We completed our final round of photos for our newest roll out of our new brand images.

We are focusing on some amazing core value stories that we’ve received from our franchise partners, and trying to recapture the moment through our images.

One story is of a client, who gave up swimming as they became older, and our caregiver was able to get her back into the water and find her passion again! Click here to view a sneak peek!

Words from John DeHart:

We are in the business of caring. And we care for thousands of people. And every so often we get he call to care for one of our own.

2 months ago we lost a “Superman.” Milton was one of a kind. Special in so many ways; to so many people. One month has passed, and I miss him. I walk by the big pink door in our office with his name on it (the door to our “Milton Wong” room) and I think how much fun he (we) would have if he was in here, surrounded by the ” buzz” and “energy” of what is happening here at Nurse Next Door.

I was asked to say a few words at his service. Here are those words.

“We live our life in pictures, snapshots in time. Moments that come, and then they are gone. But captured in these moments, are images that are forever etched in our minds, and these images are the ones that touch our hearts and stay with us always.

My snapshot of Milt, the one that grabs my heart and tugs at it, was one when he was nearing his last days. Weak from treatments and fightingvaliantly, it was – I now know – his last stand.

We were having one of our many, what I call, mind jousts. A conversation full of ideas, back and forth, and then I saw it, an idea caught hold in his mind, and that special sparkle came that special sparkle in Milts eye, that everyone in here knows, that sparkle that would catch hold of his
imagination, a sparkle unlike any I have known.

A smile crept across his face. His eyes opened a little wider, he sat up a bit straighter, he stood and then he began to pace, just like he had done in so many of our visits over the 25 yrs I knew him.

And in that brief moment He was filled with childlike wonder and delight. And like few in this world, he would then take that idea into place in his mind, into the future, a place where few could go.

And Milt used this special ability to make this world a better place. It’s how he put his dent on the universe. Its how he made his change.

Yes, he was a great business man. But he was a better human being.

Yes he was smart. And visionary. But it was his heart that made him different.

And that is what I loved so much about him – never cynical, never pessimistic. Always a capacity for wonderment, I try to learn from that, still.

It was this rare combination of smarts, heart and childlike wonderment, that truly made his lasting impact on all of us here today.

We all know how lucky we are all to have had him in our life, but I wonder, I wonder how many of us in this room even understand the real impact he has had on us, and will only come to learn in it in the years ahead. I know I don’t. yet.

I met Milton, it was through my Uncle Robert, his business partner at MK Wong. They were sort of like the yin and the yang. Best of friends, best of business partners. I will always remember the story of how Uncle Robert was on a fishing holiday, far up the BC coast on his boat, seemingly in the middle of no where, and no one knowing is where abouts. When a helicopter appeared. And it came closer and closer, until it was right on top of his boat, hovering 20 feet above. And as he looked up, there was Milton, hanging out of a window, megaphone in hand yelling :”Bob, we need your help now!”

He wasn’t letting a fishing vacation get in the way of what needed to be done. Milton lived life to
the fullest and didn’t ever let small-thinking get in his way. A challenge was an opportunity in disguise and he always saw it that way.

So how do I end a tribute to such a great human being? I asked myself this while I sat quietly in my office, writing these words. And then I looked up on our wall, where right in front of me, were words that perfectly described who Milton was.

Here are those slightly edited words:

‘Who Is Nurse Next Door

He wears a smile like a favorite t- shirt.
Like any great friend, he does what he says he is going to do – he’s action not talk.
He is light on his toes and has a heart big enough to keep up a community’s, a provinces, a country’s pulse.
Infusing calm and order into the situation is like breathing to him. He likes clear conversations.
He’s a love bandit and cooks masterful meals to share with his friends and family just because.’

Milt was one of a kind.

We will all miss him greatly, but no one will feel the impact like Fei or like Elizabeth, Sarah and Andrea will. And all I can say to you is this:

Take comfort in the conversations you have with people who know him. Seek them out. Ask people to share with you those snapshots in time of their relationship with your dad, and if you do this, over time, this is a way to keep him alive in your heart.

Milt, we miss you”

It’s no secret that seniors these days are much more active than the seniors of the past. The stereotype of a typical senior has changed drastically. Gone are the days of the elderly couple rushing to catch “the early bird special” or grandma’s in the neighborhood gathering to play bridge. Our 21st century seniors are joining fitness groups, surfing the net, and spending their nights, not with the paper, but playing angry birds on their iPad 2s.

Our friendly travel agent, Lindy Rothenburger of the TravelGroup even noticed a change of trend in senior vacations. 65 – 75 year old seniors are giving up Reno and jetting off to Europe to embark on a more active vacation. River cruises are becoming the new hot destination for seniors where, you enjoy the leisure of a cruise but can also opt to walk, run, or cycle to meet the cruise at the next port (Holy, slow your roll grandma, you’re making me look bad!)

For seniors who are 75 and over, they may be less active, but still extremely lively. Multigenerational vacations are becoming more common. Seniors enjoy traveling with their children and grandchildren and experiencing a new destination together.

The 2012 senior is not what they used to be, and the baby boomer generation following behind them will be a whole different breed of excitement and liveliness. Hold on to your hats youngins because seniors are armed with wit, adventure and are ready to carpe diem.

Did you know that an estimated 66 million Americans are providing simultaneous care of their own children as well as an aging parent? For the past ten years, I have been a card-carrying member of the Sandwich Generation; balancing a multitude of activities at one time. Although I am not a nurse on any level, I am great at following directions and work hard to make sure I am taking care of my mother’s needs. I recently realized though that I might have overlooked a small but important aspect of my mother’s care.

One day when I was waiting for her to get out of the shower, I sat down in her favorite chair to check out her view. It was not very appealing to say the least. That prompted me to make some changes that would enhance her view a little and keep her connected with friends and loved ones. Check out the changes I made:

• Planted veggie boxes. The side yard outside her window was barren due to the loss of an old orange tree so my husband built some beautiful raised bed vegetable boxes there. Even though she cannot garden anymore, she finds great joy in watching the garden grow and providing me with daily veggie progress reports.

• Spruced up her entry. The other window had a view of an empty, 3 x 3 foot garden bed. I scheduled a small block of time to cultivate, plant bright flowers and add some ground cover.

• Invited Hummingbirds. I bought a unique hummingbird feeder and installed it near the planter described above. Her face just lights up when those sweet little birdies come to visit.

• Facebook connection. Setting up a Facebook page for her was an easy way to help her stay connected to the world. I now regularly show up with my laptop so she can see photos and comments from family and friends.

• Senior Center. I did a little research on activities at our local senior center and signed her up for a weekly knitting group. This gives her a change of scenery and provides social input as well.

It took a very small effort on my part to make a difference for her. If you are taking care of a loved one or maybe have an elderly neighbor in need, I encourage you to take a little time out of your day to improve their journey.

Paula is the author of Simply Sandwich, a blog providing survival skills for women in the Sandwich Generation. With ten years hands-on juggling experience of multi-generations, Paula shares practical ideas, simple solutions and real stories to help fine tune the family balancing act for any busy mom.

When I use to exchange pleasantries with business peers, it was usually about our children. With friends, we would swap war stories of diapers, daycare and later, teenage escapades.

Like all demographic shifts, that affect our life and lifestyles, the change starts slowly and at a point in time usually around a single event that “aha” moment comes, when you realize things are going to be different. Continue reading →

It wasn’t until I was in my 70′s that I realized that I was getting old. Certain things I was once able to do, started to become increasingly difficult. I couldn’t walk as much as I had used to, lift heavy things as easily or polish off a good old fashioned meal like I did in my 30′s. And gosh, how lucky I am to have a grand-daughter who’d much rather go shopping than learn how to play baseball, because my throwing ability has decreased in power, just a tad.

I am very blessed though. I am still lively. Our family, a crazy bunch, frequently has dinner gatherings, where everyone kindly indulges me, by listening to stories from the old days, I am still able to teach my grand baby how to bake pies during the holidays, and now, embarking on the golden years of my 80′s, I still manage to travel on family vacations to Hawaii, Mexico and most recently, Las Vegas for my grand-daughter’s 23rd birthday (How did I survive that?!).

Travelling has given me the greatest memories, as did my time in the provincial law courts and my time playing baseball throughout high school and with the Canadian Army. I’ve thought about what advice I would give to my 30 year old self and could only think of three things:

1. Save as much money as possible for retirement
2. Achieve as much schooling as possible
3. Happy wife, happy life

I wish all of you who currently enjoy the early bird specials, and those who will soon receive their seniors discounts the best of luck in the years to come.

- Yutaka “Slim” Kobayashi

*Yutaka Kobayashi is a Senior from Vancouver, BC Canada. He is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and retired over 20 years ago from the BC Provincial Law Courts. He is also the grandpa of our social media maven, Yume Tabo!