthwhile.

Professionals Resource of Choice

The Seniors Blue Book understands the value of having a strong relationship with the professionals that serve the senior population, particularly with Case Managers, Social Workers and Discharge Planners. We now publish a special printing, just for Case Managers, Social Workers and Discharge Planners, that not only lists the comprehensive comparison grid information they have become accustomed to, but also lists address and fax #’s to help make their jobs a little easier. Additionally we offer a professionals networking calendar  and a job opportunities page as well.

For more information, go to www.seniorhousingsolutions.net 

 

Advice from a Senior Living Expert

ADVICE FROM A SENIOR LIVING EXPERT

Selecting a senior living community is not an easy task.  These are common questions we get asked.

My children live up north, should I move to be with them?  

As a son whose mom lives nearby, I truly understand the importance of having family close. Fortunately, we both live here in Southwest Florida, and we can be part of each other’s lives. The idea of moving out of state to be nearer to children is a big decision that involves many factors and changes. First and foremost, is the question of whether you are ready to give up your current lifestyle?  Do you have friends or a social network in their area, or will you be depending upon your children to provide you with the socialization you need?  Will you live with them, or will you find a place of your own?  You will need to think about changing your primary care physician and specialists, your bank, and your church.  How comfortable will you be driving during winter conditions?  Will the winter weather hamper your activity level and lessen your independence?  Are your children committed to continuing to live in that area, or could their careers take them to another location?  What happens if they retire, will they want to stay in that location?  As you can see, there are many factors involved in deciding to move closer to your children.  I would recommend before making that decision, to visit the senior living communities in this area.  You may be able to fulfill yours and your children’s desire for security and peace of mind without such a drastic change.

If I move to a senior living community, do I need to change doctors?

When you live at a senior living community, you can continue the relationship you have with your primary care physician and specialists. As a convenience to the residents, many communities do have relationships with physicians and these doctors maintain clinic hours at the senior living community. You are under no obligation to use these doctors; however, residents find it time saving and worthwhile to establish a relationship with a physician on site. If you decide to keep your physician, most senior living communities provide transportation to and from your medical appointments to make life a little easier for you.

I want to move to a senior living community, but my husband does not.  What should we do?

It is very common for one spouse to not be on the same page as the other when considering a senior living community.  Many times, it is hard for someone to think forward and contemplate scenarios when they are less independent.  Most likely, your current residence will not be suitable as you advance in age.  It is not sensible to believe your health will remain as it is for the rest of your life.  Share with your husband that not putting a plan in place now would place the entire burden on your shoulders if something should happen to him in the future. It is easier to make the move when you are both able to select a community together, sell your home together, pack and move together, and make new friends together. Hopefully, he will recognize the importance of protecting you and creating a life which you both can continue to enjoy for many years.

There are so many senior living communities to consider in our area, where do I start?  

Locating a senior living community that meets your needs and preferences is not easy, especially if you try to do it alone.  As a senior housing advisor, this is exactly what we do. We get to know you and discuss which options best fit your needs and preferences.  We are familiar with all the options in the area and the nuances of each. We help you narrow down the search and create a road map of places that meet your requirements.  We are also familiar with the new communities on the horizon and have much insight about a community’s operational history. If desired, we can join you on your tour and ask questions you may not know to ask.  We help you understand the terms of the contract and even negotiate the fees, as appropriate. Trying to do it alone is a monumental task. The last thing you want to do is move somewhere and be unaware that the community is experiencing financial or operational issues. Taping into a knowledgeable resource will help you avoid these pitfalls.

Please explain how the refund programs work at Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC)/ Life Plan Communities?   

CCRCs/Life Plan Communities offer a variety of entrance fee refund programs – 0%, 50%, 75% and even 95% refunds. The entrance fee is typically earned by the community at a rate of 1% to 2% per month. There is usually a 2% to 4% administration fee earned during the first month.  Each month that you live at a CCRC, a percentage is deducted (earned) from the entrance fee that you paid.  If you select the 0% refund plan, your entrance fee refund will decline over 4 – 7 years until your refund reaches zero. On the other hand, if you select the 50%, 75% or 95% plan, your estate will have a set amount refunded.  If you opt for a higher refund program, you will pay an “up charge” for these plans as compared to the 0% refund program.  Basically, you pay more upfront to be guaranteed a higher refund.

Some communities will offer different refund programs based on their health care plans. For example, a community might offer a 95% refund, but you would also be responsible for paying for higher levels of care as needed.  It is wise to consult with your attorney and financial advisor to determine which plan best fits your needs.

Are there resources available for low income seniors in our area?

Collier Senior Resources at the Golden Gate Senior Center has funding to provide financial assistance to low-income seniors in need. Call Maritza for more information at 239-252-4550.  The Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida is another valuable resource.  The Area Agency on Aging is committed to connecting older adults and adults with disabilities to resources and assistance for living safely with independence and dignity. They can be reached at 239-652-6900.

Are there any upcoming educational seminars for area seniors?

The Leadership Coalition on Aging (LCA) is conducting their Empowerment Series Panel Discussion on Sept. 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Collier County South Regional Library.   The topic will be Advanced Planning – Getting your Affairs in Order.  It will feature an attorney, a physician, an accountant, and a real estate professional.  The event is free.  For more information, please call 239-595-0207.

To have your senior housing questions answered in a future article, please submit your questions to:  [email protected]  

Senior Housing Expert and Advisor Bruce Rosenblatt is the owner of Senior Housing Solutions.  

www.seniorhousingsolutions.net