Our friends are not on Facebook alone! I just got back from dropping off more of our AHCS magnets to Joyce at the bank. (Can you see the one she has in her window?) You see, Joyce likes helping people. She knows there’s a need for home care in our community. So when a customer drives up and asks her about it, she gives them one of our magnets. (I also gave her some of our logo’d pens and notepads to hand-out, too.)

Since many of our clients come from referrals we want to thank Joyce for sending her bank customers our way.

She truly has that special touch when it comes to caring for her clientele. This explains why so many cars line-up in Joyce’s drive-thru lane each day — just to say hi to her. It’s also why last week, the bank president personally stopped by to shake her hand and proclaim her as “Teller of the Week.”

Of course, in our minds, it’s more like “Teller of the Century.” Thanks for all you do Joyce.

Earlier this year, AHCS signed up again  (2nd year in a row) to exhibit at Gwinnett’s largest road race, Run The Reagan. At the time, we knew that the race benefits a great cause, Gwinnett Community Clinic. But what we didn’t know is that mother nature had some special plans for that day, too.

Laying 5″ of snowfall at our feet in Atlanta the night before, the race did indeed go on. And so did its Family Festival of which we were a part of.

So, we loaded up the truck and stocked our booth with our new logo’d notepads, pens and magnets to greet the winter runnerland.

While the snow provided a bit of frost to our toes, the sun warmed our noses as we greeted many a 1 mile, 5k and 10K finisher who stopped by our booth to say hello.

We also met booth neighbor, Aysha Cooper of the new Sarah Care Adult Day Care Center in Snellville.  Aysha is excited about helping our community with her new day care center for seniors. For more information, call her at 770-685-6971. Or visit her website.

If you were planning to run or drop by and see us, but just couldn’t dig out, who knows? Maybe we’ll see you next year! Until then, thanks to everyone who stopped by.

The W.O.W.'s hold up a few of the sweaters they gave me last Thursday for Gwinnett County Seniors.

Last February, I met Mary Anne Lamb (shown back row on the left) at Run The Reagan 5K in Snellville, GA.  AHCS had a booth at the race and Mary Anne stopped by. I remember telling her about our “Sweaters For Seniors” program. She told me that her women’s group at Brookwood Baptist might be able to help us collect some sweaters.

Lo and behold! She was right as last Thursday AHCS was invited to the “Girl Friends’” meeting at Mary Anne’s Lawrenceville home.  It was a chilly winter night but you’d hardly know it thanks to the hospitality of these women. Warmly welcoming me in, I was given the floor to discuss our “3rd Annual Sweaters for Seniors” program.

Martha McCance (back row 3rd from left) introduced me to the W.O.W.s and pledged that they’d help next fall. One of my requests is that we get more Gwinnett County Schools involved this year. It seems that K-5 aged kids in particular love to collect sweaters for seniors. Martha explained, “We have some members who work at  Gwinnett County Schools and we’ll ask them to help.”

A huge thanks to Mary Anne, Martha, Lori and the rest of the “GF’s.” (I hear they also help seniors at Sunrise Assisted Living on Five Forks Trickum.) So with all they have on their plates, we appreciate their help with S4S all the more!

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, an important time to spread the word about this sight-stealing disease that affects many older Americans.

“A recommended annual screening to check eye pressure with a dilated exam takes about an hour and costs around 100.00,” says an Atlanta vision care technician. “It’s also covered by most insurance plans.”

According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness. The disease is much more common among older people. Those aged 60 years or older are six times more likely to get glaucoma. Moreover, among African-American and Hispanic populations, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.  And if you have diabetes, you may be three times more likely to get the disease.

To see the rest of this article and find out where you can get a glaucoma screening near you, click here:

Whether with our own extended families and grandparents or strangers we meet in our daily routines, the holidays are a time to show we care for others young and old.

In our home care business, we employ caregivers who provide personal care and companionship to seniors. Yes, they are certified and have skills in working with and helping seniors. But we also look for those who naturally show compassion and respect for others. Here are some traits of superb caregivers.

1) A good caregiver listens and doesn’t talk back to seniors.

2) A good caregiver has a soft touch. For instance, when applying ointment or lotion to a senior, they are always gentle.

3) A good caregiver speaks softly, not harshly to seniors.

4) A good caregiver lets the senior feel in charge. “He or she understands their senior has lost some independence by not being able to drive or cook by themselves anymore,” explains Njeri Soley, Staff Coordinator for Alternative Home Care for Seniors. “By asking questions and showing interest in the senior’s wishes, they empower the senior,” she adds.

5) A good caregiver is patient. This is especially important when transferring a senior from a chair or bed.

I encourage you to consider the above ideas when dealing with a senior, yourself this holiday and beyond in 2010. And if nothing else, please hold a door or let a senior get through it first the next time you’re at the grocery store. It’s a nice way to show respect for our elder citizens and it will make you feel good, too.

Derrick Merchant is the new Senior Issues writer for Examiner.com. You can see his other articles here.